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Retirement is a time to embrace freedom, rediscover passions and focus on your wellbeing. One powerful, and often underestimated way to do that? Music. Whether it’s singing along to favourite tunes, learning an instrument or enjoying live performances, music can bring joy, connection and even cognitive and physical health benefits.
Music has a unique ability to lift our spirits. It can reduce stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression – all of which can sometimes affect people as they adjust to retirement or navigate changes in health.
Listening to music that resonates can release dopamine, a “feel-good” chemical in the brain, which can boost mood. Singing, dancing or playing an instrument can provide a creative outlet and bring a sense of accomplishment and joy.
Studies show that music stimulates areas of the brain involved in memory, attention and language. For older people, particularly those wanting to stay sharp or those living with mild cognitive impairment or dementia, music can be incredibly beneficial.
Familiar songs from younger years can unlock memories and prompt conversation. Learning an instrument or even attending a music appreciation group can challenge the brain in new ways, improving mental agility and focus.
Music is a shared experience. Whether it’s joining a choir, attending a community concert or simply sharing a favourite album with a friend, music offers opportunities to connect with others. Something that’s vital for emotional wellbeing in our later years.
In retirement villages, music groups or sing-alongs are not only fun but can help foster new friendships. For those who may be feeling isolated, music can be a gentle and inclusive way to re-engage socially.
Dancing or moving to music can help improve balance, coordination and flexibility – all important for maintaining independence and mobility in later life. Even gentle movement to music or tapping to a beat can offer therapeutic benefits for circulation, posture and motor skills.
Music therapy has also been shown to help manage pain and improve sleep, contributing to overall physical health and quality of life.
Many of RetireAustralia’s villages offer lots of opportunities to dance or move to music, whether it’s line dancing groups, rock’n’roll dancing or just bopping along to the tunes at happy hour.
One of the great joys of retirement is having more time to spend on things that bring happiness. Creating a morning playlist, setting aside time to practice piano or looking forward to a weekly music group can bring positive structure to your days and something to look forward to. Most RetireAustralia villages offer a range of musical groups and regular live performances.
Music can also bring comfort, especially in times of change or grief.
You don’t have to be musically trained to enjoy these benefits. Retirement is the perfect time to explore music in whatever way feels right for you, whether that’s revisiting your vinyl collection, joining a drumming circle or learning guitar for the first time.
Music is about connection, to ourselves, to our memories and to others. It’s a beautiful, accessible way to enrich life in retirement and support your wellbeing in the most joyful way.
Here are just some of the people in RetireAustralia villages who have filled their world with music.
For Belinda, blending her passion for music with her role as Village Manager at Murray Gardens Retirement Village has been a perfect fit. Known for her beautiful singing voice, she’s often seen lighting up the stage in local productions and delights in sharing her love of music with the village community.
Belinda organises a variety of fun musical activities for residents, including karaoke nights, monthly sing-along sessions and musical bingo that never fails to bring a smile. She also coordinates visits from local performers, adding an extra touch of magic to the community events.
Belinda believes music creates a sense of comfort that helps residents connect with one another. She sees firsthand how music can spark joy and even improve cognitive function, aiding memory recall and reducing symptoms of dementia.
But perhaps most heartwarming is how music opens the door for residents to share their stories and experiences. Belinda loves seeing friendships blossom as residents bond over tunes that remind them of special moments in their lives. For her, music is more than entertainment it’s a powerful way to bring the community together, enriching lives one note at a time.
“The residents have got the wealth of experience and the knowledge, and I find that through music I can tap into that because that’s when people feel safe, feel comfortable,” says Belinda. “We come in, we turn the television on every day, but we put on YouTube, and so we have music and video clips playing. The comfort and familiarity of the music helps people open up and discuss things.”
For Noel, a 97-year-old resident of Bramblewood Retirement Village, music has always been an important part of his life. He first picked up a guitar at the age of 14 and began writing songs by the time he was 19. Music even brought him and his late wife, Lorna, together – she was a performer, and he became her accompanist. Over the years, they collaborated on countless songs, creating beautiful memories. Since Lorna’s passing over a decade ago, Noel has kept their shared passion alive by writing and recording music, releasing two albums along the way.
“I don’t see myself as a performer, but I love singing the songs we created together,” Noel shares. “Sometimes I wake up with a melody in my head and finish a song within half an hour.”
At The Verge Retirement Village, something truly special takes shape each Friday afternoon – a resident choir known as The Verge Voices. Born from the purchase of an electric piano, the group has grown into a joyful community of around 15 residents who gather to sing, connect and share in music. With a strong male presence and an inspiring 91-year-old among their ranks, the choir blends rich harmonies with a spirit of inclusion and fun.
The group’s keyboardist, Jeff, says: “Beyond the music, this choir is about connection. It’s about showing up, sharing laughs and hitting the high notes (if sometimes the wrong ones). For those who attend, it’s more than a choir, it’s a weekly dose of belonging and joy.
“For myself I’m about to start professional singing lessons, which was something I had started some 20 years ago, but was always too busy to continue until now.”
RetireAustralia owns and operates retirement villages in 29 unique urban, seaside, tree-side and regional locations.
