'I know this will resonate with thousands of people' - Black Country and Staffordshire celebrities praise Christmas film highlighting the power of music on dementia
A new Christmas film demonstrating the power of music on the lives of families impacted by dementia has touched the hearts of celebrities including Sian Reeves and Tony Christie.
The Music for Dementia campaign conceived and shot the film in just ten days on a tiny budget, casting friends and family in the film to show how music can connect generations.
Inspired by the John Lewis adverts, the film opens with an old woman isolated and locked out of technology as she fumbles with a vinyl record and in a poignant moment, she contemplates putting CDs into her toaster.
She is handed a children’s audio player by her six-year-old granddaughter. With the simple insert of a card, the Yoto Player, instantly connects her with m4dRADIO, a radio station specifically designed to give those living with dementia non-stop access to music from different decades.
Immediately, the family shares a special moment of connection across three generations, and the woman’s world becomes instantly brighter.
Former Cutting It, Emmerdale and Coronation Street actor Sian Reeves, who was born in West Bromwich, said of the film: “It cuts right through the noise of Christmas advertising and goes straight to what actually matters – human connection.
"Having dementia in my family, I know this will resonate with thousands of people who feel forgotten by mainstream campaigns trying to sell us things we don’t need.”
The film was also backed by singing legend Tony Christie, the only voice on the ad, who was diagnosed with dementia in January 2023 and now lives in Lichfield.
He said: “I love this film because I get it. Music is what connects us but for people with dementia, it’s not always so easy to access.
"I’m lucky in that I get to sing almost every day, but when it comes to listening to music, my granddaughter Deia will take charge of the tech. We listen to old songs together and I reminisce with her. It’s very special.”
Christie has recently recorded a new version of ‘Avenues & Alleyways’ with Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley for Hadley’s upcoming album ‘If I can Dream’.
Having watched the film, Hadley commented: “Music has always been at the heart of everything I do – it's what connects us all. Music for Dementia's new Christmas film is so important; giving the music back this Christmas means giving people back precious memories and moments of connection and joy. If you know someone living with dementia, you'll understand how much music matters.”
