Community Based Music and Arts Programs for Older Adults and Multi-generational Groups

Ash Devine

Professional musician and performance artist Ash Devine (Grad Cert.Gerontology) is a professional musician and an accomplished community based artist in Asheville, NC. For over 10 years, Ash has worked to develop research based innovative concerts and music-based activities for older adults in senior living, health care, home care and inter-generational settings. Ash plays a variety of styles including original folk-Americana, old country, traditional Appalachian, classic rock and favorite jazz songs of the Era. Her performances inspire fond memories, joyful interaction and community engagement with participants and facility staff.

In 2022, Ash Devine was a recipient of the Ginnny Gives grant from the Dementia Society of America. The interactive music program was designed and implemented by Ash Devine, with aim to engage elders and their caregivers whose quality of life are impacted by neuro-cognitive impairments in innovative and therapeutic music and movement based activities. The successful project took place in skilled nursing and memory care wards for six months at Warm Hearth Village in Blacksburg, VA, and involved numerous residents whose careers were arts focused.

Ash’s musical programs are connective, entertaining and based in current research regarding the use of multi-sensory music and activities to enhance brain health and improve the quality of life of elders and their caregivers. Ash Devine has studied with world renowned arts and health practitioners such as Patch Adams, M.D. and NEA award winning non profit Songwriting works director Judith Kate Friedman.

Devine offers a range of program types tailored specifically for senior living settings including formal concerts for independent living featuring familiar music of the depression era, old country, and the jazz era, as well as the therapeutic interactive concerts geared towards assisted living, Alzheimer’s care, and skilled nursing care. Let us know what will work for you and we will design our program to fit your residents needs!

 

Click below to see more details about Devine’s program offerings for retirement communities, assisted living and nursing care, and more!

Email bookashdevine@gmail.com or call 828 691 0802 for more information about booking Ash Devine in your community!

Click here to see an informational PDF about Ash Devine’s Music Programs For Older Adults in the assisted living setting

A video surveying Ash Devine’s community arts projects between 2017-2019

Example of Interactive Music Program with Ash Devine at a nursing and rehab in Sarasota, FL, 2020

 

Example of Ash performing a formal concert featuring historic music of the Carter Family

A short documentary, 2017, about Ash Devine’s path in Gerontology, humanitarian clowning and the development of inter-generational programs, bringing together school age at-risk youth and older adults whom reside in the institutional health care setting.

 

Testimonials: 

“Ash’s ability to engage adults struggling with the effects of NCI’s is absolutely amazing, during her performance I was surprised to see several of our residents with advancing cognitive conditions whom normally do not engage in group activities were able to interact enthusiastically.” – (Speech Therapist at Crossings at English Meadows)

“The adult day folk choir was absolutely amazing. I’ve never seen so many folks who are usually non-verbal and unable to participate socially in group activity, actually socially engaged, and singing along.” -(Adult Day Community Engagement Coordinator, Carepartner’s in Asheville, NC)

Your program greatly enhanced the quality of life of our residents, you will always be welcome to return. – Eunice (Activities Director at Recency at Puakea , HI)

The work you do is awesome, some of those people I’ve never seen have so much fun as they did during your concert.– Meredith (activities assistant at Givens Estates , NC )

 The residents really enjoyed you and we definitely going to have you back – (Kaitlyn Activities Director at Highland Farms, NC )

Some examples of past and current performance venues:

  • Warm Hearth Health Care and Assisted/Independent Living, Blacksburg, VA, 2014-2021
  • The Crossings/ English Meadows, Blacksburg, VA 2017-2018
  • Brookdale Senior Living Asheville, NC 2016-2020
  • Brookdale Alzheimer’s and Memory Care, Asheville, NC 2017-2021
  • Givens Estates, Asheville, NC 2014-2021
  • CarePartner’s Adult Day, Asheville, NC
  • Legacy at Augusta Lutheran Community, Staunton, VA 2018-2021
  • The Oak Hammock, Gainesville, FL 2016-2019
  • Brandon Oaks Nursing Care, Roanoke, VA  2010-2015
  • And many many more!

To Book Ash Devine for a service, visit CONTACT.