Ryde Library shares success behind monthly Musical Tea
Part of the joy of hosting a Musical Tea is that it’s easy and fun to arrange, and one library on the Isle of Wight found it so fun that they’ve made it a monthly event.
For more than a year, Ryde Library has been attracting around 12 people to their musical gathering, with August’s session breaking a record of 17 people attending. The sessions run for 90 minutes with a break for tea and cake, which is provided by a volunteer.
Alison Pearce, Community Development Officer, said that for as long as people enjoy the Musical Teas, that the library will continue to host them.
“We have realised that our attendees mainly like songs from the 60s and our brilliant volunteer finds all the songs and then I set a quiz on it. We use the songs to trigger memories and we often have great discussions on pop groups that people have seen live when they were younger. Every person is included; some people have more memories than others and some just respond to hearing their favourite music.”
Engaging and enjoyable events
One of the attendees praised the effectiveness of the event after taking his wife, who lives with dementia, describing it as inclusive, non-judgemental and supportive to all its members.
He said: “There appears to be a real sense of enjoyment by all who attend. Although my wife, M, has rapidly diminishing cognitive abilities and increasingly does not understand much of what is happening during the afternoon, nonetheless she leaves with a sense of having engaged with others in an enjoyable way.
“As a full-time carer I love to see M relaxed and free from the anxieties which for much of the time accompany her delusions and paranoia.”
If your community organisation would like to host a Musical Tea, more information and free resources are available here.
These events are the result of a partnership between Ryde Library and Ryde Town Council.
