SingFit Uses Music To Fight Alzheimer's

Amidst all the talk of royalties and copyright infringement, it’s easy to forget that music is about more than business. At Music Audience Exchange (MAX), of course, we believe music resonates on a profoundly emotional level. We recently came upon a company that demonstrates the power of music.

Founded by a technologist/futurist and a trained music therapist, SingFit is a company that is using music to treat those suffering from Alzheimer’s. We spoke to both founders, Rachel Francine and Andy Tubman. An excerpt from the interview:

"Even amidst such a devastating disease as dementia, music remains with that person, long after other memories and ways to interact with the world have faded." -Andy Tubman, SingFit's Chief of Therapeutics and Music

Read the whole interview below and watch the video to see first-hand how their work is impacting people’s lives:

Q&A with the Founders of SingFit

MAX: It seems like music could address so many ailments. Why did you start by focusing on dementia?

Rachel Francine (CEO): Our overarching goal is to scale effective, affordable, accessible music as medicine to help untangle a wide variety of healthcare problems including chronic breathing disorders, depression and autism. 

We went into dementia first because we knew from a scientific and clinical perspective we knew we could create a product that would have transformational impact on people’s lives and because, so little was being done to help people in this space.

Andy Tubman: The medical, pharmaceutical and traditional bio tech industries have not produced any true advances that either prevent or successfully treat dementia and this has left the healthcare system and family members without many places turn. Which is where music comes in. Because, even amidst such a devastating disease as dementia, music remains with that person, long after other memories and ways to interact with the world have faded. Because of this, ad hoc music solutions are already accepted in senior living and made it a receptive market so it made sense as a first market.

MAX: Fantastic. We’re focused on innovative ways people can re-purpose music here at MAX. What is SingFit doing that is different/new?

RF: The problem historically is that with 6,000 music therapists versus 185,000 occupational therapists in the country, effective [music] interventions are not easily accessed and have never been scaled out to the general public. We use technology to allow people - such as Activities Directors at Senior Living Communities - to facilitate evidence based musical interventions to improve the health and vitality of people struggling with an array of healthcare issues.

This means that we are scaling music as medicine for this first time in history.

AT: Before we started SingFit, as a private practice music therapist, I could personally see [a maximum of], 20 clients a week, another 20 or so if I did groups. Today, our SingFit PRIME intervention is used at more than 100 senior living communities across the country. That means in any given day there are now thousands of people utilizing the SingFit program and that is just our first step in scaling out evidence-based singing interventions to millions of people.

In addition, while there are some other music programs on the market directed at people with dementia, these interventions utilize passive music listening rather than active music making. The basic difference between these two is similar to the difference between watching someone dance and dancing yourself. Passive music listening, involves only a small part of the brain and relies on the listener's emotional connection with a song in order to produce therapeutic results. With active singing, the autonomic nervous system is engaged in the process resulting in cross hemispheric brain activity, a respiratory workout and neurochemical regulation, regardless of a person’s connection to the song.

MAX: At our core, MAX is focused on creating new opportunities for both artists and brands. How is SingFit helping artists/working with content providers (labels/publishers) to articulate new rev opportunities?

RF: SingFit programs rely on known songs to engage people in singing. At a basic level we work with publishers to license songs and write checks to more than 20 publishers and hundreds of songwriters every quarter. In the case of SingFit PRIME we are using songs from the 1920s through the 1960s that are often underused in the publisher's catalog. We are also beginning to work with publishers and labels, as well as other content providers, to create products that feature their writers and artists in particular, helping them extend the reach into revenue streams in health and wellness.

In addition, we might be the only biotech company with a wall featuring pictures of our stable of singers or a recording booth. We license our background tracks, but we will record our lead vocals and Lyric Coach tracks in house, so we are also creating new opportunities for sound-alike vocalists.

AT: In addition to the new revenue streams, SingFit also offers songwriters, musicians and vocalists a unique opportunity to interact with their fans in a completely new way. SingFit allows these artists to participate in an intimate singing experience with their fans thousands of times a day. This experience actually allows artists to improve the health of fans, which can lead to a new type of loyalty and relationship between musician and fan that includes and goes beyond monetary reward.

MAX: Thanks for taking the time. It’s amazing work.

Disclosure: George Howard, one of MAX’s cofounders, is a SingFit advisor. To learn more about MAX, click here.