BIO
As a certified music therapist (MTA), Taylor received a Bachelor of Music Therapy from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Arts at the University of Toronto in Music and Health Sciences. Taylor is a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies in the Aging, Health, and Well-Being stream.
Taylor’s work as a music therapist focuses on older adults living in the community and long-term care. During her time at Laurier and the University of Toronto, she worked in long-term care, where she developed a comprehensive music therapy program and an in-house music studio for residents and care partners. Currently, Taylor leads music programs for the Bitove Method, an organization that supports the relational capabilities of older adults living with memory loss through the arts. As a Canadian Music Therapy Fund board member, Taylor is committed to advancing music therapy practice and research in our communities.
Taylor Kurta
Collaborative Songwriting with People with Dementia
Drawing from her skills as a singer-songwriter and music therapist, and her experiences as a granddaughter of older-adults in care, Taylors research aims to use collaborative songwriting with people living with dementia as a tool to expose and challenge the harmful consequence of dementia-stigma.
In her research, Taylor collaborates with people living with dementia to write, record, and create music videos to challenge assumptions related to the capabilities of people living with dementia. She hopes to create a platform with people living with dementia to use the arts as a medium for expression of personhood, and resistance to social stigmatization.
This workshop will give an overview of Taylor’s journey and strategies on how to use songwriting as a tool with people living with dementia.