DQMusicBox – making music accessible to dementia sufferers — now easier

It is now easier to make a DQMusicBox. You can make one in an afternoon — fewer parts, no soldering.

My dad loves music but has enough dementia that he cannot operate normal music players. But he can use the music player that I just made for him, because it operates like a familiar old two-knob radio.

I was inspired to make a music box for my Dad by the documentary Alive Inside which shows that some people with dementia feel more alive when listening to their favorite music. So I tried this with Dad. There was sustained joy on his face – joy from the familiar music and joy from the fact that nothing else in the frustrating world mattered for a few minutes.

As maker projects go, DQMusicBox is pretty easy. For an overview, see the video below. For details, see the build instructions.