Alexis Baker is a Board-Certified Music Therapist and Certified Dementia Practitioner who has shaped her career and her company around seniors living with dementia. Alexis has worked in dementia care settings for 15 years and has been a music therapist for 11 years. Her first exposure to dementia was as a child when her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As a child interacting with a loved one with dementia was a lot to deal with. She quickly realized how the disease impacts daily life and family relationships. Coming from a musical family, she had always loved music from an early age and began to realize how music was a tool to calm and engage happiness in her grandmother. Growing up she took piano and guitar lessons, and at age 16 she learned about music therapy for the first time. She would go on to receive her BA in Music Therapy from Marylhurst University in Portland, OR.
“We often see family connections break down because of the disease and the burden it puts on caregivers, but music can reconnect people and it’s beautiful to see it happen.”
“With music therapy we work with all ages and all populations. I had a wide variety of experience, but always loved working with older adults, whether grandparents or churchgoers. I didn’t realize I wanted to focus on that population professionally until a few years after graduation.”
In 2016, Alexis founded her own company, Bridgetown Music therapy. The best part of music therapy is the connection between people. By fostering a deeper connection with emotions and memories, music serves as a bridge, helping those with dementia reconnect with their past, present, and loved ones in ways that words alone cannot. She chose the name Bridgetown not only because of traveling through Portland with its many bridges, but also because of the connections music fosters—therapist to client, resident to resident, residents to staff. The most powerful is working with residents and their family caregivers. “We often see family connections break down because of the disease and the burden it puts on caregivers, but music can reconnect people and it’s beautiful to see happen.”
Bridgetown Music Therapy focuses on serving older adults, and particularly persons living with dementia. Serving a broad spectrum of clients, she contracts with care communities, group homes and individuals living in the Portland area. It’s a mobile business. “Seeing music work is magic- There was a woman who had a stroke who had lost her ability to speak. I knelt to her level, making eye contact and she started singing along audibly!”
“Seeing music work is magic- There was a woman who had a stroke who had lost her ability to speak. I knelt to her level, making eye contact and she started singing along audibly!”
“I’ve worked with a lot of individuals with advanced dementia, and often when people become nonverbal, they still can connect with music and are able to sing. It’s so great to be able to engage them through music. My favorite part of the work is seeing the positive effect on people.”
COVID had a huge impact on long term care more broadly, but also radically changed the way Alexis was able to conduct her business. All in-person music therapy was cancelled. Adapting quickly, Alexis started hosting music therapy outdoors, over Zoom and in some cases over the telephone. Residents were so happy being able to connect during that time of incredible isolation in nursing homes. Music is a powerful tool for connection. Largely because of COVID, Alexis began to realize that she had to shift her focus and create an alternative to in-person music therapy. Her husband is a professional videographer, and they teamed up to record music therapy videos and distribute them to clients. She received great feedback from clients, families and communities alike. The venture turned into what they call their virtual music engagement program. Launched in late 2020, it became a lifeline for both clients and the company. Building more content, and expanding to more than 300 videos, the platform has taken on a life of its own.
The platform is open to care settings for groups and individuals. It’s tailored for people with dementia, at a slow pace and with all the song lyrics on the screen. “I’ve put effort into creating a video library with a huge variety of sessions, themes and songs. Everyone has their own musical preferences, so we created over 300 sessions.” Alexis says she is reinventing herself as a music therapist, relying on her training and background in an increasingly online world.
One large issue she’s seen in the industry is caregiver burnout. Alexis believes providing accessible tools that are high quality and low-cost helps caregivers with access to the platform. It can be difficult to find music therapists locally, so this is an opportunity to meet the needs in the industry.
“One example during COVID, when people were not gathering as groups, our program could be used room to room, apartment to apartment, on laptop or tablet, using it individually. As groups began to gather post-COVID, we had a community that uses the platform weekly on Tuesdays. Memory Care and Assisted Living residents would come together for music therapy. They had an Assisted Living Ambassador program that would bring volunteers and guests from the AL into memory care to participate and engage in music therapy.”
“We’ve been sent notes and emails where communities gather large groups for the platform. It’s a turnkey activity for life enrichment staff, where staff can encourage engagement and movement with the residents. My focus is that it’s more than simply music entertainment, but music engagement. To sing, to dance, to engage those deep musical memories that bring out creativity and expression. A lot of times music prompts reminiscence and spontaneous discussion.” Members feel that despite the online platform, they feel Alexis is with them in person. They often wave and thank her for coming, even though it’s a recording. “That’s always fun to hear that my on-screen presence is as well received as in person for people living with dementia.”
Alexis obtained her Certified Dementia Practitioner certification two years ago. She had heard about CDP certification for a while and thought it would be a great way to further her education and practice. In networking, she saw the impact of NCCDP programs and other CDPs in the community and wanted to be a part of that. She found the training was helpful, reinforcing a lot of the knowledge she had gained through years of experience. CDP certification gives her credibility and knowledge to further her work. “When you’ve met one person with dementia, you’ve met one person with dementia. Having the tools to engage and interact with people living with dementia is critical and I’m grateful for the experience.”
Bridgetown Music Therapy provides monthly live music sessions over zoom. It’s free to join. “We’ve been doing it for a few years now and it’s really taken off, communities add it to their calendars and individual caregivers use it as well.” Its great outreach and benefits the care community as a whole. It’s easily accessible from our website through a sign-up link at https://www.bridgetownmt.com/.
As part of her work, Alexis has also contributed to a collaborative book project, The Caregiver’s Advocate: A complete guide to Support and Resources. The book is now an Amazon #1 bestseller. Alexis created a chapter about incorporating music into the day-to-day of caregiving. Whether in a facility or in-home setting, she provides concrete ideas and practical tips.
Find the book HERE
