The Memory Disco with Kaylee Glenn (Crossover Episode with Remo Health)

Why It Matters

The Memory Disco demonstrates that accessible, music‑driven engagement can dramatically improve dementia patients' wellbeing, offering a scalable alternative to traditional therapies and prompting broader adoption of non‑clinical interventions in senior care.

Key Takeaways

• Silent‑disco model lets non‑musicians deliver dementia music therapy.
• Personalized playlists target ages 10‑30 to trigger memory recall.
• Three engagement pillars—rhythm, touch, community—drive active participation in sessions.
• Volunteer‑led programs expanded from high schools to nationwide senior centers.
• COVID‑19 prompted innovative silent‑disco adaptation, increasing accessibility for dementia care.

Summary

The Nocturnist episode, in partnership with Remo Health, spotlights Kaylee Glenn, a young neuroscientist‑musician who founded the Dayby‑Day Project. Her nonprofit uses music‑based interventions—most famously the "Memory Disco"—to improve quality of life for people living with dementia and to support their families. Glenn describes how early experiences playing violin in a memory‑care facility revealed music’s power to reconnect non‑verbal patients. Building on that insight, she formalized a student organization at age 14, later expanding it into a university club and a national volunteer network. The program rests on three engagement pillars—rhythmic stimulation, physical touch, and community interaction—designed to shift participants from passive listening to active, embodied participation. A defining moment came during the pandemic when in‑person performances were limited. Glenn’s team pioneered a silent‑disco approach, delivering individualized headphone audio that allowed residents—even those with hearing loss—to dance together. She recounts 96‑year‑olds “dropping it like it’s hot,” illustrating how tailored playlists from listeners’ formative years (ages 10‑30) spark vivid memories and spontaneous movement. The model’s scalability is its most compelling feature: non‑musicians can volunteer, leveraging simple engagement techniques and technology to reach facilities nationwide. By democratizing music therapy, the Dayby‑Day Project offers a replicable, low‑cost solution that could reshape dementia care standards and influence policy on non‑pharmacologic interventions.

Original Description

In this crossover episode with Remo Health, Kaylee Glenn of the Day By Day Project shares how a childhood moment playing violin in a memory care facility inspired her to create a music-focused nonprofit for people living with dementia.

This episode was originally produced by Remo Health as a part of their “Talking Dementia” podcast. Remo Health is an innovative telehealth company providing whole-person care to people living with dementia and their caregivers. To learn more about Remo, visit remo.health.

This episode of The Nocturnists is sponsored by Claimable.

Every year, insurers deny over 850 million claims in the United States. Fewer than one percent are ever appealed. Claimable exists to change that, with an online platform that helps patients overturn unjust denials and restore access to the care they need. With Claimable's easy to use appeal builder, patients create and submit personalized, expert-backed appeals combining clinical, policy, and legal evidence into powerful coverage arguments. If you or someone you know has ever lost access to a medication because of an insurance denial, Claimable was built for that moment. To learn more, and explore how Claimable works with partners in healthcare to expand access, visit www.getclaimable.com

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