GNJ's Music Memory Café

Giving a Platform to Retired Musicians in Washington, D.C.

The GNJ's Music Memory Café is a unique project located in the heart of Washington, D.C. that is providing retired jazz musicians living with Alzheimer's and other dementia-related diseases an opportunity to play music and perform with others throughout the District of Columbia. The project was created as a platform for seniors to come together, share their experiences, and enjoy music as a form of therapy.

The Music Memory Café provides a safe environment that allows musicians to continue their love for music through socialization and performance. The Music Memory Café’s overall goal is to support the well-being of participants throughout the District of Columbia using a creative approach to opening up imaginative memories through a structured series of creative engagements. Led by Washington own musician Davey Yarborough, participants will be able to create musical expressions that reflect their interest. With his guidance of the teaching musician, and special guest musicians as appropriate, the Music Memory Café will develop a product to be shared with the broader community. Each of the participant’s family members, care partners and others within the community will be invited to a celebratory event featuring the participants in a way that is culturally appropriate and memory friendly, honoring their inspiration and their work with an artistic value and connection to their communities.

The goal of the GNJ's Music Memory Café is to provide an inclusive space for seniors living with Alzheimer’s or dementia to feel connected through music.

The GNJ's Music Memory Café offers weekly sessions where seniors can come together in a safe environment to talk about their favorite tunes and memories of playing music. A talented team of clinicians and volunteers works with the seniors to help them create original songs. These sessions also include instruction on various instruments, such as guitar, piano, drums, and more.

Finally, the Music Memory Café will develop a jazz performance to be shared with the broader community. Each of the participants' family members, care partners, and others within the community will be invited to a celebratory event featuring the participants in a way that is culturally appropriate and memory-friendly, honoring their inspiration and work with artistic value and connection to their communities.

Are you a retired jazz musician or do you care for someone who is? It's time to reconnect! Join us at Music Memory Café to rediscover the healing power of music. Thanks to a grant from the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities, the Genevieve N. Johnson Senior Daycare Center is sponsoring a unique program for jazz musicians over the age of sixty who can benefit from the therapeutic value of music, especially as they age.

Don't let your passion for jazz fade away - join our community of retired DC Jazz Musicians today and keep the music alive. Connect with fellow musicians, get access to exclusive events, and rediscover the joy of playing. Call or email us now and start your journey back to the stage!

For more information, please contact Angela Ballard at 202-723-8537.

Davey Yarborough

Musical Director of GNJ's Music Memory Café

The Genevieve N. Johnson Senior Day Care Center is proud to announce the selection of Davey Yarborough as the new musical director of its Music Memory Café grant program. Davey brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role.

As a native of the District of Columbia, Davey Yarborough currently serves as the President and Artistic Director of the Washington Jazz Arts Institute. In 2019, Davey retired from Duke Ellington School of the Arts after 40 years of service as a jazz educator. His lifelong commitment to mentoring young musicians was recognized in 2017 when he was inducted into the Washington, D.C. Hall of Fame, and the following year in the Downbeat Magazine Jazz Educator Hall of Fame.