ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Nazareth College is teaming up with the Alzheimer's Association to help people living with forms of dementia.

The Nazareth College Choirs and Music Therapy Program hosted a concert Saturday at the Glazer Performance Center in Rochester.

The show, "Why We Sing," was specifically curated to aid people living with Alzheimer’s and those in attendance were encouraged to join in on the singing and dancing. 

Coordinators say the performance was an opportunity to bring the community together, while also helping those suffering from dementia undergo a positive and beneficial experience. 

"There is evidence that shows that music and memory are intertwined,” Alzheimer's Association Executive Director Teresa Galbier said. "And oftentimes, our folks with dementia will lose the ability to have conversation. But when music comes on, sometimes it awakens them and it gives them the opportunity to be able to sing lyrics to songs that they knew for decades."

Additionally, Nazareth students worked with the Alzheimer’s Association in training students on how to assist those attending the concert. 

Those students were available to help anyone who wanted to get up and move about with the music, or to help those looking to be escorted to the lobby for a brief break.