Bev Foster is dedicated to making music an accessible tool for caregivers

October 2024

Bev Foster is an artist, educator, founder and Executive Director of Room 217, a social enterprise dedicated to making music an accessible tool for caregivers. Inspired by the profound way music helped her connect with her father before he passed, Bev co-founded Room 217 to promote the intentional use of music by anyone to improve health and well-being of self and others. Bev is a Community Research Fellow with LCMC, currently writing a chapter for the 2025 Routledge’s Developments in Dementia Care and Prevention through Music on using music in care settings, and the Music Care certification program, which represents 5 major studies over the last 12 years.

In her current research, Bev and her team are advancing the Music Care certification program by working with health teams on creating specific research projects, and developing a model to allow the integration of music through evidence-based practice. The Music Care certification program is based on evidence from over a decade of studies, and has shown remarkable benefits. In one care setting, there was a 70% reduction in caregiver stress, a 40% increase in client engagement, and overall improved quality of life. By creating their own research projects, certified organizations contribute case studies that expand the care’s narrative, and the integration of music into everyday care. Coming up, Bev is excited for the 2024 Music Care Conference, on November 23, at the Faculty of Music at Laurier. The conference highlights research on the effects of music in care.

In describing the value of research for community music, Bev wants to change caregiving culture towards being more humane, relational, and joyous. She believes community music fosters connection, creativity, and a profound sense of belonging and is a key towards this culture shift.