I am a singer, vocal coach, receptionist and new business contact and therefore regarded as a 'high-level voice user'. 

I use my voice for approximately 12 hours per day and this level of continuous use has recently been causing me some great vocal difficulty. 

As such, I am now on total voice rest. It's really hard, it's really weird and I don't like it. So to make some good out of a stressful situation, I am asking you to sponsor my 3 day silence from 13th-15th May, inclusive.

I chose the charity 'Music Therapy Works' because of their work providing "music therapy and music communication for individuals, groups and communities in a wide range of challenging circumstances."

My particular interest here is the correlation between music and Dementia. As some of you may know, my grandfather died of Alzheimer's Disease. Now, my mother-in-law is suffering with FT Dementia. She died during a seizure last week and was thankfully revived, but there is no cure for Dementia so her condition will continue to worsen.

Dementia and Alzheimer's are such a crippling and difficult disease for both the patient and the surrounding family and friends. Research is finding that music can provide stimulation for the brain of patients. Further experiential reports suggest that patients smile and enjoy moments of happiness if, for example, they recognise a song that may have meant something earlier in their life.

I hope in these few paragraphs I have shared the importance of 'voice rest', the important therapeutic capabilities of music and the upsetting plight of Dementia or Alzheimers sufferers.

Please donate what you can to make this difficult and eerie silence even more worthwhile and fund music therapy for those who will really benefit from it.

Thank you so much, Kate x