JoyPhone

The JoyPhone Project is a Singapore-based community initiative that aims to bring joy to older people living with dementia and support their caregivers. Its central creation, the JoyPhone, transforms a vintage rotary telephone into a portable music player. After lifting the handset, users hear a dial tone; dialing a number plays a classic song selected for its personal significance to the listener. The project draws on the value of familiar music in creating meaningful moments for people who may experience memory loss or speech impairment.

Beyond making prototypes, the initiative shares detailed build instructions and uses electronic components that are readily available, encouraging amateur builders to create JoyPhones. It seeks to grow a community through partnerships with electronics hobby clubs, schools and other makers, while sourcing donated rotary phones and gathering ideas for music. JoyPhone also works to raise awareness of dementia and improve understanding within Singapore. Families, care providers and volunteers can get involved by building or testing prototypes and following project updates.