West Falls Center for the Arts 

2025 Annual Performance Report 

Annual Audience Survey 2025 

WFCFA serves vulnerable WNY populations by increasing access to cultural, mental health, and social programming, including services for youth; veterans; refugees; isolated adults; individuals with disabilities; caregivers of loved ones with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and intellectual disabilities; and urban and rural communities. 

2025 marked a year of extraordinary growth and achievement for West Falls Center for the Arts (WFCFA), reinforcing its reputation as one of Western New York's most innovative and inclusive community arts organizations. Through its award-winning programming, strategic expansion, and commitment to connection through music, WFCFA continued to enrich lives, strengthen community bonds, and expand access to cultural experiences across urban, rural, and underserved regions. 

Highlights of Findings 

• Strong Community Impact: WFCFA served more than 20,000 attendees through 240 concerts and programs, 
• reaching caregivers, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and isolated older adults across eight locations. 
• Sustained Excellence: For the fourth consecutive year, audiences rated WFCFA 4.7 out of 5 stars for overall experience, with 99,100% reporting satisfaction with staff, programming, facilities, and talent. 
• Major Capital Advancement: The organization secured a $1.2 million NY Forward grant to begin construction of an outdoor amphitheater, pavilion, and trail system, an investment expected to attract an additional 
• 10,000,15,000 visitors annually and create year-round engagement opportunities. 
  

Programmatic Achievements: 

• Musical Memories Café (MMC) continued its national leadership as an ARCH National Respite Network Innovative and Exemplary Program, with 91% of participants reporting improved emotional well-being and 100% reporting reduced stress. 
• The Veterans and First Responders Music Program achieved exceptional results, 100% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the program improved confidence, emotional health, and connection to others. 
  

• Financial and Audience Growth: Revenue grew to $374,602, marking a fivefold increase since 2019. Audience engagement rose from 1,800 in 2018 to 20,000 in 2025, reflecting WFCFA's expanding regional footprint. 
• Community Vision for the Future: Survey respondents expressed enthusiasm for the Outdoor Concert Cove, with top interests including venue rentals (26%), summer concert series (18%), and music showcases (15%), underscoring strong public anticipation for this next phase of growth.
  

Conclusion 

The 2025 findings affirm WFCFA's role as a catalyst for connection, creativity, and community healing. Its programs not only uplift vulnerable populations but also demonstrate how the arts can drive measurable well-being, civic pride, and regional revitalization. With exceptional community support, a proven model for impact, and bold plans for the future, WFCFA stands poised to expand its reach and continue transforming lives through the universal language of music.

Annual Survey Key Findings 

WFCFA examines its impact in several ways. First, we collect data to measure audience growth, reach, and program attendance. Second, we work with outside evaluation consultant Dr. Steve Harvey who creates evaluation protocols that assess satisfaction and change, growth, and impact over time. Total Surveys: n=210

Attendance has increased by 11 times from approximately 1,800 in 2018 to 20,000 in 2025. WFCFA expects that number to continue to grow as we expand our licensing program for Musical Memories Café (MMC) and expand our facilities to create an outdoor venue and partner with our neighbor, the Blueberry Treehouse Farm. 

Impact as Reported by Audience 

Audience members reported an incredibly positive experience with West Falls Center for the Arts. 

Each session features professional musicians and incorporates the Caregiver Stress Assessment to connect families with vital supports. Recognized nationally by the ARCH National Respite Network as an Innovative and Exemplary Respite Program, MMC transforms music into medicine for the soul, restoring dignity, joy, and human connection through the universal language of song. The following results are consistent with historical results and demonstrate the value that Musical Memories Café has for Caregivers. 

The Veterans and First Responders Music Program uses music as a powerful tool for healing, connection, and self-expression among those who have served their communities and country. Participants learn guitar, ukulele, or harmonica in small, peersupported groups led by professional musicians, many of whom are Veterans themselves. Through instruction, performance, and a new songwriting component, participants gain confidence, reduce isolation, and find meaningful ways to share their stories. The program fosters camaraderie, pride, and emotional well-being while helping Veterans and First Responders reconnect with themselves, each other, and their community through the transformative power of music. The following results are consistent with historical results and demonstrate the value that Veterans and First Responders Music Program has for participants. 

Across each of the below questions, 100% of participants Agreed or Strongly Agreed. 

As West Falls Center for the Arts prepares to launch its new Outdoor Concert Cove, community feedback reveals strong enthusiasm for a vibrant mix of events that celebrate local creativity and culture. Survey results show that venue rental options (26%) and a summer concert series (18%) top the list of interests, reflecting both community engagement and demand for shared outdoor experiences. Participants also expressed excitement for music competitions and showcases (15%), arts festivals (12%), and cultural heritage events (7%), highlighting a desire for diverse programming that brings people together. Additional suggestions, including local talent performances, blues and Irish music events, farmers markets, and theater performances, illustrate the community's vision of the Outdoor Concert Cove as an inclusive, multi-use space where art, music, and connection thrive year-round. 

2025 was a landmark year for West Falls Center for the Arts, a year defined by growth, recognition, and deepened community impact. From the continued success of the Musical Memories Café and Veterans and First Responders Music Program to the launch of the Outdoor Concert Cove, WFCFA has strengthened its role as a regional leader in arts, wellness, and inclusion. Audience satisfaction remains exceptional, partnerships have expanded, and every program continues to transform lives through creativity and connection. As WFCFA looks ahead, it does so with gratitude, optimism, and a steadfast commitment to using the arts to heal, inspire, and unite communities across Western New York and beyond. 

 Musical Memories Café 2025 Annual Report 

On behalf of the West Falls Center for the Arts (WFCFA), we extend our sincere gratitude to MMC Funders for supporting our Musical Memories Café (MMC) program through the 2024-2025 Music and the Mind Grant Cycle. Your investment helped us expand this nationally recognized initiative into five new locations across Western and Central New York, bringing the healing power of music to more caregivers and loved ones living with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and other cognitive challenges. 

Thanks to our funder partnership, we strengthened WFCFA's mission to use live music and creative expression to connect, heal, and inspire. What began as a single local program is now a regional model for community-based respite, serving hundreds of families and reducing isolation among some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. 

Across the United States, the caregiving landscape has entered a period of significant strain marked by demographic shifts, rising care complexity, and insufficient structural supports. According to the AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving's 2023 report Caregiving in the U.S., more than 53 million Americans now serve as unpaid caregivers-an increase of nearly 10 million since 2015. Approximately 65% of these caregivers are women, and the majority provide care for aging family members while simultaneously maintaining employment. This dual responsibility contributes to elevated stress, reduced income stability, and long-term health risks. 

Caregiving intensity is also increasing as individuals live longer with chronic and cognitive conditions. The Alzheimer's Association's 2025 Facts and Figures report estimates that more than 6.9 million Americans age 65 and older live with Alzheimer's disease, a number projected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050. The organization emphasizes that unpaid caregivers provided an estimated 18.4 billion hours of care in 2024, valued at $345 billion. These figures illustrate both the magnitude of unpaid labor and the urgent need for psychosocial and policy innovations that alleviate the caregiver burden.

In addition to emotional and financial strain, structural inequities play a critical role in caregiver outcomes. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2022) identified systemic disparities in access to culturally competent caregiver support, noting that women of color and low-income caregivers often face compounded barriers. Public policy responses have begun to emerge: the federal RAISE Family Caregivers Act (2023 implementation phase) and New York State's Master Plan for Aging (2025) both prioritize respite access, workplace flexibility, and integration of caregiver well-being into health and aging policy. Programs like Musical Memories Café align directly with these priorities, serving as an operational model of the type of communitybased, evidence-informed respite care these policies aim to scale.

Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had lingering effects on caregiver health and connection. Studies in JAMA Network Open (Gaugler et al., 2023) found that caregivers of people with dementia experienced sustained declines in social engagement and increased reports of anxiety and loneliness even after pandemic restrictions were lifted. These findings reinforce the importance of programs that restore social connection and emotional resilience-two outcomes consistently demonstrated by the Musical Memories Café since 2022.

In this context, WFCFA's expansion of MMC is not only a programmatic success but a timely public health intervention. Its proven capacity to reduce stress, enhance emotional well-being, and connect caregivers to resources responds directly to the demographic and policy imperatives defining caregiving in the twenty-first century.

AARP & National Alliance for Caregiving. (2023). Caregiving in the United States 2023. Washington, DC: AARP Research.

Alzheimer’s Association. (2025). 2025 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 21(3), 324–403. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13852

Gaugler, J. E., Yu, F., & Kane, R. L. (2023). Caregiver well-being and social isolation in the aftermath of COVID-19: Longitudinal findings from dementia caregiving households. JAMA Network Open, 6(4), e2310234. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.10234

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2022). Families caring for an aging America: Progress and policy directions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

New York State Office for the Aging. (2024). Supporting caregivers in rural New York: Needs assessment and policy brief. Albany, NY: NYSOFA.

Reinhard, S. C., Given, B., & Quinn, C. (2023). Emotional distress and unmet needs among family caregivers of older adults with dementia. The Gerontologist, 63(5), 947–958. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnad056

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023). RAISE Family Caregivers Act: Initial implementation plan and updates. Washington, DC: Administration for Community Living.

Through our funder support, MMC was able to: 

• Expand from 6 to 11 sites statewide, including new replication programs in Tompkins, Cattaraugus, and Onondaga Counties. 
• Train local facilitators in trauma-informed, dementia-sensitive practices using WFCFA's Caregiver Stress Assessment (CSA) framework. 
• Provide 120+ live sessions that reached more than 600 participants in 2025. 
• Develop a peer-learning community among site coordinators to ensure program fidelity, data collection, and sustainable replication. 
  

Recent evaluation results from our 2025 Annual Performance Report confirm MMC's powerful and consistent impact: 

Since its inception, Musical Memories Café (MMC) has consistently demonstrated measurable, meaningful, and lasting impact on caregivers and their loved ones living with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and other cognitive challenges. Building on the 2022 evaluation conducted by CECA, Inc. and the New York Academy of Medicine, MMC has evolved from a promising local initiative into a nationally recognized model for community-based respite and connection. 

From 2022 through 2025, MMC has maintained extraordinary outcomes in reducing caregiver stress and improving emotional health. 

• In 2022, 100% of caregivers reported reduced stress and emotional support from Café participation. 
• In 2025, that success continued with 100% again reporting reduced stress and 93% reporting improved emotional well-being. 
  

This sustained performance across three years demonstrates that MMC's trauma-informed, musicbased model produces consistent results even as the number of sites and participants has grown exponentially. 

Over time, MMC has increasingly become a bridge between caregivers and vital community supports. 

• In 2022, two-thirds (66%) of participants said MMC helped them find local resources for themselves or their loved ones. 
• By 2025, that number rose to 73%, reflecting targeted follow-up to one of the original 2022 evaluation recommendations: improving linkages to transportation, home maintenance, social support, and respite services. 
  

The growth in this measure indicates that MMC's peer learning network and facilitator training model are not only sustaining the program but also strengthening its community integration year after year. 

Over four years, MMC has evolved from a single community offering to a data-driven, evidenceinformed statewide initiative. Each year's evaluation cycle has informed the next, producing a continuous loop of learning, refinement, and impact. 

As WFCFA continues to expand MMC into new communities and integrate new music therapy evaluation tools with university partners, the lessons of 2022 remain at its core: build connections, reduce stress, and give caregivers-and their loved ones-the healing power of joy through music. 

Building on funder support, WFCFA continues to pursue a hybrid funding model that blends philanthropy, community sponsorships, and licensing partnerships. With additional support, we plan to: 

• Further expand MMC to reach 20 total sites statewide by 2026-27, 
• Integrate music therapy evaluation tools in collaboration with university partners, and 
• Continue disseminating data that advances the national dialogue on the link between music, memory, and mental well-being. 
  

The upcoming completion of our Outdoor Concert Cove (Fall 2026), a new $1.2 million venue funded through the NY Forward program, will also provide opportunities to host Musical Memories Café festivals and large-scale caregiver celebration events, expanding the program's visibility and reach. 

The most powerful measure of Musical Memories Café's impact comes directly from the caregivers themselves. Their stories reveal how the simple act of gathering around music restores connection, dignity, and emotional balance in lives often defined by exhaustion and isolation. Each testimonial reflects the program's core mission-to use music as a bridge back to joy, identity, and community. Together, these voices tell the story of a program that not only improves outcomes but changes lives. 

Red Accent Tables, Data, and Charts: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, New York Infographic, October 2025.