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Amy Bogetto-Weinraub (musiclives) wrote:

It's great to read about the effects of music on people of any age, diagnosis, challenge, ect. However, as a board certified music therapist, I keep thinking to myself (and sometimes saying aloud as I'm reading) where is the music therapist in this article? Music therapists have been donig this work since 1950. It's great that soical workers, recreation therapists, and other activity therapist are incorporating music in their settings, but it is much more clinical and professional to have a music therapist doing the work and taking it to even more theraputic levels. Please refer to our music therapy websites for more information: www.musictherapy.org and cbmt.org

April 19, 2012 12:33:46 PM EDT

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Kate Fuller (KateFuller) wrote:

My 88 year old dad has Alzheimer's & dementia & lives with us. My husband is a musician. While my dad rides a stationary bike in my husband's studio, Chuck plays live cocktail music on the piano for my dad. Listening to cowboy music helps my dad calm down when he is experiencing "sundowners syndrome".

April 19, 2012 12:26:19 PM EDT

John Adams (Chazz11) wrote:

When someone is labeled with "dementia" or any other serious mental disorder, those around the person begin to draw back and stop expecting ANY cognitive competence, leaving the labeled person to suffer isolation; then still more disability results.

Alzheimer's is thus a social disease. We around the labeled elder must resist the tendency to give up on competence, and actively look for remaining abilities and exercise them. If long-term memory lasts, then any activity relying on that ability fits the bill.

Music is certainly one of the best. But so is reminiscence, storytelling, memoir and autobiographical writing. I like the first two because you get social interaction as a bonus with using LT memory. Cooking and sharing traditional meals from the elder's childhood has a similar effect as music, in that our sense of smell is as powerful as hearing familiar sounds...and we physically nourish ourselves as we do it!

Imagine an art gallery displaying elder's visual art while playing music from the age cohort's time. A big garden space surrounding it, with wheelchair access and paths wide enough to let two chairs pass. In Portland we have Amy Henderson's Geezer Gallery, and similar community gathering places popping up everywhere.

April 19, 2012 12:24:55 PM EDT

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Sharon Holtkamp (sholtkamp) wrote:

Please contact Deforia Lane, PhD (Music Therapy)and Michael DeGeorgia, MD (Neurocritical Care) at University Hospitals of Cleveland about their extraordinary work with music restoring an altered gait, mind, neural pathways. Attend the annual fascinating "Music and the Mind" one-day synposium held every fall as part of a larger Neurocritical Care conference.

April 19, 2012 11:31:12 AM EDT

John D (zeke7237) wrote:

Next time the verse came around we looked throughout the entire audience, and we found the singer ... he was in the very back row, he's have his head down for the verses (and had been down through the show up to that point) but when the chorus came around he'd lift his head, eyes still closed, and belt it out with a gorgeous voice!

Still gives me the shivers thinking about it today ...

April 19, 2012 11:11:01 AM EDT

John D (zeke7237) wrote:

I've seen this with my own eyes ...

From the early 1990s until the mid 2000s I worked as a volunteer sound engineer for the Merle Watson Memorial Bluegrass Festival held annually in Wilkesboro, NC. My job was to go out with my partner Gary and set up sound systems at schools, nursing homes, and other community venues so that festival performers could put on free shows for the people in the county.

One year we were doing a gig at a nursing home in Wilkesboro; the performer was George Hamilton IV, a gospel/country singer popular in the 60s. Nursing home gigs were set up in the community room or cafeteria, and as we are setting up and testing they start bringing in the residents. They generally arrange the audience such that the "awake" folks were in the front, with the level of "awakeness" decreasing until you got to the unresponsive ones in the back.

George IV kicked off his show, and about 20 minutes in he was doing some kind of train song (I'm not much into the 60's country scene). It was a typical song, lots of verses and a catchy chorus. A couple of choruses in, I noticed a beautiful strong baritone voice .. I scanned the front rows and didn't see anyone who looked like they could be making that much sound. continued..

April 19, 2012 11:09:06 AM EDT

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Uncle Wally (Retroman) wrote:

Oliver Sacks has been writing about this for years (he was the original "Awakenings" doctor).

April 19, 2012 9:19:20 AM EDT

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Kris Snyder (KrisSnyder) wrote:

I have worked as a Certified Music Practitioner for 12 years and can testify to the power of LIVE therapeutic music. I work on a lock-down dementia unit and have had residents who were suffering from aphasia suddenly belt out songs in response to my playing "Beautiful Dreamer" on my harp. Ipods and other devices are nice, but they cannot respond to the immediate needs of the resident/patient. I have had end stage cancer patients report that they don't need their pain medication because the music 'takes it away'... therapeutic music is a wonderful tool - To learn more about live therapuetic music, please visit www.mhtp.org!

April 19, 2012 9:12:09 AM EDT

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JDR INCA (jrinca) wrote:

My grandfather spent the last two years of his life largely isolated in his head. One day when I was visiting him in his nursing home, a school group came in to sing Christmas carols. Even though he rarely spoke anymore, he lifted his chin off his chest and sang Silent Night in his strong baritone voice. He got every word right.

April 19, 2012 3:15:25 AM EDT

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niel devi (OrangeW3dge) wrote:

So that means we have to dust off "Sympathy For The Devil", when the Boomers take to the rocking chair? "Are You Experienced?"

April 19, 2012 1:47:13 AM EDT

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Summer Foertsch (SummerFoertsch) wrote:

To those asking why iPods and not records, cassettes, or CDs, I'm guessing it's cheaper in the long run and more practical.

1) You can buy one song instead of an entire album. That is HUGE.
2) Records, cassettes, and CDs can be damaged/broken and will lose sound quality over time. If you're going to let multiple patients share music, you'd be looking at replacing albums every several years or less.
3) iPods or any mp3 player will be easy to move from one patient's room to another and can be taken on the go or while exercising.
4) The patient doesn't have to deal with fast-forward/rewind like they would with cassettes.

I did wonder about how easily an elderly dementia patient can use an iPod, but apparently, it's possible.

April 19, 2012 1:29:15 AM EDT

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Richard Spinner (running_dog) wrote:

I recently visited a friend. His mother-in-law was there. She is well into her 90s and suffers from severe dementia. His wife put on a CD of Antonio Aguilar Rancheras and as soon as she heard "Triste Recuerdos" a woman who I had never heard speak before broke into nightingale voice plaintively sighing:

El tiempo pasa y no te puedo olvidar (Time passes and I still cannot forget you)

There is a key somewhere in the structure of music, since the beginning of civilization, before the written word, that unlocks the door to our memories.

April 19, 2012 1:04:18 AM EDT

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John Myers (mrtwilight23) wrote:

What an incredible video - it was like Henry was suddenly plugged back into the universe.

April 18, 2012 11:30:02 PM EDT

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Ron Goodman (Tahoe) wrote:

Aaron Wolf (ACWolf) wrote:
I wish the "iPod" thing hadn't taken over like "Kleenex" — well, esp. because it hasn't yet transferred to being a generic term that applies to any digital music player. The technology is great, and music is great, but Apple doesn't deserve any credit here.
----------------------------
Especially when their stock is at $600 per share and they are paying $1.50 per hour for labor.

April 18, 2012 11:29:36 PM EDT

Kawanna Ridout (Konnier) wrote:

My father had a very popular dance band for over 50 years. After he retired he joined a group of other old musician friends who entertained at nursing homes. One day they were performing, and a couple who had followed the band for years were there. she was an alzheimer patient. when she heard my fathers voice she raised her arms to dance with her husband and for the length of the song, she was present. He hired the little band to play once a week until he passed away. To music therapists please understand it's not just any music - it's the patient's music memory, their favorite, their happiest times.

April 18, 2012 11:27:08 PM EDT

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mska sweet (mska) wrote:

Cool story, but I don't understand why Cohen is so hell-bent on finding a way to pay for all those iPods. Tape cassettes and records aside (it is pretty hard to even find a record player anymore, and I don't recall seeing any with earphone jacks), there are a lot of generic and much more affordable mp3 players out there, for a fraction of the price of an iPod.

April 18, 2012 11:16:11 PM EDT

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Timothy Heater (WheezeHLR) wrote:

Yea! Another great social worker in action! Social workers provide the majority of psychotherapy in the united States.

April 18, 2012 11:06:02 PM EDT

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Aaron Wolf (ACWolf) wrote:

I happy to see all the positive stuff, music etc.

I wish the "iPod" thing hadn't taken over like "Kleenex" — well, esp. because it hasn't yet transferred to being a generic term that applies to any digital music player. The technology is great, and music is great, but Apple doesn't deserve any credit here. Furthermore, none of this even required the new digital technology really. Even CD players or cassette players would have worked here.

April 18, 2012 10:43:14 PM EDT

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craig barnes (craigo) wrote:

Why do they make it sound as though "Ipods" were the only way to access music . What about the tactile sensation of placing an LP on a turntable . Most of us old timers grew up with phonographs.

April 18, 2012 10:02:35 PM EDT

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For Elders With Dementia, Musical Awakenings : NPR comments

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more Comments on:

For Elders With Dementia, Musical Awakenings

Martha Hyde (Ratcatcher) wrote:

For those interested in more on this aspect, see the article by Wendy Chatterton, Felicity Baker, and Kylie Morgan. 2010. The Singer or the Singing: Who Sings Individually to Persons With Dementia and What Are the Effects? Am.J.Alzheimers Dis.Other Demen. 25(8): 641-649. It is found at http://aja.sagepub.com/content/25/8/641.abstract. You can download the pdf and other articles in this journal for free until 04/30/12 if you register first.

April 20, 2012 8:28:12 PM EDT

Maggie Hettinger (maggieh) wrote:

I have experienced this, also. A trip to the rec room to ask my Dad to help me practice some piano music "turns on the lights," and I get a good piano lesson from this man who is otherwise passively confused or frustrated. Yet, when I leave, he goes back to his "normal." A big barrier seems to be technology. If there were a way to set up the playlists on a device in the person's room with a big, simple, physical on/off button, a volume control and perhaps (but maybe not) a way for the person to select playlists 1,2,3 or 4, we'd have a break thru. The other thing that might be useful is a simple way for someone else to update the "radio stations" with holiday or seasonal music. A TV remote is too difficult. An iPod and headset is not manageable. A CD player isn't much better. The internet which the rest of us depend on is not accessible. People are reduced to being parked in their rooms in front of endless game shows or morning "news." I would like to encourage any young people wanting to do a "service project" to take this challenge: one person at a time.

April 20, 2012 7:50:54 PM EDT

Leeann Ko (rosedaisy) wrote:

My grandma moved in with my husband and I over a year ago. She had been living alone for 42 years since her husband died. It was a very difficult transition for her at first living with us but with demmentia in her life living alone was no longer an option. One time we took her to a senior center hoping to possibly broaden her horizons. My grandma got very upset in the center and we left immediately. She wanted to return to Arizona where she had been living; it was a terribly long 4 hours. I do not know why but I started to practice my clarinet. She listened and she finally calmed down. I have lost track of times where my husband and I would just break out in song in order to quite my grandma's emotions. Thanks for much for sharing this article. Music is wonderful!

April 20, 2012 7:13:30 PM EDT

mairi dorman-phaneuf (hallidayhall) wrote:

I work for a wonderful organization called 'Concerts in Motion.' One of the services we offer is - through coordination with medical and social service agencies - to bring music into the homes of home-bound seniors in NYC. We send pairs of professional musicians to play for those people who are not able to attend group concerts. We are able to play, or sing, any type of music that is requested. It is a tremendously rewarding experience every time. We also provide group and student concerts. Our website is http://concertsinmotion.org/

April 20, 2012 12:47:40 PM EDT

Judy Talley (BETJWT) wrote:

Caring for my mother, first with Parkinson's, then with Dementia, for over 12 years, I found that playing some of her favorite old time music was one of her most pleasurable times. I have a subscription to Pandora on the Internet and created a George Shearing station - my mother used to play the piano and George's era pop tunes were some of her favorites. Now, she is in a board and care facility and I just ordered a handful of CD's, George of course, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington and Johnny Mathis. I thought about an MP3 player, but, my mom likes to dismantle anything she can get her hands on, so I talked to the board and care owner and asked if mom's roommate would mind if I set up some gentle music to play when she is in her room resting and she thought that her roommate would probably enjoy it, too. So, I just bought an inexpensive portable CD player and the staff can just change a CD every once in awhile. I can't wait to get it set up for her as I know it will improve the quality of her life immediately. Perhaps nursing homes should consider playing soft music over their PA systems. I've worked in and visited nursing homes for over 40 years and think that might improve the environment and entertain the patients, too.

April 20, 2012 12:24:06 PM EDT

linda robertson (lleee) wrote:

Thank you for this amazing program. Decades ago, before much was known about Alzheimer's, as my father lost more and more of his memory, he would stand before a wall of family pictures for long periods of time. Pictures of he an mom when young, my brother and our portraits when very young, our graduation and wedding pictures. Even then I instinctively knew he was connecting to his past in some way. And though I did not know how to do it then, I have since sensed that music could make those same connections to our first memories. This report and the videos on youtube are almost miraculous for family and staff alike. With a strong family history, I am writing my song list now. I can't wait to see the documentary and hope it is required watching for all owners and operators of nursing homes.

April 20, 2012 10:25:29 AM EDT

b sale (ime) wrote:

I'm making a playlist of my 90 year old mom's music this weekend....

April 20, 2012 10:14:21 AM EDT

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JOHN BURR (JTIMBURR) wrote:

I'VE A PROFESSIONAL ENTERTAINER FOR OVER 40 YEARS (RESTAURANTS, LOUNGES, CONCERTS, AND LATELY, SENIOR CITIZEN VENUES). THE OCCASIONAL AWAKENING OF A PERSON TO A SPECIAL SONG IS ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING EXPERIENCES IN MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE. A FEW WEEKS AGO I HAD A WOMAN IN THE AUDIENCE WHO SEEMED OBLIVIOUS TO MY MUSIC--AND EVERYTHING ELSE. ABOUT TEN MINUTES BEFORE I FINISHED HER SON CAME IN AND SAT WITH HER. I ASKED HIM IF SHE HAD A FAVORITE SONG AND HE SAID, THE TENNESSEE WALTZ. I SANG IT--AND SHE BEGAN SINGING ALONG! AS A PERFORMER, YOU CAN'T ASK FOR ANYTHING BETTER THAN THAT!

April 20, 2012 9:20:16 AM EDT

Craig Berg (Brasil108) wrote:

The headphones seem to be an essential part of the power of this effect. I saw that power dramatically demonstrated in my four years sharing music on headphones with the ragamuffins of my former neighborhood in Bangalore, India. I've posted a video showing the bliss these "untouchable" kids got from listening to CLASSICAL INDIAN MUSIC on headphones. View the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgHwDjIbXNI, or go to Youtube and search "The Real Slumdog Kids". Ragas for Ragamuffins!

April 20, 2012 8:15:28 AM EDT

Ryan Sherman (RyanSherman) wrote:

I work as a caregiver for an elderly Alzheimers/dimentia patient and can attest to some of what was mentioned. Although a fictional story, it is worth checking out the recent movie "The Music Never Stopped" which is along the same lines only their story revolves around a patient with a brain tumor instead of Alzheimer's...

April 19, 2012 8:28:04 PM EDT

Scott Donaldson (ScottDon) wrote:

April 19, 2012 1:39:32 PM EDT

Amy Bogetto-Weinraub (musiclives) wrote:

April 19, 2012 12:33:46 PM EDT

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Kate Fuller (KateFuller) wrote:

April 19, 2012 12:26:19 PM EDT

John Adams (Chazz11) wrote:

April 19, 2012 12:24:55 PM EDT

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Sharon Holtkamp (sholtkamp) wrote:

April 19, 2012 11:31:12 AM EDT

John D (zeke7237) wrote:

April 19, 2012 11:11:01 AM EDT

John D (zeke7237) wrote:

April 19, 2012 11:09:06 AM EDT

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Uncle Wally (Retroman) wrote:

Oliver Sacks has been writing about this for years (he was the original "Awakenings" doctor).

April 19, 2012 9:19:20 AM EDT

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Kris Snyder (KrisSnyder) wrote:

April 19, 2012 9:12:09 AM EDT

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JDR INCA (jrinca) wrote:

April 19, 2012 3:15:25 AM EDT

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