justplainbil

Just Plain Bill

From mute to music,

From static to standing

and moving and dancing and…

There is a growing body of research on the seemingly magical powers of music on previously non-speaking and nearly immobile people in numerous homes for senior citizens.

Recently, the Apple computer home page featured an article on the new film, Alive Inside, which “…explores the power of music to stimulate and even temporarily restore memory.” The movie chronicles the growing movement in senior care, providing customized recordings for Alzheimer patients who have been losing memory and becoming increasingly non-communicative.

These customized recordings, heard through earphones, have resulted in the patients showing the ability to mouth or even sing words to songs, even stand from their walkers and wheelchairs. In every case, there’s a noticeable increase of energy and attentiveness from the seniors.

I can personally validate the claims. I have seen this magical phenomenon with my own eyes and experienced it with my own ears and heart.

I’m fortunate to have been a member of a small musical group in a company I worked for 15 years, World Savings and Loan. Our group was called The BETTE Band, an acronym for Bringing Entertainment to the Elderly. We played at different and diverse convalescent homes twice a month.

Over the nearly nine years I was a part of the group, the composition of the band could vary from performance to performance, but it often included a guitar, banjo, viola, drums, saxophone, keyboard, an occasional song leader, and at every performance, our Chief Operating Officer, Jim Judd, added a special element when he told jokes and sang with his dummy, Stumpy, demonstrating his awesome talent as a ventriloquist.

We were able to see the nourishing impact of the music we played on the residents. We often saw amazing displays of energy and enthusiasm. I can still see the elderly woman who raised her walker above her head and danced a few steps to the beat of “You Are My Sunshine”. On most other occasions, there was a noticeable increase in the energy level of the residents, as they clapped their hands and rocked back and forth to the beat of the music. On still another occasion, the nursing home staff told us that a resident came out of his room to hear the music who hadn't come out of his room in a year.

At one special event, we played for an Alzheimer ward at Christmas time.  After the door was locked behind us, we proceeded to play a selection of well-known holiday music very softly. It was amazing to see many of the residents mouthing the words, and even moving to the rhythm, surprising the attendants.

Yes, music does have magical powers. We have many wonderful and lasting memories of the music and the joy that music brought to folks who, in all too many cases, had been forgotten by their friends and family.

Perhaps hopelessness causes friends and family to be absent. Perhaps it’s just too much sadness. But maybe, just maybe, they will try to see their loved ones again, seeking the magic themselves and bringing their loved one’s favorite era music with them. The loved one might become energized! Might sing! Might even dance with them again, like they did when the visitor was a child...or a bride.

Please try to help find the magic.