Music Is Magic

Music has a way of reaching past the Alzheimer's and firing up, albeit briefly, a person's spirit. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Research suggests that listening to or singing songs can provide emotional and behavioral benefits for people with Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. Musical memories are often preserved in Alzheimer's disease because key brain areas linked to musical memory are relatively undamaged by the disease." I don't know about all that, necessarily, but someone told me to think of it as being like riding a bike. You never really forget how to ride. It's in your muscle memory.

Enjoying that tune. 

My husband has always loved music. Every genre except rap, that is. Classical, gospel, country, rock, blues, bluegrass, jazz, and soul are all happily and generously represented in his considerable collection. He could "name that tune" in three notes or less and loved seeing and hearing his favorite artists "live" in concert. He frequently watched televised performances or popped in DVD's of bands famous and obscure.

So when I heard there was going to be live entertainment at the facility this afternoon, I made it a point to enthusiastically encourage him to "go to the concert" with me. This was not going to be a typical afternoon visit with naps interspersed with "earbud" music from the iPod I bring with me that's loaded with tunes typical of his eclectic taste.

The singing duo was mildly reminiscent of SNL's Marty & Bobbi Culp, but that didn't matter. Their song selections were standards spanning the decades. The show tunes, classic rock, and jazzy numbers were familiar and pleasing. It took my husband a while, but his eyes brightened and he seemed to genuinely enjoy the music, nodding to the beat, clapping his hands (astounding!), even dancing  (swaying to the music) with me and smiling as he held me in his arms. Dear reader, you can imagine how this made my heart glad!

Groovin'...

This is why I say that music is magic. It's miraculous. It reaches down deep in your soul, pulling out memories and associated feelings that may have been long forgotten. It transports you to far-away places and long-ago times. It elicits a powerful and positive response from people whose emotions may generally manifest in a thousand inappropriate ways and whose treasured memories and pleasing personalities are buried under layers of increasing confusion and disorientation.

It is heartwarming. And heartbreaking.

And look! I captured a smile.