If you are looking for a text that explains this question in a scientific way, you are not in the right place. But if you are interested in my personal insight into the topic and my experience, you are in the right place.
A day or two ago, I accidentally had an insight into a comment, where one Hive user mentioned his strong connection to a person suffering from that disease, Alzheimer's. It completely overwhelmed my thoughts for the whole day. Yesterday I didn't even post on Hive because I was still impressed. How that type of dementia can affect the life of a patient and family members, or people caring for them. One of my grandmothers was in the first stage of Alzheimer's. It wasn’t easy for her either, because she lived alone, even though we visited her every day and spent hours together, she forgot that we were there.
But I didn’t know about the impact that music can have on relieving symptoms until I started playing at an elderly assistance centre. It is an institution here in Spain, which is partly funded by the Norwegian government. Elderly patients from Norway with dementia or other forms of need, such as physical recovery, were sent here for a couple of weeks of recovery. To always sunny Spain... I get why they funded their centre exactly here. Patients had all-day care, healthy diet, physical exercise and swimming, organized excursions, strolling on the beach. Some evenings they only had activities like playing dominoes, or reading, knitting, theatre, and twice a week they had music therapy.
Here comes my part. Twice a week, playing for one hour the piano was leaving a great positive impact on my listeners. My repertoire there were well-known compositions from the genre of classical music. Gentle melodies, I would say, because I was choosing smooth compositions by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Chopin... They enjoyed a lot. Gratefully applauded between each piece and interacted with me. Sometimes, I asked what would they want to hear. There was a lady in a wheelchair there, who always asked me to play Strangers In The Night, My Way and She.
They told me that those songs evoked beautiful memories and emotions in them. They could remember their younger years, relive moments in love again or emotional instants from their lives. So I learned a bunch of that kind of songs for playing there. Sometimes I saw tears in their eyes, sometimes mild smiles on their faces. That was an amazing feeling for me as well.
When I finished playing and said goodbye to them, they would take my hand and ask when I would come again. Some braver ones would hug me and thank me. It has always been a pleasure for me to come back and play. It was not a cure, of course, but that moments count.
But why I write all this in the past tense? Because the centre closed in March, the patients returned to Norway and it is still not open ... And it is not known when it will be again. Hopefully, one day will open again.
I wrote a bit longer than I wanted to. But I will leave here one of the songs that I used to play there. The song is called She, by Charles Aznavour.
The lyrics of this song
She
She may be the face I can't forget
A trace of pleasure or regret
May be my treasure or
The price I have to pay
She may be the song that summer sings
May be the chill that autumn brings
May be a hundred different things
Within the measure of a day
She may be the beauty or the beast
May be the famine or the feast
May turn each day into a heaven or a hell
She may be the mirror of my dream
A smile reflected in a stream
She may not be what she may seem
Inside her shell
She who always seems so happy in a crowd
Whose eyes can be so private and so proud
No one's allowed to see them
When they cry
She may be the love that cannot hope to last
May come to me from shadows of the past
That I'll remember till the day I die
She may be the reason I survive
The why and wherefore I'm alive
The one I'll care for through the
Rough and rainy years
Me, I'll take her laughter and her tears
And make them all my souvenirs
For where she goes I've got to be
The meaning of my life is she, she, she
▶️ 3Speak
Oh, my... I'm your declared and absolute fan. What's not to like about the things you do and post?
Silliness aside, this is a truly heart-warming post. It can be hard to see people suffer from that. In some occasions when I was still a college student I was able to go and play with some friends for the elderly people at the only care center we have for them here in Cumaná. It is astonishing how music makes them show who they truly are. I never new if any of them suffered from the disease, but one can only guess and not be asking that kind of thing.
I hope the center gets opened again so you can keep sharing your wonderful playing style and bring more smiles and happiness to those who have already given so much for society.
Thank you @bertrayo as always 🤗
Music has that power to move emotions, right? I repeat, I can not give a scientific answer, but I think that music than move something inside that we can not move with words. I suppose.
We will see, that one is not the only Norwegian centre that closed here 😔 In the other town as well closed, they had to go back before the borders closed and never came back.
Thank you, @mipiano for your great content.
It has the power to tap into our souls in a way nothing else can. So, your supposition is pretty accurate.
This saddens me. I hope they find the joy they need back in their chilly homeland. Maybe they'll always remember the lady playing the piano.
By the way, listening to the piano you play is really made me relax. I'm following you.
Thanks.
I don't want to be any rude, but your first comment looks a bit as a spam. I would not introduce myself that way 🤷
Just saying
The best way is engaging with comments like your second one, in my opinion 😊
Very nice and interesting experience!!!
Yes, nice and emotional.
I forgot to mention in the text, that in the last two sessions before the total lockdown in March, I started to play songs they could sing along. Norwegian songs from their childhood. The centre gave me a list of those songs, so I learned to play them.. So the plan was that they had to interact even more..but then everything stopped. 🤷
Hi mipiano,
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Thanks @music-community !!!!!
Hello dear friend, Thank you for your nice sharing. I watched & upvoted. Also I would like to inform you and your followers about my music channel that is @musictime2020 .I share nice musics that you can listen also you can use my channel as a library to use a music for your video's background. Because I share non copyright musics. Just subscribe my channel for it. Also please don't forget to give me upvotes for my sharing efforts.
It's so wonderful that you would do that for people. And yes, I believe strongly that our relationship to music can transcend even our relationship to ourselves at times, and open our eyes, to ways we behave, to ways we feel or even, to memories that we had forgotten with age. Wishing you nothing but more success
Indeed @wolf-heart , that is the impact music can have on us.
Thank you for your great comment!
I believe in the power of music and I think it is still underestimated by many people.
Amazing post, @mipiano.
Thank you @wiseagen. We have to share the music, so more people can enjoy in it.
Thank you for your comment and time spent in my post!!
I know for an absolute fact that music can and does work with Alzheimer's patients. I watched it with my father. The disease was horrible and hard to live with, but I saw music put a spark in his eye and a smile on his face.
The piece you played is lovely and I recognize the song.
Thank you for the service you provide to the elders. It is very much important work.
Oh yes, it is important. However, my part was an "easy" one if I would compare with the nurses, or those who take care for the whole day of an elderly person. I just played the piano... 😇
Amazing and heart-warming post! It's actually funny that I stumbled on it just a few days after watching a documentary about the exact same topic. In case you're interested, it's called "Alive Inside' along with their website https://musicandmemory.org/. Sorry, not trying to make publicity here, but it talks about a project to provide elderly patients, particularly the one with dementia/Alzheimer's with mp3 players with their favorite music (when they can find it out). They show a few people for which the effect is huge. You can see the smiles (or even tears of joy) on their faces while listening to the music, and how they start talking, singing, expressing their emotions, and even having conversations. Anyways, thanks a lot for sharing your personal experience
Thank you @manuvert for the link and your comment. That is good, finally the music gets its deserved place in taking care of elderly patients.
Here is an example as well:
Ahh😇
... music instrumental this is very nice for relaxing heart and soul