Last Friday I posted a link to an Op-Ed piece written by Dr. Oliver Sacks an esteemed neurologist who has done a lot of work about the impact of music on the brain and the useful benefits of music therapy and therapeutic music listening in the daily care of men and women living with dementia, as one example.
I wish there were a way for me to write about something as important as Music Therapy and Therapeutic Music Listening on G+ and to include photographs, links to relevant articles, as well as to helpful and informative videos, all in one post.
But there isn’t…yet…and so today I’m sharing with you a video of a documentary titled Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory, which can be seen in its entirety (for free) on YouTube. Directed by Michael Rossato-Bennett, the doc follows the work of Dan Cohen, a social worker, whose non-prof, Music and Memory champions the use of music as a daily technology in the care of Alzheimer’s.
If you do not know about this meaningful intervention, please take the time to watch. The stories and footage are compelling. Sadly, there are some 36 million people in the world who have some form of dementia.
Sadly, most of us know someone – a parent, a grandparent, aunt, uncle, friend, next door neighbor…a colleague – whose destiny is to entertain this most unwelcome guest for many of the later years of their lives.
If you know someone who has Alzheimer’s or a related dementia, if you know that at some point in their life they were positively and profoundly impacted by a love or passion for music of a particular preference, then there is every chance that music therapy or therapeutic music listening can impact them in a positive way.
It’s worth asking the question…if you know someone with dementia. Here’s to remaining alive inside…
P.S. stuart richman reminded me in a comment below that music therapy is being used to help Veterans deal with PTSD. The first link, therefore, that I am sharing below is that of Resounding Joy, a West-Coast based music therapy program and website run by Dr. Barbara Reuer an internationally respected expert in wellness and music therapy. Resounding Joy’s additional program, Semper Sound is the branch that benefits our Veterans:
#OliverSacks #AliveInside #Alzheimers #MusicTherapy #AmericanMusicTherapyAssociation
Resounding Joy / Dr. Barbara Reuer:
http://resoundingjoyinc.org/programs-2/military-music-therapy/
Alive Inside:
http://www.aliveinside.us/
Music and Memory:
http://musicandmemory.org/
American Music Therapy Association:
http://www.musictherapy.org/
Institute for Music and Neurologic Function / Dr. Oliver Sacks:
http://musictherapy.imnf.org/
February 26, 2015 at 8:18 pm
Recently there have been noticeable successes of using music therapy to help military veterans suffering from PTSD
February 26, 2015 at 9:35 pm
Singing is cool. I do it all the time! ‘Course I’m a bird, and that’s what we’re supposed to do.
February 26, 2015 at 9:59 pm
Indeed stuart richman thank you so much for reminding me. When I get home I will add that to my post. Resounding Joy is one West Coast based music therapy organization that is very involved with our Veterans. They do amazing work. Important to know and apologies for not including it myself.
February 26, 2015 at 10:10 pm
Giselle Minoli several individuals and their groups have been nominated as CNN heroes for their music therapy work with veterans.
February 26, 2015 at 11:13 pm
Giselle Minoli Excellent. Music is the only Art. All the rest are ancillary, mere crafts.
February 27, 2015 at 1:40 am
this just popped up on my page on another site, Gabby Giffords on how music therapy helped her, of all places in People mag eeekkk: http://www.people.com/article/gabby-giffords-marks-new-recovery-milestones
February 27, 2015 at 3:06 am
Wow Colleen Pisaneschi I had no idea and I should have about Gabby Giffords. Thank you for sharing that link. She is amazing. Rather, I should say that what people are capable of recovering from – to whatever degrees – is often astonishing. I do know that this particular post is about music therapy. But there are lots of other worthwhile therapies…art therapy and dance therapy among them.
When did we forget that these things make people feel good? And why do we assume that everything needs to be a “cure” in the traditional drug intervention sense?
While I think it’s a mistake to assume superficial bandaid “help,” making people feel better on a day-to-day basis…there is nothing superficial about that.
February 27, 2015 at 3:30 am
stuart richman I have posted the information into my post about Semper Sound Resounding’s Joy’s music therapy effort on behalf of our Veterans. Thank you.
Baba Doodlius When I was injured last summer my very kind aides would wheel me out onto the covered terrace just to listen to the birds sing, accompanied by the music of the wind…and the clouds dancing by. It did my soul no end of good and I don’t think I would have healed without it! Sing away my friend, sing away…
R. Harlan Smith I simply cannot imagine the world without music, can you? And, naive or not, I am convinced that if every boy and girl child were brought up with, taught, surrounded by the beauty of the arts – poetry, literature, painting, art, dance, theatre, opera, the symphony – either as players, performers and practitioners, or as observers and listeners it matters not…there would be less war, more conversation, more peace, more productivity, less illness, more laughter, more healing…
February 27, 2015 at 4:06 am
LAAAAAA La la la La la la La la la LA LAAAAAAAAA! Figaro Figaro Figaro Figaro Figaro FEEEEEEE-GA-ROOOOOOOOOOO!
Thank you! Thankyouverymuch!
February 27, 2015 at 10:12 am
Giselle Minoli thank you for the music mention.
February 27, 2015 at 2:07 pm
stuart richman 😉
February 27, 2015 at 2:23 pm
Giselle Minoli don’t know if you saw it yet but I posted an interview with the musicians who worked with Dylan especially for you earlier this morning. Thought you would enjoy it. :)
February 28, 2015 at 5:40 pm
stuart richman I can’t find this!