by lawman » 18 Sep 2022, 10:43
I occasionally play old standards and show tunes on an old broken-down piano at the Memory Care Unit of a local nursing care facility, in remembrance of a family member who suffered for over 20 years with Alzheimer's Disease. I have read that the appreciation of music is one of the longest-lasting abilities of Alzheimer's patients, and doing this is always a gratifying and humbling experience. The abilities and conditions of the residents vary over a wide spectrum, but many of them greatly and openly appreciate it, and even those that don't seem as alert as others may nevertheless be enjoying some benefit. One gentleman in particular seemed to be asleep or lost in his individual fog, with his head lowered and his eyes closed the entire time. Yet, when I closed with In The Mood, his feet began moving and he was dancing again somewhere. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Glenn Miller, Tony Bennett, Perry Como and the like were, and still remain, rock stars to these folks. I would highly recommend doing something like this to anyone with even a modicum of ability and a willingness to help. Wrong notes really don't matter.
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