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Inspiring Stories
Music has proven to benefit many individuals, all over the world. Below are some of our favourite stories.
Paul's Tune
Four Notes
Paul Harvey is 80 and lives with dementia. He composed ‘Four Notes’ spontaneously, a talent that once engaged students when he taught music in the 70s and 80s. His son Nick, who had suggested the diversion when visiting on a ‘bad day’ for his dad’s dementia, recorded the moment and soon the two-minute masterpiece went viral on social media. Nick says “The therapeutic power of music – it’s the one tool guaranteed to bring him back to reality 99% of the time”. Paul Harvey’s improvisation has been recorded by the BBC Philharmonic orchestra and has been released as a single, with proceeds divided equally between Music for Dementia and Alzheimer’s Society.
Ballerina with Alzheimer's
Marta C. Gonzalez, who was a prima ballerina with the New York Ballet in the 1960s, lived with dementia before passing away in 2019. When Swan Lake is turned up for her to hear, something beautiful happens, and she is taken back to her dancing days. A truly inspirational video of how music can make such a positive impact on the wellbeing and memory of those living with Alzhimer's Disease.
Communication Through Song
An elderly man, who was experiencing the late stages of Alzheimer’s, was reported to have not spoken for three to four years. He was unable to look after himself, which resulted in him requiring full time care and assistance to complete day to day activities.
Music therapy was suggested for this gentleman. A certified music therapist, Concetta Tomaino, offered a form of vocal music therapy. She specifically sang an old Yiddish song to her patients, which appeared to be successful. When she tried this form of therapy with the gentleman, she expressed positivity, stating “You could tell by his face that he was watching”. This was a surprising outcome, as previously the man expressed difficulty in terms of holding his attention.
The music therapist sang this same song to the patient regularly, over a month-long period. After a month, Tomaino reported that he began trying to speak and eventually, he even started singing the song himself.
Music therapy appeared to connect with this elderly man, allowing him to start to vocally communicate with others and interact more with his environment.