The “Music Moments” album features 10 songs from award-winning artists who share their personal stories about the power of music. The organization Music and Memory filmed a documentary about music therapy for dementia patients and how music specific to their youth can literally rewire their brains. Can we reconnect them to life? Alexandra McDougald is the Distribution phase producer of ALIVE INSIDE. One of the many things she taught me over the years was to never take life (or myself!) Our Dementia Choir with Vicky McClure Bafta-winning actor Vicky McClure takes us on a deeply personal journey to discover the true extent of music’s power in the fight against dementia. He sat with his head lowered and barely grunted in response to questions. My mother loves jazz, she loves blues, her brother, my uncle Jimmy, was a jazz trumpeter in New Orleans and Arkansas and all that. Until today I had been reluctant to watch the film Alive Inside, but I am so glad I did. However, let’s look at how music affects our brain. Thankfully, this documentary reminded me of the extraordinary life that exists in nursing homes all over the world. too seriously. In this documentary, we met a man named Henry. One of the most important documentaries of the year. Regina K. Scully is an Academy Award-nominated executive producer, most recently for the 2013 powerful documentary called the Invisible War, a film about the epidemic rapes of women and men in the military. That it doesn't matter how important they think they are, you still have a voice, you are just as important. I put this track on, and? and then eventually she moved in with us so I didn?t have to call her every night to calm me down but we?re very close. A magical, non-medical story of healing. I will never give up on my mom even if she forgets who I am. Rossato-Bennett hopes Alive Inside encourages more of the country's 16,000 nursing homes to embrace headphones and personalized music as an alternative to pharmaceutical treatments. It is a great way for us to connect. That visit, though, eventually sparked "Alive Inside," an award-winning independent documentary on musical therapy for those suffering from Alzheimer's disease and … They often sing or mouth the words or make whatever movement they can in time to the music. She had to convince the doctors that the lump on my neck was not normal. So we?re going to get all of my mother?s music and put it on her iPod and get her some good headphones just for that and give it to her this Christmas. Theravive does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. One Christmas Mom and Dad gave me a stereo and it came with a cassette tape that Dad had made by recording a classical music radio station. She was one of the sweetest, funniest, most beautiful people I have ever known. Gosh, I bought some 18 operas in sets of one more CD per opera. Then it took me ages to make copies of them all and have all titles printed. Our purpose is to help people everywhere find great counselors and psychologists. Some begin to remember names long forgotten. In the last years, he had it for 10 years and he was lucky enough to have one-on-one excellent care, and me, being an elder abuse lawyer helped, but you can?t stop the disease. JOIN THE FOUNDATION HERE!We respect your privacy. and she would say, ?well you should just go to sleep.? Retrieved March 1, 2015, from www.psychologytoday.com/blog/memory-medic/201312/does-music-help-memory, Pritchett, K. (2015). My mom was found two years ago slumped over her computer, having had a very rare stroke. Nan Li is a Beijing native, he studied Integrated Media Arts at Hunter College and is working with Michael Rossoto-Bennett on several other films. In watching the film Alive Inside or reading about the residents of Juniper Village, we can see how people with dementia are responding positively to individualized music therapy. So Alive Inside really really resonated with me when I saw it in a little movie theatre in Wellington New Zealand this year. What happened is, because she?s blind, she loves CNN, MSNBC, Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews, any progressive political whatever, my mother loves to listen to them and because she can?t hear well anymore, the TV would be turned up so loud that it would drive us all crazy so we went and got some wireless headphones and then she was sitting there with her wireless headphones one day and I had my iPod and so I thought, ?Well, we?ll connect them and see.? Since that time, Cole has given music supervision to over 80 media projects. Music and Alzheimer’s: Music Therapy Impacts Both Alzheimer’s Patients and Caregivers. Get a knife and chop it out? Benefits of Music Therapy. The PBS documentary film ALZHEIMER'S: EVERY MINUTE COUNTS is an urgent wake-up call about the national public health threat posed by Alzheimer’s disease. LOS ANGELES: Michael Rossato-Bennett initially thought it was the worst job he had ever taken. Her independent producing credits include the Academy Award winning Born Into Brothels; Emmy nominated The Day My God Died; Academy Award nominated The Square, Academy Award nominated The Invisible War and multiple film festival winners. It sounds far fetched, but new research is uncovering how it can … It is marked by decreased cognitive functioning (memory, visuospatial issues, and executive functioning), emotional control, and neuropsychiatric symptoms such as apathy, depression, and agitation (Lyketsos et al., 2002). Now, I have nothing against him, I used to really like the old Kris, but my mother started listening to this, and she sat there for about an hour and a half. All three he would sing and we have recordings on tapes of him singing. They are irreplaceable. The nurses started peeking their heads into the room to see what was going on. To not feel intimidated. Most recently, she managed U.S. distribution for Teza – the latest dramatic feature from celebrated Ethiopian filmmaker Haile Gerima – and led publicity for the home entertainment release of Spike Lee’s Red Hook Summer. Evaluation of music therapy and its … I was her first grandchild. It truly was a magical day in the midst of this long, hard journey. We want to give this to others. We used to turn on "James Taylor" Pandora station and hang out on the weekends, talking about school and work, while cooking amazing food with family and friends while sharing a drink or two. I go back 2 or 3 times a year, and my sisters and I, we set up a joint account for her to help pay for her care, and she?s been at home. Even after she had stopped talking, she was able to sing along to each of the carols and hymns. Regularly playing music for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia can therefore be immensely beneficial. Documentary – and through film he strives to incite conversations that interrogate issues related to cultural consciousness. It was a sign of hope. Dan Cohen is the gifted and passionately committed man who transforms the lives of people with dementia and other severely debilitating diseases. Students listen to music while studying. In the early stages of her recovery from surgery she was very despondent and confused. April 12, 2012— -- Henry Dryer sits slumped over the tray attached to his wheelchair. People living with dementia and their family members attest to the important role music has in their lives. To support this teaching we have created Educational Materials, "The Alive Inside APP," Mp3 All-in-One Headphones and Community outreach assets, all aimed at inspiring a generation of young people to explore empathy and elderhood through music. The Roth Project: Music and Memories for Seniors This number doesn’t even begin to include the many family members & friends affected by this disease. Almost immediately, the film shows us a profound change in affect with each individual. Music was incredible. Be our partner. When I was born, she suddenly had a new thing to focus her attention on. When I go to the house to see him I put on his favorite "Granddad" playlist and the music wakes him up! It aims to enrich and give freedom, stability, organization, and focus. Listen to the Album Use these tips when selecting music for a person with dementia: Identify music that’s familiar and enjoyable to the person. He died a week later. I am alive today because of her determination to be heard. People with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, are able to have more access to precious memories, have more interaction with those they love and have an overall improvement in their quality of life. But my mother learned how to do it. These are their stories, click on the photo to keep reading. A lover of art, he is known for his work in music video and video installation. Others are non-medical Alzheimer’s therapies like art, music, and more. Music therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease taps into these benefits of listening to music. The film is a valuable reminder that even if someone with dementia doesn’t communicate often, they’re still alive inside. Cause I knew that I just experienced something so similar with my Mom just a week before I saw it. Geralyn was honored with the IDA’s 2013 Amicus Award for her significant contribution to documentary filmmaking. My mom was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's when my daughter was born. She sang in the choir at church and loved the old hymns. She?s been blind since she was about 57, she has something that?s called Retinitus Pigmentosa and I have 5 sisters and a brother, we?re from Punxatawney, Pennsylvania though I?ve been in California since 1963. In his documentary, Rossato-Bennet (2014) follows the work of Dan Cohen who is a social worker studying the effects of music on individuals with dementia in nursing home care. When I am in her presence I sing, dance, walk, laugh, hug and hold her hands. An SBS article has recently reported on the Music & Memory, program, a captivating idea developed by US social worker Dan Cohen and brought to Australia in 2015 through the Arts Health Institute. as an activities coordinator in a nursing home, I use and see the power of music and witness the magic it … It's as transformative as the music itself. It has helped me to challenge people when I think they are wrong or to question if I don't understand. When I was young I suffered from severe and crippling depression. Many are depicted as sitting alone, despondent, finding little pleasure in life. The next day he was dead. Well, he was pretty much like my father as well for about 35 years because I was not close with my dad and Sandy and I have been together all these years and his dad was such a huge part of our lives and I loved him, loved him, loved him! Several different types of counseling, including Art Therapy, are available and have been shown to h... Over the past few decades, a number of studies have evaluated how psychotherapy—from CBT to DBT to P... Music is an integral part of our lives. For patients with Alzheimer's disease, music therapy provides a beneficial interaction between a patient and an individualized musical regimen and has been shown to increase cognition and slow the deterioration of memory loss. Since his passing we have become Music & Memory certified. She has had Alzheimer's for about 8 years and she is at the stage where her verbal communication is very low. We?d turn on his favorite showtunes and stuff, or you?d sing a song like ?Take Me Out to the Ballgame? My Granny suddenly and unexpectedly passed away about 10 months after that picture was taken. “An estimated 5.2 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease…” By Being Patient | August 17th, 2017 The connection between music and Alzheimer’s is the subject of an increasing number of studies–some early evidence even points to music as a potential therapeutic treatment for the disease. In later stages, the same favorite pieces might jog a person’s memory when discussing past events. We just had an incredible connection all our lives but really those last 40 days, and 40 days is a very significant number, like in the Bible Moses goes off for 40 days, and Jesus?40 days is a really important kind of thing so for us it was very significant. and he?s trying to hum along, like he knew that. I share her music with her, she bounces her head and waves her hand to the beat. He is Founder & CEO of The City Drive Entertainment Group the parent company of City Drive Films and DC3 Music Group and resides in Laguna Beach, CA with his wife Madelyn and his two children Isabella and Dylan. Everyone can have a new start in life. In my heart I knew they were wrong. I was a dancer in school so music was important and Dad and I shared a love of classical music. They would end the day with sing along Sound of Music. Cohen identified music that was meaningful to the individuals from collateral sources and gave them each iPods filled with personalized playlists. I will always love and honor you, Grandma! Meet Orwyn, my Mother. As I walked back to the hospital room my Son came running out and said, ?Where have you been? This is my grandmother. Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2015/03/music_therapy_juiper_village_unveils_music_memory.html. As we see above, Cohen’s program has started to gain momentum in Jew Jersey and we will likely see more of these programs in use in other communities. However, not only did they remember the song itself but also the memories that surrounded the music. In particular, it has been found to be highly effective for those with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Recently, my father has had the unfortunate experience of developing a fast paced form of frontal lobe dementia, he is only 63 years old He's holding a picture of us when I was inducted into the honors society at my university 6 months before he was transferred to a full time care facility for his disease. When I was in high school, he recruited a friend who had a great sound system to provide the music for a dance performance and took the day off work to be there. Music therapy is known to have an astounding effect on improving social behavior and verbal communication as well as decreasing agitation and negative behavior in those with dementia. The organization functions in spreading awareness about music therapy and creating personalized playlists for elderly patients with dementia and Alzheimer's disease based on their music preferences. To answer these questions, to teach the themes of the film and inspire action, we created The Alive Inside Foundation. Music Therapy: Juniper Village unveils music & memory program for those with Alzheimer’s. Mom and I regularly listen to her favorite music together and it is amazing the connection we now have through music. 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