Friday, August 9, 2013

Music Triggers Memories

Photo by twm1340. 
We're approaching the end of summer.  My kids just registered for school, and we purchased school supplies. The first day of school is less than a week away.

In this liminal space, summer shimmers like a mirage, moving between being an experience and a memory.

As Labor Day nears, I wonder which fragments of this summer will I shore up?

Will I remember --

* Walking along a bridge spanning a rain-swollen river with cousins visiting from North Carolina?

* Making prize-winning pavlova with my daughter?

* Laughing and crying while watching Silver Linings Playbook with my son? OR

* Singing songs from Spam-a-lot with my husband and our kids at home after they returned from seeing that musical?

I will probably best remember the singing since I recognize how music connects with memories I hold from my own youth.

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This post is part of a Blog Hop with the dynamic midlife women bloggers.
The thumbnails below will evaporate in a few weeks, so I'm saving a few links for future reference:

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Being an oldest child, I didn't have an older sibling to introduce "cool music" to me. Instead, I raided my parents' record collection.  Consequently, many of memories from my teens are wrapped up with my parents' LP collection.

I can remember singing along with Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits, particularly "Rain on My Parade." I spent hours singing her songs into a wooden spoon. I can see the floral wallpaper. The floor-to-ceiling mirrors on my sliding closet doors. My ivory dresser with gold trim. The light blue carpet.

I was dreaming big back in the 1970s, And like Fanny Brice, nothing was going to get in my way.

Another song from my parents' LPs is "Summer Wind." Songwriters Meier & Mercer capture the bittersweet feel of summer memories.  Note Sinatra's haunting and tender interpretation:  


Even though the value of music in aiding memory is about as well known as the "ABC" song, my news feeds on aging have been filled with stories about music helping older adults who have memory problems.

Many of these news stories refer to the documentary Alive Inside, produced & directed by Michael Rossato-Bennett.  The film shows older adults with memory problems becoming more communicative and animated when listening to music from their youth.  Here is a 3 minute clip:


Based on the power of music demonstrated in this video, charitable organizations such as Music and Memory have begun raising funds to duplicate the results shown in the film.  Donors are helping to place iPods in the hands of residents of skilled nursing centers. Recipients of the iPods also receive gift certificates so that each person can create a self-selected playlist.

As a volunteer at a skilled nursing center, I have seen this principle in action many times.  I have seen a few documentaries about mature singers who still have the passion and talent to perform.    The activity directors often invite musicians to come play music from earlier decades, and the residents sing along. I have seen some sing folk songs such as "You Are My Sunshine" to residents.

Activity directors can also a invite board certified music therapist, such as JoAnn Jordan @JordanEM of Music Sparks and @RachelleNorman.  With specialized training and experience, this type of therapist can better help residents enjoy the psychological benefits of music.

When present circumstances grow difficult, music can often help people of all ages and circumstances to find their way to a more comforting emotional space, a space that is familiar, a space that feels like home.  

Whether through pictures, storytelling or music, older adults are perhaps more capable than others of transcending the difficulties of the present through a return to the past. And if we are around to witness such a return through the power of music, we might benefit from their insights from such a reverie.
"We shall not cease from exploration.

At the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time."
 Lines 26-29 of T.S. Eliot "Little Gidding" from Four Quartets

Related:

Talking with Older Adults, Serving as a Witness


18 comments:

  1. The music and memory video is amazing. I knew that music had the power to evoke special times, but I never realized how much it could do for the elderly.

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    1. I am glad that you liked the video, Elizabeth. I was hoping others would find it as moving as I did.

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  2. First, it sounds like you and I were listening to the same music when we were growing up!

    Second, that video is amazing. I can imagine that music is, in some cases, the only thing that can reach a person...the memories music can bring up are so powerful!

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    1. Sharon, this is a fun topic. I've been in a retro mood all day because of the hop. I am glad that you got to watch the video clip from the documentary. I need to get my hands on the whole thing. I've only read news stories and watched a few scenes from it. There are some people doing great work with older adults.

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  3. That video made me cry. The power of music is amazing. Thanks for sharing that -- I want to watch the whole documentary now.

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    1. I am glad that you found it moving. I am not as skilled in music as others, but it gives me a glimpse into why some people are so passionate about the power of music. Hooray for music therapists, social workers, and caregivers for all the great work they do. (And those who make documentaries.)

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  4. How moving. Music and scents trigger the deepest and most emotional memories. Thank you for sharing this video -- it promotes a very useful technique for connection.

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    1. Oh, scents, too. I haven't thought about that. I haven't seen news stories or read research on that, but I bet someone is doing aromatherapy for residents of skilled nursing centers.

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  5. I always knew that music had the greatest power to evoke memories so that is great to know that the power continues forever. It is amazing how hearing a sing can bring me back 30 years to a particular moment in time.

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    1. Jennifer: It makes me want to do more to expose my kids to music as a way to help them form stronger memories from their childhoods. My mom played the piano, and some of my best memories are of my singing with her while she played. Have fun time traveling with the blog hop.

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  6. Oh, my mom was big into Frank S - though she also liked The Doors and Motown. Yes, music is really a short cut to memories and feelings and so much more.

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    1. That's a great range of music your mom listened too. Good for her. Thanks for stopping by the blog.

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  7. I don't know what I'd do without music. That and exercise are what get me through the hard times and what make some of the best times in life as well.

    And I've seen a similar program about how music helps older adults who have suffered from memory loss. Just shows you how powerful it is. Great post!

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    1. And then there is listening to music while you exercise! I'm not an exercise physiologist, but my casual observation shows me that I work harder and longer if I'm listening to engaging music. I'm not a big music person, but I do have to admit that it has great power. I can see a glimpse of why some of my friends and relatives are super passionate about music. (And my daughter who plays piano, guitar and trumpet.) Thanks for stopping by, reading and commenting. Enjoy your week.

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  8. Music so easily transports us to an earlier time. Thank you for sharing your thoughtful post.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by the blog, Helene! Have a glorious weekend.

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  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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