“A friend is someone who knows the song in your soul and sings it back to you when you’ve forgotten the words.”   Author Unknown

I heard this quotation at the Colorado Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. It is true on so many levels. Although research shows that memories can be recalled and triggered by familiar music, I don’t think formal research needed to be conducted to tell us. Music evokes emotion and can be a powerful catalyst for memories to be brought up to the surface. This is true for those living with dementia and for those of us that aren’t.

Proper usage of music for Alzheimer’s patients can be very beneficial when dealing with behavioral issues and to attain a special connection with someone that otherwise would be difficult to achieve. However, you need to know the most effective music selection for that specific person for the connection and benefits to be observed. This depends on the current stage of the disease process as well as their ‘life story’. For example, someone may be 80 years old and grew up during his/her teenage years listening to Frank Sinatra or Les Brown. However, if they are in the Late Stage of the disease process, they will respond better to music from their early childhood. Furthermore, if you explore their life story, you may find that he/she was raised by their grandmother who was an extraordinary pianist. In that case, instrumental piano music may be the best choice for activating memories and getting a response. Since communicating with an individual affected by Alzheimer’s can be very difficult, it is helpful and rewarding to take the time to find out details from their life story.  

It has been proven that music is distributed and processed across the entire brain and not just in a single area. So when brain cells die, other brain cells can still respond to the music. Health professionals and caregivers can essentially rescue a person living with dementia with the proper use of music. Music stimulates and provides a respite to daily challenges and frustrations. The calming effect of music is therapeutic as we all have experienced at one time or another.

The Alzheimer’s Association offers classes on the effective use of music therapy in addition to many other courses that improve communication and enrich the lives of caregivers and individuals living with dementia. In Colorado, we are very fortunate to have a well managed Chapter with exceptional instructors and a broad curriculum to educate everyone touched by this degenerative disease.