Archive for the ‘Music’ Category

Pictured is a percussion circle in an Alzheimer’s unit. We started by taking lots of time to pass the African drum around, feeling and smelling the hide stretched across the top, the ties, and rubbing our hands over the carvings at the bottom. One on one we echo as the others watch. As we get in the flow, more instruments are introduced (shakers, bells, etc.) We experiment with sounds as we sing various songs. Rhythm is something that is quite active beyond mental capabilities. It expresses the inner soul.

George has had a long life of accomplishments in technology, music, and art. Things started changing as he developed Alzheimers. The talent he has of playing the piano lives on. One of his present joys is sitting down at the piano in the dining room and playing the piano with a flourish.

I sat down with James and we put a drum between our knees. James has a knack for coming up with rhyming words. We go back and forth tapping a couplets and rhyming with one another.

James: What are we going to do today?
Myself: I want to hear what you have to say.
James: I want to talk about the war.
Myself: Tell me a story and then one more.
In addition to making up rhyming couplets, we beat the rhymes we both know and remember and take turns saying lines. Sometimes we don’t say the words. We beat out the rhythms.

Examples: Pease Porridge Hot, One Two, Buckle my Shoe

I laugh with him when we realize how long ago it was when we first learned these little songs.”How do you remember those?” I ask. “I don’t know?” “Well, you have a good memory.”

I am wondering if he remembers it because he has repeated it over and over to his children and grandchildren.

Ellen needed an outlet for her music. I started doing Dancing Hands with her one-on-one. She is creative with movement and rhythm. The handtaps brought that out. In this picture, we are tapping to the Beatles. One time, recently, when Ellen was depressed, we started singing every song we could think of from our childhood. There was a bond and also healing for emotions.

Bob has Parkinsons. He was lying in bed when I poked my head in the door after knocking. When I walked in with the drum he sat up. “Feel the top of this drum, “ I said quietly as I sat down in front of him with the drum between us. “It is made of animal skin.” “Look at the carvings on the wood.” We touched, talked about and even smelled the drum. I began a rhythm. He joined me as we did the rhythm together. I asked him to do his rhythm while I listened. I validated him by echoing his movements and rhythm. We sang songs as we beat different tempos.

The best part when we conversed with our drum beats. Bob could not be very well understood because his speech was affected. I started talking to him as I beat the drum with each syllable. He responded. I discovered that I could understand him better when he beat the drum. We had a wonderful conversation.