Music and Alzheimer’s Disease
Music has been an important part of my life, almost from the beginning. My mother was a very good, amateur pianist, and I have early memories of trying to emulate her playing. By age nine I was composing simple pieces, and my mother showed me how to write this new music down on music staff paper. Formal piano lessons started the next year and continued into high school and then for a couple of years in college. I never was really very good, but I enjoyed playing. Along the way I added guitar (folk, electric, and classical), alto sax, harmonica, mandolin, and finally trumpet. When our kids were growing up, they all took on at least one instrument, and they played in a variety of school bands and orchestras.
Our abilities to appreciate and generate music are usually preserved in Alzheimer’s until the latest stages of the disease. Why is that? For one thing, many parts of the brain are involved in music, both listening to and making it. Some of these brain areas are deep in the brain, in the cerebellum and basal ganglia, areas that are not damaged by Alzheimer’s until very late. People with advanced dementia who can no longer speak can often sing or play an instrument, especially if they once played as a professional. They can perk up and smile when they hear a familiar tune. Music therapy has become an important part of the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. I go into this in a lot more detail in Chapter 15 of my book, A Tattoo on my Brain.
Alex Liberman, a reader of this blog, kindly shared this wonderful video of his mother Barbara playing Debussy’s Clair de Lune. Barbara is a retired pianist with the St. Louis Symphony. Despite having moderately severe Alzheimer’s, she was still able to play beautifully two years ago when this video was recorded. Alex gave me permission to use this screen grab and link to the YouTube video of his mother. Thank you, Barbara and Alex.
Barbara was a superb pianist and performed at the highest level of excellence until she couldn’t.
We miss her beautiful playing.
This is so beautiful!!! It brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much for sharing this, Dr. Gibbs. And many, many thanks to Barbara and Alex for this lovely gift.
This is my sister, my musical twin in so many respects. i never played as she did…i was the rok n roller BUT Barbara and i play improvisational duets together and while the music has none of the frills, to play with her and her understanding of music and rhythm is a gift she gives to me and Alex’s brother Gabe, who also improvises with her. she is incredibly sensitive to where we go with the made up music, and while she does not remember when or how she learned to play…. that is not important anymore and it is an honor to play with her… as it is with Gabriel. And when husband Daniel comes in with the harmonica…….well, what can we say. She is still giving us the gift of music.
Neska, Thank you so much for your beautiful and heart felt comments. I am so grateful that your family has been willing to share Barbara’s musical resilience with readers of this blog. Music can truly be a gift in all stages of life, from the womb until the very end. -Dan