Have you ever heard a song that made you want to crank the volume loud, close your eyes, and hold the rest of the world at bay, your arms in the air, your head thrown back, while the sound just carried you away to a place that no one else could touch?
Now, imagine it backwards. You have no memory, no recollection, of anything or anyone in your life, until that moment. The rest of the world has been held at bay without your consent. Your arms are thrown in the air in frustration. Your head is thrown back in anger. There is no release, no communication. Only loneliness. Until the moment that song plays and carries you back to a place where you can feel the touch of the people and the past you have lost.
On May 8, 1970, The Beatles released their twelfth and final studio album entitled “Let It Be”. In my estimation, the title track from that album is one of the most inspiring songs of all time. To this day, the first sweet refrain can play on a beat up set of car speakers; the first few notes can whisper from a looped soundtrack playing overhead in the mall; or, the plaintive lyrics can come from the lips of a busker on the street. It doesn’t matter the source; each and every one of these instances always stops me in my tracks. And when the stresses of the day weigh heavy and I’m feeling particularly lost, playing a few piano chords of Let It Be can be just what’s needed to lead me back.
I’ve felt an affinity for music my entire life. One of my earliest memories is hearing a melody from a music box, a simple toy, when I was no more than 4 years old. The recollection doesn’t include what the music box looked like, but when I glance back on that moment behind closed eyelids, that beautiful, inexplicable melancholy greets me anew. I don’t know about you, but when I was four I could barely tie my shoes. Amazing, really, that shoe-tying took a second to music appreciation.
So, it came as no real surprise to me on Saturday morning when I saw a clip from a show about the power of music on dementia. Entitled, “Alive Inside”, it documented the story of a social worker named Dan Cohen, and his work with nursing home patients afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. The initial clip I watched focused on an elderly gentleman, Henry, who spends his days lost in the throes of Alzheimer’s, tragically confined to a wheelchair while silent in his deteriorating vegetative state. Below you will find a link. I hope you will watch it. The basic premise of the documentary is to demonstrate the power of music when the power of words, and the gift of memory is lost to someone. Henry had a set of headphones placed in his ears. The angelic, ethereal expression on his face as the music of his past was played to him made me weep. Suddenly, his voice rang out, clear and strong, singing along to his favorite musician, Cab Calloway. It was breathtaking.
Hans Christian Andersen is quoted as saying, “Where words fail, music speaks.” This documentary is a testament to that. I find myself reciting the final lyrics to “Let It Be” while I’ve been typing this blog entry. Sing it with me, won’t you?
“And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light, that shines on me,
shine until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music, mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be, …..”
― Paul McCartney
Watch the clip here:
ALIVE INSIDE
Feel free to post your thoughts here, or on my FB. The full documentary is on Netflix. I encourage you to watch it and share your own experiences. Thank you.
xo
Blissful Bedlam 