Eloise, Renee, Rob, Mike, Ross and Fumiko
A few years ago, one of our Rotarians, Eloise Tweeten, brought a special study on the benefits that musical tapes have for elders – – particularly those confined in a home. I was very impressed by the project which our Rotary club implemented on a small scale, and endeavored to replicate it for my mother-in-law, Fumoiko Tamanaha, in Honolulu, who had recently entered a home.
Fumiko Tamanaha with her grandchildren
However I encountered a major difficulty -- accessing the music that she would have listen to in her youth. The study had used familiar music from the participant's background. And which one of us doesn’t come alive when we hear those tunes from the '50s and '60s that bring back the joys of our teenager years?
There was no available family member or elder of Japanese ancestry who could provide this information. So, while I was doing more research, my mother-in-law passed.
This morning I encountered a significant study in the healing power of music that involves opera signet Renée Fleming, a drummer from the Grateful Dead and an Indian musician skilled in using drone music in native healing practices. The healing power of music is not a new concept. However with advances in MRI imaging, scientists are now able to actually see how the brain lights up and responds to music. And which kinds of music are most successful.
The episode I watched was on the September 5, 2021 PBS NewsHour broadcast. And can be accessed at this link.
Renee Fleming has also produced A podcast on Music and the Mind. And there is even a book about the phenomenon.
Being an amateur musician myself. And having experienced the talents of many of our club club members – – including Rob Sanville, Ross Jones, Mike Kelly and many others, I was most pleased to revel in this Discovery – – one that one of our Rotarians had picked up on years ago. And, at my tender age, warding off Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s with music sounds fantastic!
