Music for Mom

Music is known to be a key memory trigger for people with Alzheimer's. Even those who cannot talk much can sometimes hear a song they know and sing along. I think we all know that. You hear a certain song and it takes you back... way back to another era in your life. Even if you haven't heard a song in a long while, you still may be able to sing along - at least in the chorus.

Knowing this, and knowing how important music is to me, I knew that I wanted to bring my guitar with me to Connecticut so I could play songs for my Mom. In preparation, I looked up the words and chords to one song in particular: Fernando, by ABBA.

It was to this song that my mom would dance around the living room with me in her arms when I was a baby. I was too little to remember this, but I grew up knowing that about this song. So "Fernando" has always had this association for me - like it's our song. 

The first day I arrived, I played it for her. The other song I played was "You are my sunshine," which I remembered she used to sing to us when we were children. And I kept playing those same songs for her each day, with a few others added in as well. But those two were the mainstays - they were on repeat. 

Several times, she would move her feet or her hands to the music. And often, especially at the beginning, she would try to sing along with me. She would follow my syllables a bit and vocalize with me. It was wonderful.

I also made a playlist on iTunes for her of music that she would remember. It includes: Anne Murray (which really reminds me of my childhood - my parents loved her), ABBA, The Beatles, Billy Joel, the Dartmouth Rockapellas (of course!), The Eagles, Frank Sinatra, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Glen Campbell, The Jackson 5, James Taylor, John Denver, Joni Mitchell, Louis Armstrong (including, *of course* "Hello Dolly!"), Ray Charles, Sarah Brightman, Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder (including "I Just Called To Say I Love You" which is a song I remember she loved), The Temptations, and the Billboard Top Rock & Roll Hits from 1957-1961. Phew!

I've listened to that playlist sooo many times now that I think I may have all the songs memorized. But it's been nice to have that for my mom. Several times in the beginning, I would sing to her along with these songs (especially Anne Murray and ABBA's Fernando), and she would sing along a little bit with me. It was really special.

At this point, she is no longer responding like that to music. But I keep playing it for her, since she could still enjoy it.