The Power of Music
I sat across from my father with Alzheimer’s at an outdoor table in the late fall of 2019, soaking in the nice Arizona weather and the sweet company. My dad no longer remembered who I was, but I’d like to think he felt a sense of familiarity as we visited and communicated with his limited language capabilities due to the disease’s progression. Music was part of most visits on Sunday afternoons and either included me playing a few chords on my guitar so he could sing Harry Belefonte songs, astoundingly almost word for word, or singing church hymns. This particular Sunday, I chose “I Stand All Amazed” for us to sing together, since it was the congregational hymn in the worship service I attended earlier that day. Though I had low expectations, when we reached the chorus that breaks out into harmony he not only sang the words quite clearly, but he sang the bass part perfectly.
While not a musician, my dad was a volunteer ecclesiastical leader all while I was growing up and was supportive of his wife, my late mother, who was a professional violinist, violist and teacher. She had all sorts of musical ideas, aspirations, and adventures, many of which included my dad and the rest of us kids, whether we wanted to participate or not. Dad’s roles ranged from narrating “The Devil Wend Down to Georgia” (minus the expletives) to singing in a barbershop quartet. He was also one of her most loyal choir members when she directed our church choir for many years, even with his busy Sunday schedule. I remember watching him on the proscenium during many worship meetings, singing out with all his heart during the congregational hymns.
Of all his musical offerings, that Sunday afternoon was the one I treasure the most. I always think of the bass part as being foundational—the very definition of support to a rich, hymn tune. Kent Larsen was truly the foundation to our clan in so many ways. Memories and values of faith, family, loyalty, and spirituality seemed all wrapped up in one beautiful, melodic prayer. It was a sacred experience to feel connected to one another and to God, healing for him to briefly be functioning more completely, and empowering to know there’s a tool that exists that breathed more life into mu fading father than anything else. Not long after that, he entered a skilled nursing center for treatment, mercifully caught pneumonia, and peacefully passed away. But, not before my siblings and I were able to take turns visiting, reading, and singing to him.
What a miracle tool! It is widely known that nothing activates more areas of the brain than music and it can help us not only with our emotional state or memory recall, but also with our physical well-being. I found this interactive brain model from the University of Central Florida fascinating. Up to this point in my life, I haven’t experienced all the ways music can affect the brain and body, but I do know that beautiful music, and the process of creating it, has impacted my life so much that it’s a huge part of my story and my identity, not so much because of my skills, but because of how it has shaped who I am.
In subsequent posts, I will relay experiences and lessons I’ve learned in the creative process and in the messages contained within music that have shaped my life. As a musical ADHD mom, in almost every song I sing or create there are themes about learning to support and love those around us with neurodiversity and mental health challenges as well themes about giving ourselves grace, self-care, and hope for the future. I hope as I continue to share, it will be as though you have someone walking beside you on the dark and lonely road you may be traveling. There are better days ahead, friend.
