Old Man in Nursing Home Reacts to Hearing Music from his Era

samjam

This is one of the most beautiful, amazing videos I've seen in a long time. An elderly, not very responsive man reacts to the music he grew up with. Every music lover (you all!) should see this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKDXuCE7LeQ

dimitrispearljam

eMMI

Can't watch the video right now, but it's a known fact that music affects/creates reactions in the part of our brain that reacts to, for example, extremely shocking and upsetting images - the real, real deep stuff. (When scientists first wanted to make something happen in that part of the brain, they would do so with harsh imagery, but later found out that music does the same. Obviously, music creates a much more positive reaction. )

It's also known that as the mind deteriorates with age, music and songs are often one of the last things that remain. I've heard storuies of old ladies who wouldn't/couldn't speak anymore, but would hum bits of songs they'd listen to a lot during their life.

Music is amazing stuff.

Umbertotamba

Thanks for posting that was powerful!!

Umbertotamba

Thanks for posting that was powerful!!

chadwick

that is beautiful

this dude likes cab calloway
im gonna try him out as i never heard of this gentleman

http://youtu.be/_8yGGtVKrD8

cab calloway is the minnie the moocher dude

DS1119

Just beautiful. May I never lose the ability to listen to music.

Yellow Ledbelly

That's the coolest thing I've seen in a looooooong time

Enkidu

That was great. And there was just a Cab Calloway bio thing on PBS that was fantastic. It's probably on YouTube.

Thanks for posting.

perfectlefts14

That's awesome. He just lights up when he hears the music. Thanks for posting.

afroannnie

so awesome...
when i'm old, i know pearl jam will still make my face light up

pandora

Cab ... Henry is precious great taste in music!

my mama that was all she wanted in her end days ... her music

like heaven like being released

thanks for sharing that

StillHere

that is just beautiful

music lives within our souls

Loulou

Ah jeez....that made me cry! :(
Lovely to see the life just flood back into him like that. My Stepdads father has just recently gone into a nursing home and he is deteriorating fast, so sad to see. He's a very proud man and he gets embarrassed about forgetting who everyone is. We like to sit and talk to him about his era, seems to be easier for him to remember than recent events.

stargirl69

I am in tears.

I had an almost exact experience like that with my dad in 2008.He had Alzheimers,he had been totally unresponsive to our frequent visits for many years.
I bought him and ipod and loaded it with music from the albums he had at home.I put the headphones on him and hit shuffle,the first track that came on was Ray Charles.Dad instantly began drumming on the table,singing,smiling his face glowing.Dad hadn't spoken for years up until that day.

The final year of dad's life he listened to music on his ipod every day.The power of music is unquestionable.

For my dad who I miss every day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8o4os6U ... re=related

Thank you for posting this O.P

chadwick

StillHere wrote:

that is just beautiful

music lives within our souls

yes
music is as primal as we are
and in the beginning sticks
rocks and drums
flutes came along too

we were off and running
singing and it was more like grunting and beating chests

g under p

Man that was beautiful and awesome....now that will be me in 60 years when somebody, anybody who will play

peace people

eMMI

chadwick wrote:

music is as primal as we are

Ah yes! 'Primal' is the word I was looking for!

adam42381

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

chadwick

eMMI wrote:

chadwick wrote:

music is as primal as we are

Ah yes! 'Primal' is the word I was looking for!

http://youtu.be/3DOamgay6Mw
primal concrete sledge

prism

henry's story is just awesome....it's very moving

RKCNDY

eMMI wrote:

Can't watch the video right now, but it's a known fact that music affects/creates reactions in the part of our brain that reacts to, for example, extremely shocking and upsetting images - the real, real deep stuff. (When scientists first wanted to make something happen in that part of the brain, they would do so with harsh imagery, but later found out that music does the same. Obviously, music creates a much more positive reaction. )

It's also known that as the mind deteriorates with age, music and songs are often one of the last things that remain. I've heard storuies of old ladies who wouldn't/couldn't speak anymore, but would hum bits of songs they'd listen to a lot during their life.

Music is amazing stuff.

yes, this reminds me of when a friend of mine, whose sister was in the hospital in a coma (her sister was 8). She just wouldn't wake up, so my friend brought her Discman to the hospital and played the Aladin soundtrack for her sister. She said it was the only time her sister's heart rate rose and they got any kind of response from her. Eventually she woke up and she's doing ok now.

samjam

So glad everyone so far is enjoying...after I watched this I posted it on my FB, texted all my friends and told them to watch it, will keep sharing. That video almost had me in tears. Music is just so damn powerful!

kellanazzie

samjam wrote:

So glad everyone so far is enjoying...after I watched this I posted it on my FB, texted all my friends and told them to watch it, will keep sharing. That video almost had me in tears. Music is just so damn powerful!

So awesome. My Gram is 97 & still relatively ok, moves slow & short-term memory is pretty much gone, she knows my face but not who I am for instance. She was over a couple of weeks ago with my Mom & I played Water on the Road. Gram was sitting, head back with her eyes closed which always freaks me out a little, so I asked her if she was ok. She opened her eyes, looked at me with the ghost of the smile I used to know, & said "I'm listening, its beautiful."

norm

if that doesn't make you smile, you're dead inside


and i love the liam finn at the end

Constant Recoil...

That was beautiful... awe-inspiring! Wow!

norm wrote:

and i love the liam finn at the end

I was just about to say something about that!

afroannnie

kellanazzie wrote:

samjam wrote:

So glad everyone so far is enjoying...after I watched this I posted it on my FB, texted all my friends and told them to watch it, will keep sharing. That video almost had me in tears. Music is just so damn powerful!

So awesome. My Gram is 97 & still relatively ok, moves slow & short-term memory is pretty much gone, she knows my face but not who I am for instance. She was over a couple of weeks ago with my Mom & I played Water on the Road. Gram was sitting, head back with her eyes closed which always freaks me out a little, so I asked her if she was ok. She opened her eyes, looked at me with the ghost of the smile I used to know, & said "I'm listening, its beautiful."

Awesome

samjam

afroannnie wrote:

kellanazzie wrote:

samjam wrote:

So glad everyone so far is enjoying...after I watched this I posted it on my FB, texted all my friends and told them to watch it, will keep sharing. That video almost had me in tears. Music is just so damn powerful!

So awesome. My Gram is 97 & still relatively ok, moves slow & short-term memory is pretty much gone, she knows my face but not who I am for instance. She was over a couple of weeks ago with my Mom & I played Water on the Road. Gram was sitting, head back with her eyes closed which always freaks me out a little, so I asked her if she was ok. She opened her eyes, looked at me with the ghost of the smile I used to know, & said "I'm listening, its beautiful."

Awesome

+1 awesome story, thanks for sharing!

chime

norm wrote:

if that doesn't make you smile, you're dead inside


and i love the liam finn at the end

I actually saw this for the first time a couple of days ago when Liam shared the video on facebook

DinghyDog

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PureandEasy

I always tell my family, if I stop reacting to the music it means I'm dead.