Music in the Golden Years

Impromptu concert at the Mayo Clinic

2009-05-06T23:04:00.002-04:00

This clip is priceless! This lovely couple, married for 62 years, are playing on a beautiful grand piano in the lobby of the Mayo Clinic...a wonderful example of the healing power of music. I'd love to hear your comments!

Julie Andrews celebrates her Golden Years!

2009-04-27T22:11:00.005-04:00

I'm a huge fan of Julie Andrews, always have been! Some of you may know by now, lost that magnificent voice of her ' s some years back (1997) because of a throat operation - she had been promised it would not affect her singing ability ... but it did! really really sad. she sued the medical people involved but of course, the damage was done .... no amount of compensation can make up for such an incredible loss! in recent years she appeared in a TV show, the Princess Diaries, in which she sang for the very first time (after ' 97) but in a very low octave (note), it seems the TV crew all had tears in their eyes ....

NOW CURRENTLY............

This must be a little old as she was born October 1, 1935

BJ(TYM)

It wouldn't be funny if it weren't so true...

Julie Andrews turned 69 and to commemorate her 69th birthday on

October 1, actress/vocalist, Julie Andrews made a special appearance at

Manhattan 's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP.

One of the musical numbers she performed was

"My Favorite Things" from the legendary movie "Sound Of Music."

Here are the actual lyrics she used:

Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,

Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,

Bundles of magazines tied up in string,

These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillac's and cataracts, and hearing aids and glasses,

Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,

Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,

These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,

When the knees go bad,

I simply remember my favorite things,

And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,

No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,

Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,

These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pains, confused brains, and no need for sinnin',

Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',

And we won't mention our short, shrunken frames,

When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, When the hips break,

When the eyes grow dim,

Then I remember the great life I've had,

And then I don't feel so bad.

Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted

over four minutes and repeated encores.

Please share Ms. Andrews' clever wit and humor with others who would appreciate it.

How many of you were singing it in your head? I know I was.....

Music in Paris: lots for us golden folks!

2009-04-10T06:15:00.003-04:00

Today is my final day in Paris and I don't have much time, but just wanted to post some of my pix from yesterday for all my friends to see. Today is Good Friday and I'm hoping to find a concert for tonight. If you have questions about any of these pix, I'll answer them when I return! Au Revoir! This magnificent harpsichord is in the apartment of my friend Skip Sempe! Isn't it gorgeous?

Can at woman play drums at age 91? See for yourself!

2009-02-14T15:43:00.002-05:00

A friend sent me this link and I thought it was pretty awesome and impressive! See what you think! I don't know about you, but this really inspires me!!

Tumpy in the news again!

2009-01-28T16:58:00.004-05:00

I got a call from my sister on Monday morning that my mother (Tumpy) was on the front page of the Spartanburg newspaper. I was shocked, not expecting her to be in the news again. I asked if there were an online version and she didn't know so I did a search and came up with this: http://www.goupstate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090124/MULTIMEDIA03/901240289&template=slideshows. If you paste it in your brower it will come right up! (Or just click on the title of this post and it will come up! )Enjoy! Alice

Music for Emergencies

2009-01-23T13:54:00.003-05:00

Well, my mother has done it again! She loves to help other people (being a good preacher's wife!) and even though she is well into her 80's and legally blind from macular degeneration, these things don't slow her down too much! The other day at Eden Terrace, her assisted living community, she said that in a 24-hour period, they had 3 or 4 fire drills; this was when the weather was sub-freezing and windy as well. On about the 4th fire drill, the residents knew that it was probably a false alarm and so the staff said they could do into the dining room to wait instead of waiting outside. Mama said that people were tired and cold and grumbling quite a bit so she suggested some favorite songs that her choir had sung in previous programs. To that they added some patriotic favorites, some old hymns, and and college songs. After about 15-20 minutes, people were in a much better mood and not so concerned about the inconvenience that the day had brought them. Maybe YOU can do this for your friends sometime?

6 Easy Steps for Incorporating Healing Music into Your Life

2008-12-31T18:50:00.003-05:00

Step 1 Keep a collection of a variety genres of music and classify each selection according to the mood, memory and emotion they draw out from you. If you are feeling blue, upbeat rock and roll may help. If you're feeling a bit sorry for yourself, try one of those sillier golden oldies. If you are having problems sleeping, mellow Baroque music should help you drift away. Step 2 Spend a few minutes at the end of every day tuning into your emotions by playing one of your favorite instrumentals, preferably classical or acoustic guitar. Minimize outside distractions and let yourself be carried away with the melody. Close your eyes and imagine being in a place you've always wanted to visit, or a place you once visited where you'd like to return, and feel your stress dissolve. Step 3 Banish mild depression with nature sounds, the natural music of life. The soft chirping of birds, the rippling of a stream, the swoosh of the waves splashing on to the shore can help our more positive energies start flowing within us. Step 4 Stop thinking when feelings of irritation surface and start singing. There are rules to this: the song must be cheerful; the singer can be off key; and the singer can be loud. Performed with energy and passion, the singing becomes a mild physical and emotional exertion and a great way to blow off some steam. Step 5 Reduce pain after surgery, during a dental procedure, while in labor or when a headache pops into your day - all with music. There is some evidence that when used with conventional medical treatment, music therapy can also relieve nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy. Step 6 Start teaching music appreciation to children early. Research has proven infants react most to music and their mother's voice. A lullaby, sung by mom or just played from a CD, can help premature or low-weight babies thrive. Older children with autism, attention deficit disorder or various learning disorders can also be helped with music therapy activities.

article found on http://www.e-how.com/

Is there such as thing as "perfect" healing music?

2008-11-07T21:51:00.003-05:00

When I go out to speak to large groups of people, someone eventually asks me what the "perfect" healing music is. Well, unfortunately, there is no one such piece of music. When choosing healing music, you want to consider: The purpose for the music: calming, energizing, comforting? The type of music the person normally likes: classical, jazz, Big Band, oldies The situation and place the music will have: home, hospital room, car? Those are just a few of the many parameters to consider. I include here an example of a piece of music I have always loved and still find very calming, soothing, and comforting. Tell me what you think!

Diabetes and Music in the Golden Years

2008-08-01T22:29:00.005-04:00

Until tonight, I was not aware that music could have any effect on the illness of diabetes. After all, diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body uses food for energy. Normally, the sugar you take in is digested and broken down to a simple sugar, known as glucose. Music healing interventions can be designed promote wellness; manage stress; alleviate pain; express feelings; enhance memory; improve communication; promote physical rehabilitation. Combining music and science to promote healing is really at the heart of how music healing works. Now, it seems that medical research has been conducted about music and guided imagery and several people have created CD and MP3's specifically for diabetes!

If diabetes affects you or your loved ones, just put "Music and diabetes" into the Google search engine on this page, an you'll find all kinds of interesting leads!

Dancing in the Golden Years

2008-07-08T08:56:00.004-04:00

What is one of the most fun and most beneficial things that golden agers can do?? Take up dancing! Not only is dancing great exercise, learning the steps and coordinating mind and body is great for a trip to the Fountain of Youth. Then, there's the benefit of getting on the dance floor with someone you really care about and remembering those beautiful songs while waltzing around the floor in his or her arms. What fun! Get out there and dance!

Healing Music in the Golden Years

2008-06-02T17:51:00.005-04:00

Noted neurologist Oliver Sacks has found common ground with the pastor of Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church: Both men believe in the healing power of music. Sacks, the best-selling author of "Awakenings" and "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat," was to share the church stage Saturday with the famed gospel choir as part of the inaugural World Science Festival, a five-day celebration of science taking place in New York this week. "It should be an exciting and unusual event," Sacks said in an interview this week. "I will talk about the therapeutic and beneficent power of music as a physician, and then their wonderful choir will perform. ... And the audience will make what they can of it." "Even with advanced dementia, when powers of memory and language are lost, people will respond to music," he said. But the central role of music in church makes Abyssinian a good place to discuss the myriad ways that music affects the human brain, said Sacks, who was played by Robin Williams in the movie version of "Awakenings." Abyssinian's pastor, the Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, said the choir is looking forward to performing with Sacks. He noted that music plays a central role in the healing power of prayer. "What we have been studying ... is that when you pray, there's actually a physiological change in the body," he said. "Music is very much a part of this. There are certain notes that generate in the human body a kind of peacefulness."

Let's Celebrate Nurses!

2008-05-07T22:12:00.004-04:00

As we move into the "golden years" we seem to see more and more of the nursing profession. Nurses are the ones that often offer us a dose of love along with taking our temperature and blood pressure. Nurses often have to do the less pleasant tasks and they do it with love and care, making each person feel important and valuable. Recently, the Kentucky Holistic Nurses Association asked me to speak to their chapter meeting and the upcoming convention on May 12 at Indiana University Southeast. I will be leading groups in toning, chanting and drumming. Do join us if you can!

Celebrate National Nurses Week, May 6th through 12th! Visit www.healthecareers.com/nursing to find out more information about this appreciation week and special giveaways. In this edition of the Healthcare Job Market eNewsletter, you will find interesting articles on: Advice for Healthcare New Grads – If you have recently graduated, or are preparing to graduate, read some helpful tips on how to look for a job and do well in years to come. Florence Nightingale – National Nurses Week is dedicated to Florence Nightingale, known as the founder of modern nursing. She established nursing as a respected profession, trained a generation of nurses, and emphasized the importance of proper hygiene and personalized care. Nursing’s OTJ Hazards – Nursing has its hazards, especially in hospitals, nursing care facilities, and clinics, where nurses may care for individuals with infectious diseases. But these risks carry a wide range and can include biological, chemical, ergonomic, physical, safety, and psychological dangers.

Why Does Music Have so Much Power in the Golden Years?

2008-04-11T13:22:00.003-04:00

Speaking as an almost 60 y.o., I am increasingly aware on a daily basis that music makes me happy and encouraged when I'm feeling down, it calms me when I'm feeling anxious and it brings back loads of happy memories when life seems dull and uninteresting! Why? Well, obviously a lot of it has to do with brain chemistry, memory function and the power of association! Just think back for a minute:

do you remember your first kiss?
your first school dance?
your first real love?
your first child?

All of these famous firsts usually have music associated with them. Songs I remember from that part of my life include:

"And they called it puppy love"
"Cupid"
"Sealed with a kiss"
"Can't help falling in love with you"

All I have to do is remember the tune and I'm zapped back to the sixties and all the memories I can squeeze into a few hours! The older we get, the more memories of people, places, events, movies, vacations, etc, etc. Keep track of the soundtrack to YOUR life and enjoy it often!

Celtic Woman Comes to Louisville!

2008-04-02T00:03:00.005-04:00

Tonight I went to the most fantastic concert! I've been seeing the advertisement on TV for several months. When I heard that the group was coming back to Louisville this year I knew I had to go. I waited until almost a week ago and when I checked the ticket prices I gasped…they were $88 and $102.00 I will tell you that tonight I was able to get a better price than that and even though I was up in balcony 4 I could see very well. The energy and beauty of this program was unmatched by any concert show I’ve ever been to and you know that I’ve been to a lot. The young woman that dances around with her violin, playing all the while, is simply amazing! I’m thinking seriously of going back again tomorrow night. At the end of the concert tonight they actually did 4 encores!!! Each one was better than the one before. If you have a chance to see this brilliant group of singer and instrumentalists, do NOT miss it!!

New Research on Music with Stroke patients

2008-02-21T23:06:00.004-05:00

Demonstration of activity in separate auditory regions for processing phonetic information (red), speech intelligibility (yellow), and voice pitch and intonation (white). a, left hemisphere. b, right hemisphere.

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This week a very important study of the benefits of music with stroke patients. The study reports the findings of a Finnish study published Wednesday that showed the benefits of music for stroke victims. “Patients who listened to a few hours of music each day soon after a stroke also improved their verbal memory and were in a better mood compared to patients who did not listen to music or used audio books, the researchers said. Music therapy has long been used in a range of treatments but the study published in the journal Brain is the first to show the effect in people, they added. … The study involved 60 people who recently had a stroke of the middle cerebral artery in the left or right side of the brain. This is the most common stroke and can affect motor control, speech and a range of other cognitive functions. One group listened to their favorite music every day or used audio books while another did not listen to any music. All volunteers received standard rehabilitation treatment. Three months after stroke music listeners showed a 60 percent improvement in verbal memory compared to an 18 percent benefit for those using audio books and 29 percent for people who did not listen to either.”

Please share this information with friends and family. It can make a big difference in recovery and quality of life!

Classical Music Helps People to Sell

2008-01-30T18:55:00.000-05:00

Speaking as a long-time consumer, I've noticed that the music that advertisers on TV use to sell, dramatically influences my willingness even to consider their product. Have you noticed this?

For example, several years ago, a variety of products were using classical music, specifically the Pachelbel Canon in D to seel everything from luxury cars to fine wine to hospital services. What do these things have in common? Well, first thing that pops into my head is that these are all things that cost a lot of money. Fo whatever reason, classical music in our Western world is considered with "the finer things in life." Can you imagine selling gutters or tires or lawyers services with a beautiful classical piece? Of course not!

Interestingly though, there are other classical pieces that might sell:

Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" makes us feel uplifted
Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" creates a "man on a mission" feel
Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" brings on a frenzied feeling
Copland's arrangement of "The Gift to be Simple" brings on a dependable and virtuous image.

Just notice this when you're watching a commercial. Let me know if you hear some more good ones! Happy shopping!

Merry Christmas from Washington, D.C.

2007-12-25T11:01:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from D.C. where I'm spending the holidays with my middle daughter and son-in-law. We had a fun time this morning opening presents and eating delicious Christmas goodies and drinking coffee and hot chocolate with marshmallows. Yum!! We've been listening to Christmas music for the past 24 hours and all are really in the Christmas spirit!! Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas Day too!

Christmas Comes to Eden Terrace

2007-12-06T22:27:00.000-05:00

Well folks, we're back in Spartanburg for my mother's 82nd birthday and it also was the night of the big Christmas party at EdenTerrace. Tumpy (my mother) had pulled together a choir of her peers. She's never conducted a choir before but did a nice job I thought. Music is powerful! Music is healing! Enjoy this performance!

My Thanksgiving Healing Music Special for you

2007-11-26T16:50:00.000-05:00

Hope you've had a fantastic Thanksgiving Holiday and enjoyed singing all of your favorite Thanksgiving songs like:

Come Ye Thankful People Come
Over the River and Through the Woods
We Gather Together
Now Thank We all Our God

For me, singing is as important at Thanksgiving as eating, and a lot healthier! Because I have four fantastic new products that I want you to enjoy and benefit from, I am offering them to you at a huge discount...would you believe 50%??!! Please don't miss this opportunity...it will be gone in another day!

Click HERE to get the fantastic cornucopia of music healing programs and products!

Fun Music Activities with Golden Agers

2007-11-06T14:53:00.000-05:00

With the graying of the babyboomers, assisted living ommunities are booming, along with adult daycare centers, and nursing homes. These places have come a along way from when I was a child in the 50's, visiting great-aunts and grandmothers who needed more care. The place where my mother is in S.C. is a beautiful facility with lots of fun, stimulating activities and lots of music.

One of my favorite games to place with folks in their golden years (60-99) is a song title completion game. Some of the favorites are: 1. In the good old....

Let me call you ....
In my merry....
We were sailing along....
Nothing could be finer than....
When the red, red, robin comes....
Tip-toe through the ....
Ain't she ....
You must have been a beautiful....
Down by the ....

There are hundreds of songs that can be tapped. The key is to figure out when people were in their "courting years" and find out the popular songs of that day. Of course you can also do this with hymns, fight songs from college, nursery rhymes...most anything!

Have fun and enjoy this activity!

Singing and Dancing in the Golden Years

2007-10-11T22:13:00.000-04:00

I have loads of friends who are in their Golden Years. It makes me want to get there in a hurry because these delightful people are full of energy, enthusisam. I have a dear, dear friend with whom I have coffee every Saturday morning. She has more energy and joie de vivre than I do and I have a lot! Anyway, this dear lady knows the lyrics to thousands of songs as well as operatic arias. She lives and breathes music and every Thursday (or most Thursdays) she and her "beau" go dancing to an afternoon tea dance. She is such an inspiration to me and she firmly believes that music keeps her young! How about you??

Dr. Cash performs at Eden Terrace

2007-09-16T15:00:00.000-04:00

After my big speech at Clemson University on Thursday night, I stayed in Clemson for the Clemson football game on Saturday. Then on Saturday night I went over to Spartanburg, S.C. to visit my sister and mother. This morning we had a great time sitting around the piano and singing some old songs, including gospel songs and some Christmas carols! My mother is second from the right in the picture above. To see a video we made this morning, go to www.youtube.com/chantdoc and click on the most recent video. Enjoy and let me know what you think! Alice

Italian Opera Legend Will be Remembered

2007-09-07T23:14:00.000-04:00

The world lost a fantastic operatic tenor this week; a tenor that is probably as well-known in the U.S. as any movie star or rock star. Luciano Pavarotti, beloved Italian tenor and one of the famous "Three Tenors" died at his home in Modena, Italy of pancreatic cancer. According to

Forbes.com, "The 71-year-old was considered one of the greatest voices of his generation, and achieved success well beyond the ranks of classical music enthusiasts. He won first prize in a competition in 1961 and was rewarded with the role of Rodolphe in Puccini's 'La Boheme' in nearby Reggio Emilia. Despite his success, he never fully learned to read music, preferring to memorise his roles. In 1996 he left his wife Adua after 35 years of marriage and three grown-up daughters for his secretary Nicoletta Mantovani, whom he married in 2003, they had one child. The singer's weight caused him increasing health problems in his later years, and he also ran into trouble with the Italian tax authorities, with whom he reportedly reached a settlement for the payment of arrears amounting to millions of euros. At the time of his death he had been suffering from ill-health, having undergone surgery for pancreatic cancer in July 2006 followed by chemotherapy, and a series of farewell concerts had been postponed."

Music from Golden Years talks of the Sea

2007-08-27T23:01:00.000-04:00

I've been listening recently to my CD, Music for Memory Care. On this CD I am playing instrumental versions of some of the most popular songs from the 1900-1940's. I was struck by how many of these songs talk about the sea: Moonlight Bay, By the Sea, by the sea by the beautiful sea, and lots more that I didn't record on this CD but intend to on the next!

As someone who also loves the ocean, the beach, and palm trees of any type, I think I'll start choosing my next CD's content based on this theme! What do you think?

Benefits of Music in the Golden Years

2007-07-19T00:05:00.000-04:00

If you're here reading my blog then there's a good chance that either you're in your Golden Years or you have Golden Years friends. At the risk of making some rather broad generalizations, let me say that golden agers tend to have a little more leisure time. Another generalization might be that their health isn't quite as robust as it was in previous decades. Are you still with me? OK. Another supposition might be that with more leisure time and less physical stamina and energy, golden agers are looking for fun, every-changing, and free or affordable activities on a regular basis. Music can fill the bill every time. Even thought I'm "only" 59 I have noticed myself reminiscing far more than ever before. Music is always one of the triggers for my trips down memory lane.

My dearest friend is a woman who is 79! We are a generation apart and yet we know and love much of the same music. She has taught me tunes and I have taught her things about music. The point is, the musical repertoire is so vast, we could all probably sing 100 different songs every day for the rest of our lives and not repeat one!

So what are the benefits? When we sing songs we love, we breathe deeply and our blood becomes more oxygenated. Our brains get sharper and we feel better. Endorphins and serotonin floods our bodies and we eat better, sleep better and get along with our friends better.

My friend goes dancing with her 85 y.o. "beau" every Thursday and thoroughly enjoys it. I believe that this is happily extending the life of each of them. Soooo, are YOU listening to lots of music each day? Are you singing and dancing your way through your golden years? I sure intend to!