(original) Man In Nursing Home Reacts To Hearing Music From His Era

http://www.MusicandMemory.org For more on how Music and Memory helps elderly residents and facility patients, to volunteer or to donate iPods, please visit www.MusicandMemory.org Get FREE resources on the project! Volunteer an iPod drive! Find a local facility you can help!

Music & Memory on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/m6uCQU

Alive Inside Documentary on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BeAliveInside

Thank you to everyone for your positive comments and support!

[piano plays]

I have one resident
that barely opens her eyes.

She doesn't respond.

As much as I've tried,
I've known her for two years.

No matter what I tried,
massage wouldn't work,

nothing worked.

But when we got introduced
to the iPods

and the family told me
the things that she liked,

it was amazing
once we put the iPod on her.

She started shaking her feet.

She stared moving her head.

Her son was just amazed...

Ok, can we stop,
'cause now I'm...

I'm seeing her all over again.

[piano continues]

Hi, Poppa.

Hi, Poppa.

-Huh?

-How you doin'?

I'm all right.
Fine.

Great.

-Who am I?

-I don't know.

Wait a minute... I don't know.

I don't know.

-Ok, it's Sherry.

How long has he been
in the nursing home?

Approximately ten years.

He was having seizures and my mother
couldn't handle him at home.

Of course it affected him greatly

because he was always, you know,
fun-loving, singing,

you know, every occasion
he would come out with a song.

No matter where he was.

I remember as a child
he used to walk us down the street,

me and my brother,
and he would do singing in the rain

he would have us jumping
and swinging around poles.

He was, you know, he was good.
He was always into music.

You know, always loved singing..
dancing.

-His name is Henry Dryer.

-Uh-huh.

-And... looking more or less
for religious music for him.

-Ok.

-Because he enjoys music
and he's always holding the Bible,

so I'd rather have that for him.

-We first see Henry inert,
maybe depressed, unresponsive,

and almost unalive.

-Henry?

-Yeah?

-Henry?

-Yeah so?

-I found your music.
You want your music now?

(mumbling)

-Ok, let's try your music, ok?

And then you tell me
if it's too loud or not.

-Then he is given an iPod
containing the...his favorite music.

[singing]

And immediately he lights up.

His face is assumes expression,
his eyes open wide

he starts to sing, to rock,
and to move his arms

and he is being animated
by the music.

-And he used to always sit
on the unit with his head like this.

He didn't really talk
to much people

and then when I introduced
the music to him,

this is his reaction ever since.

[laughs]

[singing continues]

-The philosopher Kant
once called music the quickening art

and Henry is being quickened;
he is being brought to life.

-Yeah?

-I'm going to take the music from you
for one second, ok?

Just to ask you a few questions... ok?

I'm gonna give it back to you.

-Uh-huh.

-Ok.

-The effect of this doesn't stop,
which when the headphones

are taken off, Henry,
normally mute and virtually unable

to answer the simplest
yes or no questions is quite volumable.

-Henry.

-Yeah?

-Do you like the iPod;
do you like the music you are hearing?

-Yes.

-Tell me about your music.

-Well, I don't (mumbling)

-Do you like music?

-Yeah, I'm crazy about music.

You play beautiful music,
beautiful sound.

-Did you play music
when you were--

Did you like music
when you were young?

-Yes.

Yes, I went to big dances
and things.

-What was your favorite music
when you were young?

I guess, uh, Cab Calloway
was my number one band guy

I liked--

(scatting/mumbling)

-What's your favorite Cab Calloway song?

(singing)
I'll be home for Christmas

You can count, plan on me

With plenty of snow, mistletoe,

presents wrapped around your tree.
Ow!

-So in some sense,
Henry is restored to himself.

He has remembered who he is

and he has reacquired his identity
for a while

through the power of music.

What does music do to you?

(mumbling)

(singing)
Rosalie won't you love me.

Rosalie won't you be sweet
and kind.

-With this beautiful,
new technology

you can have all the music
which is significant for you

in something as big
as a matchbox or whatever,

and I think this may be
very, very important

in helping to animate, organize,
and bring a sense of identity

back to people
who are out of it otherwise.

Music will bring them
back into it,

Into their own personhood,
their own memories,

their own autobiographies.