Monthly Archives: March 2015

I was tired…

Last Saturday, I was tired all day.
About 6 pm DT, Hank S. called, he had two tickets to a concert and none of his family wanted to go with him.
He asked if I would like to.
Sure. Why not.
He came and I rode with him. We were delayed by a police officer who claimed Hank’s car was going faster than the speed limit.
That could have been because his speed gauge acts eratically. At one stop light, at a dead stop, it read 90mph.
But despite the delay, we got there on time for the concert to start.
It was the Color Country Chorus-the local Barbershop singers group.
It was in a nice new High School auditorium with a sizeable audience.
The Chorus director was Chris Leonard.
The MC was Scott Fewell. He introduced but also told jokes. The jokes he read from cards,
The ones getting laughs he’d put in his coat pocket to use again he said., the ones that got little reponse, he threw into a convenient trash pail.
The whole show was called “The Truth About Men”.
The men were dressed in all sorts of clothes styles, one guy even wore a carpenter’s tool belt with hammer.
Some of the songs were parodies; some of which were very funny.
There were 3 quartets before the intermission interpursed with the chorus’s numbers.
After that one local quartet and then the guest quartet “McPhly”.
This group started in Denver in 2008 and consisted of four men, one now from St. George, 2 from Denver, and one now from North Carolina.
Curtis Terry, Brian Fox, (Travis Tabares was replaced mid March by) Tyler Wigginton , and Ryan Wilson
Their quartet ranks number 20 in the USA.
And they were sensational.
Stories and jokes and great songs.
They kept asking the audience if we were having fun.
They even had a sing along with “18 wheeler”.
To close the night, all former members of the Color Country Chorus or members of Barbershop from anywhere,
were invited to go to the stage and sing with the chorus “Keep the Whole World singing”.
I joined them too.
It was fun.
I saw and spoke to people I knew in the chorus and audience and meet the McPhly members and chorus members I didn’t know before.
I met and spoke with the chorus director and his wife.
Chris Leonard said that Utah State University in Logan, Utah offers a degree in Music Therapy.
He did a college research paper on the subject.
He told me of research about the emotions music evokes in people from different cultures, ie. western music.
He also referred me to a site on the web. “Music Instinct” (Science and Song)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/musicinstinct/
There is information in video about therapy of instruments voice for young and old. Check it out.
It was fun that night and even though I was tired when I got home, I wasn’t dragging as I had been all day.
Music and people are great uppers.
Catch you next time.
Jay

Share this:
Share this page via Email Share this page via Stumble Upon Share this page via Digg this Share this page via Facebook Share this page via Twitter

Does singing help the elderly with health problems?

A friend takes care of an old woman who when she hears a song she likes can only let others know by the sparkle in her eyes and her eyebrows moving up and down to the time of the music.

Does singing help the elderly with health problems?

Today at a funeral viewing, I meet Pamela from the hospice care, who attended the lady who had passed away.  As she and I and a co-worker of hers talked, Pamela shared the following interesting information and send it all outlined in an email to me.                                                                         Here’s what she said:

Hi Jay,
Hopefully this is what you wanted.

1. I haven’t seen this documented but many years ago, I learned that people who sing tend not to die of pneumonia. Probably not 100% but there is a good case for healthier lungs of people who sing!

2. There has been research on the following: When people sing in unison, shortly thereafter,  their breathing  and heart rates begin to match. Thus they are united in voice, spirit and body.

3. When individuals are affected by dementia, they may be confused most of the time, but when they hear familiar music that they enjoy, they often come back to themselves in essence and remember tunes and often the words.
There is an organization called Memory and Music (ck out this website):
The premise is that if people with dementia can just have their own music and listen to it daily, they are calmer, more social, and actually need less medication.
Jay, I worked for a year to “capture” the favorite music of a lady who already had alzheimers and finally decided it was too upsetting for her. It was interesting while I was working with her. The best case scenario is for families to document their loved one’s favorite music, singers, and performers before they lose their memories. They then can put together the music for them to enjoy wherever they spend their final days.
And for that matter, we could easily put together our OWN favorite music to have when we are in that situation, heaven forbid! 😉
Pamela Jensen
Bereavement Coordinator
Dixie Home Rehab and Hospice
2019 E. Riverside Dr. Ste. A102
     St. George UT 84790
     Cell: 435-669-9903
   Office: 435-627-2724

 

Thanks you Pamela.  That is very interesting.

Until next time, so long.

Share this:
Share this page via Email Share this page via Stumble Upon Share this page via Digg this Share this page via Facebook Share this page via Twitter