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Benefits of Music in Alzheimer Treatment

New video Music Helps With ALZHEIMER Patient –Spanish

“He will forget many things like the names of their children, but the music, the emotions and love will last till the end… All against Alzheimer’s disease”.-Editorial Dech on Facebook February 9, 2016.

Produced by Música para “Despertar”

11/11/2015
Somos un equipo de jóvenes psicólogos voluntarios que hemos dado la vuelta al mundo mostrando los beneficios de la música en el ALZHEIMER, ya que la memoria musical y las emociones son de las últimas capacidades en perderse. Ahora necesitamos vuestra ayuda. Nuestra misión: concienciar, sensibilizar, formar y expandir la MÚSICA como herramienta y el AMOR como camino, para el manejo de los trastornos del comportamiento (agitación, agresividad…) complementando la terapia farmacológica.

English:

Music “Awakening”
11/11/2015
We are a team of young psychologists volunteers who have been around the world showing the benefits of music in Alzheimer as the musical memory and emotion are the latest capabilities to be lost. Now we need your help. Our mission: to educate, sensitize, train and expand MUSIC LOVE as a tool and as a way to manage behavioral disorders (agitation, aggression …) supplementing drug therapy.

Jay Beacham

2/13/2016

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Feeling blue?

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A friend from North Carolina just buried his 52 year old sister last week.

Today he emailed me:

Feeling blue….but sometimes we have to.

The song he sang and shared expressing his feelings is “GOOD MORNING HEARTACHE”

http://www.singsnap.com/karaoke/r/b99d78353

I wrote back and referred a song or two that I’d made recordings of and referred him here to this site.

“It’s hard to stay down when one sings even a sad song.
http://www.singsnap.com/karaoke/r/c6987d2c6
and like Neil Diamond’s song Song Sung Blue puts it:
http://www.singsnap.com/karaoke/r/be9ad1dcc
Singing is therapeutic.
http://singingasong.net/ check the blog posts
( http://singingasong.net/?s=therapeutic )
Hope all is well with you.
It’s good to grieve and get out of your system early on.
Have a good week.”

Singing is good for the soul.

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Singing is calming to Animals

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Singing is calming to Animals

This man puts puppies to sleep singing “Good Night Sweetheart, Good Night”

https://youtu.be/gNxRoJSwWZU

Just like a baby’s lullaby.

These French cows listen attentively to this jazz classic “When the Saints Come Marching in” and to Bill Bailey https://youtu.be/lXKDu6cdXLI

A friend of mine used to own a dairy in Idaho and he tells that his cows gave more milk when jazz was played during milking time and would sway along in time to the music.

A Mariachi band have an attentive listener bowing when they finish:

https://youtu.be/ZS_6-IwMPjM

From these videos one can link to other videos of animals that like our music.

I discussed this in greater detail at:

http://jaybeacham.com/2010/12/03/the-cows-taste-in-music/

Catch you later,

Jay

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Singing got this bird dancing-what fun

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It was a lot of fun to see how singing got this bird dancing.

Watch the video and then give me your take on it.

https://lnkd.in/emnAzCk

Catch you later.

Jay

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Benefits of singing

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In the July 2015 issue of the SingSnap magazine is an article about the benefits of singing as a family or group that you may find of interest.

http://newsletter.singsnap.com/books/hxnj/?utm_source=OCS&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JulyMagEmail#p=30

be sure to click the forward arrow on the right of the page in order to turn to page 2.

Keep singing.

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Tips about health on Twitter

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Today on Twitter this group had a health tip not specifically about singing but music in general.

Health Tips @health522 · 8m8 minutes ago

Music can serve to reduce stress, which is also known to help with weight control

Stress of mind or body can cause all kinds of ill health.

Like the Judy Garland song said,

“If you’re worried, if you fret, if you’re getting deep in debt, …get yourself a good quartet… and everybody sing…let the sound of your voice turn winter to spring..”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzU3qV0DqNU

So let’s start reducing stress by singing.

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I was tired…

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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

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Does singing help the elderly with health problems?

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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):

https://musicandmemory.org/music-brain-resources/current-research/

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.

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“Music Heals My Soul”

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“Music Heals My Soul”

1/25/2015

Today I listened to Lynn sing a song recording because she had listened and commented on a song recording that Les Thompson had made with me of Waltzing Matilda(Jan 26th is Australia Day commenorating the arrival of the Bristish fleet in Australia in 1788). Well to pay her back for listening and commenting.

In reading her profile I learned she’s been ill and music, especially singing, has been of benifit to her. So I asked her the following:

Lynn,
I read your profile and this: “Music heals our souls I truly believe that .”
I am wondering if you would mind explaining that for my readers on
http://singingasong.net/
If you agree to help, just message me here with what you’d like to say and I’ll incorporate it into the site.
Recently, a man who stutters wrote that I’d helpped him with a video I’d done about speaking and that was a good feeling.
I think singing does help our souls, our emotional and physical health.
I hope to help people with this site.
I know one SingSnapper who can hardly talk let alone sing and that because of a disability, but when he sings, which he enjoys, one can feel his spirit and to listen is enjoyable even though he’d be booed off of a talent show.
Thanks for considering this,
Jay

She replied:

By SugarBearsGOLD today at 2:02pm (5 hours ago)

Jay
thank you for inviting me to your site …so many are here on sing snap are disabled in one way or another ….I am not good at typing as my hands are crippled but I will explain a little more about my self and why I use singing for pain therapy as I do not take opiates or any addictive drugs these doctors so easily hand out to so many disabled

I have a disease that mimics MS altho the mylon sheath is destroyed around all the nerves this disease cripples the body just like MS does …the disease is fairly new so tthey have no name for it just idiopathic and it mimics MS and there are others I have found that have it

I came down in 2006 with Diabetis II which my nurologist did not catch in time or inform me of so I lost my first leg in 2006 and begged to have my second one removed in 2007 because I had so much infection in my body

I could never use prostetics as everyone one asks me because my hands are to crippled to get them on the two legs I lost …so I live very independently in a power chair and I also drive what is called an enter van as I have a lock box which locks my power chair into the driveres side and my van and my power chair have become my life

I have loved music since I was very young ..I use to play the piano and celllo and the organ …but since my disease has taken that all away from me …I sing even tho my disease was found in my left vocal chord …I still sing

I have been a fighter all my life fighting my way back out of hospitals and rehabs to get back to my indepent life

I am in constant pain which I call horrific inside sensations AS MY BODY is totally numb on the outside and its constant pain on the inside that there is nothing to subside the pain and I refuse to take opiates or addicting pain killers

What I have realized is when I am here singing …I can put that pain out of my head ……I strongly believe that music and singing have a calming way of healing the soul and always making me wanting to come back and sing …….there is a peaceful healing come over me when I sing …not that singing will ever heal what I have but it purifies my soul and spirit …I truly believe that

Just recently I have returned home after fighting a blood infection after being in the hospital and rehab for three months right thru thanksgiving and Christmas …the ifectious blood infection destroyed my kidneys so I am now on dialisis three days a week ..but this has not stopped me from coming back to where I love the people and the music and love to sing

If you can find a way to keep smiling and fighting and stay strong …..Music is a peaceful calm for everyone out there no matter what you have …if you have music in your heart …..you will always have a smile and a good lookout on life ….

This I hope will help everyone out there who is struggling in life …be strong and keep singing …as well as meeting people who know what you deal with in everyday life …..no one knows or understands disability until they become disabled themselves …and that is why I bond so well with people who understand Pain

Hugs and Love to all the sinsnap members and singers
Lynn

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Over come #pain with #singing?

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Can pain be overcome with singing?

Today a man named Drayton L of British Columbia listened to one of my songs recordings on Singsnap, an online Karaoke site. To pay him back for his kindness, I listened to one of his recordings and then two more. He sings very well.

I learned that he once made his living singing. Wouldn’t that be fun to do?

He’d been stopped by a serious surgery and said that singing helped him.

Well, I wrote him and asked if he’d like to contribute to this site and tell his experience with singing since the surgery.

Here is his reply:

“Certainly Jay
Singing is probably one of the most potent and best medicines for whatever ails you. Twice, singing has brought back from the edge of a precipice.

The trouble started with a major operation on my spine. I was becoming a quadriplegic, and required a massive operation to repair my vertebrates C3-C7. There was a major screw up to the operation that took away my ability to eat and drink orally for two and a half years. I was fed through a tube in my stomach. What’s worse though is that it robbed me of my voice. I was a working singer at that time, working my way up that proverbial very long ladder to success. I had to go to a speech therapist to learn how to talk again, and then, to be able to sing. I’m still working at getting my voice back, but I think that ship has sailed, so I am happy with what I was allowed to have back.
Ever since that operation, I have had three subsequent operations and numbers four and five are being scheduled. I live with pain on a constant basis, and use morphine to try to get some relief. But it’s really not that bad, as I do have a secret weapon, and that is singing!

Why, you ask? Because when I sing, I leave my body and immerse myself into the song, and for a few minutes there is no pain. Only music. I have in fact been able to reduce the amount of morphine used when singing.
Singing improves my spirits, which improves my outlook, and the first step to positive results is a positive mind. All I can tell you is that it has sure helped me.
Cheers,
Drayton”

Now some science advocates will say that this is not evidence. Well, their science can’t feel what Drayton feels. To me his witness will hold up in any honest court.

I thanked him for sharing and hope that his experience will help others.

Well, until next time, keep singing.

Jay

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SingingASong.net

SINGING IS FUN AND HEALTHY

Category Archives: posts

Benefits of Music in Alzheimer Treatment

Feeling blue?

Singing is calming to Animals

Singing got this bird dancing-what fun

Benefits of singing

Tips about health on Twitter

I was tired…

Does singing help the elderly with health problems?

“Music Heals My Soul”

By SugarBearsGOLD today at 2:02pm (5 hours ago)

Over come #pain with #singing?