Music can cure a lot of ills in the world. It can improve the mood, make us happier and more energetic, and best of all, music is universal. Language is no barrier. Turns out, dementia is no barrier either. This video of a ballerina with Alzheimer’s reacting to the music of Swan Lake is quite remarkable, take a look:
The associate conductor of the Manhattan School of Music shared this video of a frail old woman in a wheelchair. She has Alzheimer’s Disease, a condition that causes serious deterioration of the brain, memory and cognitive faculties. And yet, as the music starts she asks for the volume to be increased and proceeds to lose herself in the notes of the iconic Tchaikovsky ballet.
One commentator responded to the video and shared his own experience about his father who has Alzheimer's but is still able to remember and enjoy Beatles songs.
Getting old is an inevitability and degenerative diseases of the brain can be absolutely devastating.
Watching a strong, vibrant, independent person being hollowed out by the disease is a painful thing to experience, and can be deeply painful for caregivers as well.
This one in particular is quite goose-bump inducing: about the most enduring bond of love, and end-of-life experiences.
The ravages of time and disease can be very difficult to watch. And then when a person with a disease does something extraordinary like this, it can make one very emotional indeed.
One commentator who was herself a ballet dancer was deeply moved by the video.
The part of the brain affected by Alzheimer's is different from the part that deals with muscle memory. There is still so much we don’t understand about the human brain; except that it is the most remarkable organ imaginable.
This video of a man with dementia composing a beautiful melody went viral recently.
The BBC Philharmonic recorded a version of the composition as well. Watch as the son speaks about his father being diagnosed with dementia; having good days and bad days and how music helps.
Videos such as these: the ballerina with Alzheimer's and the piano player with dementia are sad but also heartening at another level. They help us understand how degenerative diseases of the brain work. They help us gain perspective and become more empathetic towards our own loved ones as well; probably why videos such as these go viral.
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