Posted 6/3/20
Humppppp Daaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy! Have a happy one, friends! Today will be a short read, but may take a little bit more time to process. Also let me warn you that the content is emotional in a different way than normal. Viewer discretion and a box of tissues are strongly recommended.
Let me start with a disclaimer here: My oldest daughter is a music teacher. My middle child (daughter) is a junior, studying art in college. My son played some nifty clarinet for half of his public school years and has considered being a vocal coach or doing vocal marketing. My undergrad degree was a bachelor of arts degree partially because I loved the well-rounded nature of the class structure. My mom, about whom this blog tends to center, has played the piano and dabbled with art since around the Harry S. Truman administration. Therefore, the buck stops here with my pretty obvious bias. I am a fan of the arts in all of its forms. Do I “get” all art forms? Nope. But I am open to them because God placed the arts in the heart of man for a reason: it changes and guides and teaches us in a way that merely hearing a lecture or reading a non-fiction novel simply cannot do.
From a dementia standpoint, we have beaten this horse to death, resuscitated it, beat it to death again 20 times. The arts can both suppress the onset of dementia and can provide relief once you have the disease. It also does wonders for caregivers just making it through the day! Here are a few links that support this: Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link and a bonus one for the couple that read my links and in honor of our Walk to End Alzheimer’s Disease team: ***** Link****
Add to these the couple dozen articles I have completed with their own sources and it is clear: the arts have a role…some role…in prevention, in treatment of symptoms and more.
One last thought I want to add to this dogpile of facts: Art is a therapeutic catharsis. It helps us vent and it helps us help others understand the disease. With this in mind, I leave you today with a few wonderful examples, some of which you have likely seen/heard, but not all:
Art with dementia link: Wow and Wow and Wow
How about some amazing music? Here ya go:
https://youtu.be/W36DewRtu44
https://youtu.be/U8TsAh-zYFI
Not only about dementia, but it fits…
That is probably enough for the hardest heart to break… Music mixed with the disease has power, doesn’t it? Sing on, folks…sing on.
#EndALZ
The KSMU public radio series continues:
https://www.ksmu.org/post/memory-fades-journaling-preserves-stories-raises-awareness#stream/0
There will be 2 new segments daily all week. I will keep posting them too. 🙂
Update: Visited with mom on video today and begin eating lunch with her on Wednesdays the next 2 weeks on the other side of her window. She is tired and gaining weight but she is still smiling.
Last notes: If there is a legislator on my blog, please, please, please consider this stuff when you cut funding for the arts and/or offer bailouts to art facilities. The arts matter more than most know and understand. Please do the right thing. Thank you very much for your service in these hard times…
Also, if you have more to add, comment below and I will add them. 🙂 If links break, I am sorry…it happens over time in YouTube. 🙁
