DEMENTIA & MUSIC – Play Piano for Healthy Mind | 2023 Report

What I am talking about is the slow loss of one’s own day to day and/or longer term memory concerning the things you have done years ago or as recently as 10 seconds ago. As that memory loss gets worse and progresses, it can become an advanced form of Alzheimer’s disease which takes away all, or nearly all of of your memory…past, present, and future, until you pass away of the disease and its physical and mental complications. 

The effects of this issue on family members is frequently devastating to all involved and unfortunately there is no cure for Alzheimer’s at this point. Older people are more likely to get this mental disease but just because you live to be older does not mean you will get it. But there is more of a likelihood that if an older close relative in your family has had it, then you may get it as well as you get older. It just depends on how long you live and your particular brain.

There are millions of people in the world right now who have some form of dementia memory loss and may not know they have it because they can’t remember what they don’t remember!. The health costs in dealing with it are staggering these days because a number of these people can live with this disease for many years until they are a very old age and treatment and care continues to escalate in cost, time, and energy with many families being unable to financially (and mentally) cope with it all. If you are dealing with this situation in your family then you know exactly what I am talking about. I am personally dealing with family members and friends in this same situation…and it’s not easy, that’s for sure, so I definitely have a deep understanding of it and also that playing music can help.

The disease usually starts out slowly with people forgetting little things and usually does not cause concern. I refer to this phenomenon as “your hard drive is getting full.”  If it gets worse and progresses, people who personally suffer from the disease may go through distressing physical, mental, and behavioral changes and they can’t remember things no matter how hard they try, even if it was just something they said one minute ago! Then at a certain point when you can’t remember what you can’t remember, the disease becomes a viscous cycle that never gets better.

 If you have not so far had personal experience with this dreaded disease in a friend or family member, then just imagine a loved one who can’t remember what you just said to them, can’t remember your name, can’t remember the close feelings you have had for each other, and simply can’t remember the past and how you fit in to it, it can get that bad. How sad that would be if it were your wife, husband, Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, Aunt, Uncle, best friend, etc. The person that you knew starts to fade away until they are almost unrecognizable and you cannot have a meaningful conversation with them anymore. They are nobody in their mind and they seem to be presently nobody in your mind except for recent and far away past memories you have had of that person. Very sad for everyone.

I have personally experienced Alzheimer’s disease within my own family and have seen “first hand” what it does to close family members. It can create so much tension, frustration, anger, loss of faith, loss of life, loss of time, loss of money, loss of will, loss of hope, and a sense of sadness that is difficult to explain unless you have “been there.” At a certain point, the disease can become so bad and all consuming & encompassing, that the person afflicted with it can hardly be recognized or controlled in action and/or appearance. 

When that occurs it seems as if nothing can get through to their mind regardless of what you say, how you say it, how many times you say it, or what you do. But in recent years a surprising discovery has been made which has enabled many Alzheimer’s patients to become “Alive Again” on the inside of the mind, if just for a short time. That surprising discovery comes in the form of “MUSIC!”

 LISTENING TO MUSIC = RESPONSE & HAPPINESS!

It has been known for a long time that the benefits of listening to and learning to play music has had many positive effects on children & adults. That’s one of the reasons I play it, listen to it, and teach it because I know how important good music is in helping to create a well rounded and healthy mind, body, and soul for entire life. 

It has also been shown and documented that playing music in certain way to a Dementia/Alzheimer’s patient can help “unlock their mind” to the point where that person can all of a sudden do and say things from the past that were thought to be impossible for them to do just a few minutes before they heard that music because of listening to their favorite music. In addition to that, if an older person with advanced dementia who can hardly remember anything now but grew up playing the piano, if they are given the opportunity to sit down at a piano now, that person can likely play songs “by memory” even though their memory is otherwise not working! So how does that happen and how does that work where their memory is instantly working by playing piano, but otherwise it is not working?

The power of music on a person’s mind and well being has always been known, but when it comes to people with dementia and those with a severe form of it such as Alzheimer’s, the results of what music can to improve a person’s behavior is simply astounding. It just goes to show how important it is to get good music into your life and the life of family members at an early age so that in later years music can still have a beneficial effect on the mind and help to keep you young!

Dementia and the more advanced form of Alzheimer’s memory loss is something which is projected to grow among elderly people as the years go on because people are living longer and this disease is getting more attention from health organizations worldwide. Although there are more and more studies being done on this disease with newer treatments, there is no cure. Even if you are the smartest, most active person in good mental and physical health, and you show no signs of permanent memory loss right now, unfortunately it can happen to you just as it has to so many others. I hope that someday soon there will be a cure and/or effective treatment for dementia patients so these people can have their lives back again. But until that time comes, the music that can be brought into their lives at an early age can help stimulate the mind in an old age and bring about happiness to them in ways nothing else can.

Finally, if a loved one in your family or among your friends is struggling with dementia and has played piano for most of their life, if they do not have a piano now then I have a few suggestions you might consider that could help them in a very positive way. 

There are a few popular brands which produce new digital pianos and keyboards under $1500 that I like very much and might be perfect for your loved one to play to help them emotionally on a day to day basis.  I am not talking about people suffering dementia just listening to music, but actually playing it on a piano, assuming they already have those skills.

A digital piano or keyboard could be the perfect solution with benefits that go much further than you can imagine. The digital piano company that offers the “best bang for the buck” in the lower price range under $1500 right now is Casio. There are also other name brands that we recommend such as Kawai, Korg, Yamaha, etc and they all have a number of models under $1500. But there are 3 models from Casio that pretty much cover all the bases. 

The first one is a very popular 88-weighted key compact furniture cabinet model called the Casio PX-870 at $1199. It plays, sounds, responds, and looks like a real smaller upright piano with key cover and 3 traditional pedals. It never goes out of tune, needs no maintenance, and headphones can be worn for private playing.  It also comes in 3 cabinet colors including black, brown, and white.

When you power it up it automatically plays as a beautiful stereo piano, although it can do other things. You can also record the person playing this model so that you can have a way to “keep, store, and play back” their music for years to come. Go to the following link to read our review of this model: Casio PX-870

The next model is a lightweight, compact, portable digital piano called the Casio PX-S1100 at $699. This 88-weighted key model is just 24 lbs, is completely self contained, sounds great through its higher quality internal speakers, and also works on regular batteries if needed. You never need to tune it (permanent tuning), you can put it on a small, foldable metal stand to play it or get a more permanent compact furniture stand for it. The piano comes with a single sustain pedal or you can get an optional triple pedal unit for it. 

When you turn it on it is automatically a piano and you just play it like  piano. It does other things which can be very useful and it can also record your music and play it back. The PX-S1100 comes in 3 cabinet colors including black, white, and red. Go to the following link to read my review of this impressive model: Casio PX-S1100

Last but not least, if you want a musical keyboard instrument for your loved one but are on a tight budget (under $250), then the new low priced Casio keyboard at $219 could be a good option. The biggest difference with this model is that it does not have 88 weighted keys but instead has 61 unweighted keys and the entire unit weighs just 10 lbs. 

It’s obviously much lighter and takes up less space and can easily be put away if necessary. But if your loved one has grown up playing actual piano, then this model with less keys but also unweighted keys may not be a good fit, musically speaking. If you want more info on this model then let me know.

 MUSIC POWER IN THE MIND – VIDEOS! 

Take a look and watch the following AMAZING videos of Alzheimer’s patients who otherwise would display almost no memory or emotion, and see the incredible effect that music has on these people’s minds…it’s almost magical! The older people in these videos who seem to be gone (and devoid) in body, mind, and soul, are almost “Alive Again Inside” and are instantly transported to a former life where they seem to be “with it” and almost human again. 

After viewing these videos and seeing what the power of music can do for these people, you should never underestimate the Power of Music in the lives of yourself, children, and your parents no matter what age you are now. Be sure you take every possible opportunity to learn and play music when you or your children are young, especially piano. A digital piano is the perfect “vehicle” to make music a part of your life…forever.  PLAY PIANO AND PLAY IT OFTEN. Music is a gift that “keeps on giving” like no other gift in the world! The “power of music,” there is nothing like it!

Once you have looked at the videos then check out my latest report on “Music – A language like no other, it will move your soul” at the following link: Music – a language like no other

Interesting additional info on Music & Dementia are found at the following links:

– music and memory.org 

– Alzheimers blog

– Alive Inside website

If you want more info on new digital pianos and LOWER PRICES than internet discounts, please email me at tim@azpianowholesale.com or call direct at 602-571-1864.