That's what I'm talking about !!

Wednesday evening.....it's really warm outside this evening and I am going to take a nice long walk in a while.....

Some quick thoughts to jot down...today at one of the Assisted Living Facilities ....

There is a Mr. W.....Mr. W is very thin and when I played for him the first time a few weeks ago I didn't know he could sit up...eat....even walk.  So last week the staff was concerned about his not eating.  After they left I told him is he would eat, I would play...so he sat right up and finished all his lunch...amazing.  Today when I arrived I shared this story with the Director and she said, yes he had lost weight and they were concerned.  So I show up to his room at noon....he's on his side...shakes his head that he wants music and then the lunch tray comes.  His roommate is yelling "I want my lunch" but Mr. W. is still lying there.  So I told him, you sit up and eat and I will play music....I waited and waited...then he sits up and finishes his plate again!!!  When he was done he laid back down and I said to him, "Mr. W. do I have to come play music for your Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner ?"  and he just smiled and shook his head yes....what a stinker!!!

Ms L....she has had a brain injury and is complete care.  She is shy of strangers and doesn't communicate.  When I come into the room she moves up against the wall, like she is afraid of me.  I ask her roommate if she would like music..."no" ...so I asked if I could play for Ms L...she said ok...she left her TV on while I played and after about 10 minutes she turned it down very low  (I knew she would like the music).....Ms. L had her eyes closed but every now and then she would open her eyes and smile....it was always at the beginning of a Hymn....she was in there....the music reached her.  When I left her roommate that did not want music was sound asleep.....love it

I played for Ms R for the first time today.....when I entered the room she was hollering for me to change her diaper....over and over.  Her roommate was frustrated and kept saying, "you already had it changed".  I asked if I could play music and got another "no"..so I asked if I could play for Ms. R...she said ok....Ms. R was very agitated...moving around but as soon as I started playing she was relaxed and quiet.  She closed her eyes and moved her hands to the music.  She was so peaceful....her Dr. walked in and said to me, "this is so wonderful for these patients and the staff just loves hearing music coming down the hall, it's so good for all of us"......when I left the roommate that said "no" asked if I could come back and play more hymns..she loved it.....that's what I'm talking about!!

Life IS like a Box of Chocolates

Wednesday Morning....cloudy and a bit of rain...dark dark...but oh how I hate the time change coming up...I would rather have light at the end of the day!

On Monday I met a Resident, a paraplegic who was very interested in my Harp...long story short...today I  brought him my small Mid-East Harp, a Tuner and a Tuning Wrench.  I printed out 4 Tunes, color-coded...Mary Had a Little Lamb, Twinkle, Silent Night and On Top of Spaghetti.  He was THRILLED...a young guy in his 40's...he's been there 2 years.  I think this will fill his days with some distraction and he has the ability to do some tunes on this little Lap Harp.....anxious to see where this goes.....

My lady has a new Roommate.....she has an Aunt that is a Nun that plays the Harp?????  NO kidding????  Seriously?????  what a riot!

I walked past a Resident's room and noticed a small, frail woman curled up and staring at the ceiling.  I decided to stop and play for her, even though she was not on my list from the Director.  I introduced myself and asked if she wanted music.  no response....so I figured she could not communicate and sat down and started playing slow, familiar music.  After about 10 minutes she rolled on her back and crossed her hands on her chest...I was thrilled to see she could move herself.  When I was done I thanked her for listening and told her I would come back to see her soon...and as I was walking away, to my surprise she said "OK".....hahaha they fool me every time.

On my travels from Unit to Unit, I pass the Nurse's Station many times.  Yesterday there was a lady in a wheelchair, parked at the Nurse's Station for a couple hours.  Every time I walked by with my Harp she would almost shout, "You gonna play that thing?"  to which I answered "Yes I am".  So as I was leaving last night I stopped at her chair and played a soft, lovely Gliss for her on the Harp.  She looked at me and said, "That is a beautiful instrument but it's only meant for death".  Yikes....so I said well no, it plays beautiful music and I am not dead and the people I play for are not dead (at least not yet?) and she said, "it is only here for the dead".  By this time the Nurses are cracking up, wondering how I am gonna handle this one.  So I explained that they use Harps in the Orchestra, at Weddings and Special Occasions which were all Happy Occasions...to which she replied, "I've been to many fancy Weddings and I have never seen a Harp, they are only for the dead".  Ok, I gave up, after all, the Facility was having their Safe Trick or Treat that evening and perhaps she is a prop?

Each day I receive so much joy....I am excited to start a new day.  Life is really like a Box of Chocolates...you just never know what you're gonna get.

A Powerful Life

Tuesday morning, October 29, 2013......a cold start to another beautiful fall day.  The colors are so pretty right now and Halloween is just a few days away.....BOO

I tallied up my Internship Hours and to my surprise, I find myself half done.  The time just flies by and each day I am playing I learn so much about myself, my weaknesses and my strengths.  I am so grateful for this job and the service I am providing.  The responses from the Patients, Staff and Families are amazing.

Yesterday was a day of extreme saddness and yet also one filled with so much promise and joy.  When I arrived to do my Intern Hours the Director stopped me in the Lobby and told me that my Lady's roommate had passed away earlier in the morning.  I will call her Miss G.  I was not surprised that she was gone.  When I left her the night before I knew she would go quickly.  Earlier that day she was actively dying so I spent most of my Intern Hours with her.  I played unfamiliar, non-rhythmic music for her.  Several times during my Session with her, different Residents would stop and wait at the door. Even those who don't communicate knew...they sensed her passing.  It was a beautiful thing to be part of.  I returned that evening to find her Family there.  They were with Hospice and I asked if they wanted me to come back.  They were so happy to have Music for Miss G, they went off to have a meeting together and I stayed and played for another hour.  Miss G only stirred one time, making a small noise when I played 3 Tunes she always asked me for over the 6 months I have been playing for her.....Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Jesus Loves Me and Amazing Grace.  I wanted to leave her with her favorite Tunes.  When I left,  Miss G was struggling for breath and my Lady was peacefully asleep.

Some might say how depressing that must have been.  I cannot explain how it is just the opposite.  It is sad.  Anytime someone leaves this Earth and their Family and Friends it is sad.  But there is also peace and wonder, as this person's energy and spirit continues on a journey that none of us know anything about.  Our hearing is the last to leave us in the transition to our new journey.  I know Miss G heard all the notes of my Harp and that her Spirit was renewed as she passed.

I decided to have a small remembrance ceremony for Miss G.   My way of healing myself and respecting her life.  I lit a small candle for her last night and let it burn down.  It allows me to let go of the saddness and smile at the wonderful, smart, kind and funny lady she was.  I will not enter her room with saddness again, only joy.

What a powerful life we all have...

Music...the Back Door to the Brain and our Souls

Thursday Evening, October 17, 2013....we are up in the Mountains along the Shenandoah  River at the State Park....Fortunately, and no thanks to our Congress, we made our Reservations a few months ago at a STATE park...never thinking our National Parks would be closed down.....we just returned from a long Hike...temps are about 65...a light rain earlier but crisp and beautiful as the Sun goes down...

I wanted to write about my new job...a Companion for my dear Lady, that I have been playing a Session for the last few months.  As fate would have it, her Companion quit and the family asked if it would be something I would be interested in doing.....I jumped at the opportunity!  There was nothing but + + + for us all.  I would get to spend 3 consecutive afternoons a week giving my Lady a Therapeutic Music Session.  The other is her roommate that is Hospice Care, is also receiving Therapeutic Music 3 days a week.  The third and most wonderful thing, is I also get the opportunity to play Piano, walk outside and read to my Lady friend.

I think I have a routine worked out now.  I am also doing my Internship Hours at this Facility.  I come in about 2 hours early and have a list of Residents that receive no outside stimulation, as they are bed bound.  Some are Hospice and some are just so sick they can not leave their room.

I have had wonderful responses from these Residents.  For those who were reluctant to have Music (this is because they think they have to interact with me) because they feel so ill, they now smile when I come to the door and are thrilled to have me.  Some sing, some sleep with a smile on their face and some ask me not to leave them.

As far as my Lady.....I can only say that the Therapeutic Music has made a huge difference in her communication skills with her Family.  As an Alzheimer's Patient, we know we can’t cure her disease, but the gift of being able to communicate a little longer is immeasurable.  Below are some quotes taken from her Family’s Emails, sent to me over the last few weeks....it doesn’t get any better than this:

Daughter #1

October 8th....”Another great day!    Thanks for you help with mom this week. She is much more responsive and alert than she's been in a long time”

October 14th....”Mom is doing well.  She wasn't as responsive to my dad as she was for me.  She answered my questions or when I made the statement, "you look tired", she said, "I sure am".  Yes, from a faint "huff" for answer/comment to a "I sure am".  Remarkable.  And, this was at 7:00 p.m. at night, when she is usually the most out of it, "Sundown".

October 14th.....Also, it has been so long since I have seen her Roommate awake or responsive.  She would wake and fall back to sleep talking to me.  When I went the last two times she was sitting up in her bed, watching tv and talking!  I arrived at 2:00 last week and tip toed into the room to drop off my mom's laundry.  To my surprise, she was awake, watching television.  I told her I would be back in a little bit.  I returned at 4:00 and she was still awake.  She did nod off for a half hour or so and then back awake until I left at 5:30.  I haven't seen her so lively in, I don't know how long.”

So, both mom and and her Roommate are responding well to your music.  No doubt in my mind that is what is doing it.  I will be visiting the nursing home tomorrow.  I will see how she is doing since my last visit, almost a week ago.  Thanks for your music therapy!  

Daughter #2

October 8th.....Jackie - I believe the harp music is helping to stimulate her brain and we are seeing more of "her" than we have in a long time.  My father made that comment the other day.  He said she had said the most he has heard out of her in a year and he could tell she was present and listening.  He kissed her goodbye and seemed so happy.  For a long time he would pat her on the head and say goodbye.  Not sure why, but he was happy to see her the other day.

October 8th .....My Sister has been sending me email after she visits Mom saying that she did not want to leave because Mom was actually answering her questions and she knew what my sister was asking her.  She knew she was in touch with Mom.”

Music finds it’s way through the Back Door of the Brain....it can reach the unreachable

What a day.....what a day!

Wednesday evening....7:45pm....rainy and cool...for as bad as we need the rain it looks like it will washout our Family Day at the Renn Fest....bummer

I haven't written in a couple weeks....I really don't know where to start because there has been so much news and so many wonderful experiences...but just too busy to get it written down.  I think I will start with today and go backwards.

My first day doing Internship Hours at the Nursing Home.  This is a small Facility, State Funded and a lot of indigent Patients there.  Some of the Residents come from the Mental Health Facilities  that our State felt the need to close, leaving these people on the street or worse.  The Nursing Home was clean as a whistle and I found all the Staff that I interacted with were loving, caring and doing their job, it was a pleasure to Serve there.

So my first Patient was "hard to get along with" or so I was told, but you know the old saying, "Music soothes the savage beast"  and so when she refused the Music that the Staff was trying to sell, I stepped in and told her she did not have to talk to me, or be moved to another location, that the music was just for her and no one else.  Ok...she smiled and said I could stay for a few minutes.  I started to play and her entire body just relaxed and sank into her recliner.  She had lost that hard face and it was replaced with a peaceful smile.  Occasionally she would say, "that is just beautiful".  I played Familiar music for her at a pulse tempo of 70-80 bpm.  I heard this "jabber" behind me as I was playing but didn't stop to look and stayed focused on my Patient.  When I was finished I turned around to find another Patient, a drifter I call them,  in the doorway in a wheelchair and she was "thumbs up" smiling and trying to talk.  My first Patient said, "she can't talk no more" to which I replied, no she can't but she knows beautiful music when she hears it.  I was invited to come back and play for Patient #1, and down the hallway I went with the drifter following me shouting and giving me thumbs up....totally wonderful.

Next on my list were 2 Palliative Care Patients in the same room.  Patient B was outside the room and wanted no music.  Patient A is static and does not communicate.  I told her I was going to play music for her and she seemed frightened and moved against the wall.  I brought in my harp and just played one string at a time.  Then I played soft, rolled chords and finally I went into a Lullaby.  She relaxed and closed her eyes...she remained that way the entire 30 minutes.  About halfway through this, I noticed Patient B quietly slid into her bed and was laying there with her eyes closed also.  When I left they were both sleeping like babies......totally peaceful

My next experience was amazing...to say the least.  2 Palliative Patients, Patient B on Oxygen and Patient A in a Recliner, staring at the ceiling.  Patient B was asleep so I approached Patient A and told her who I was .....no response.....and that I was going to play Music for her....no response.  So I sat down and started to play and I looked at her a few measures into the Tune and she had a smile on her face!  So, ok this is a good sign...but then I noticed her foot was moving....even better....but the best was when her Doctor walked into the room and stopped next to me and said, "this is amazing...I have been her Doctor since January and I have NEVER seen her face like this"  and as we are looking at her, she tries to speak.  Now I have stopped playing because the Doctor is just shocked at the transformation of her Patient.  As I stood up, the Patient tried to talk!!!  I thought the Doctor was going to faint.....she hugged me and said, "I have goosebumps and this is going in her record, I have never seen anything like this before".  So I sat down to play again and I heard Staff behind me but I never turned to look.  I later found out the Doctor had gone downstairs and found the Director and brought her up to see for herself.  As I was leaving the Dr. told me the Patient's Son was there and he wanted to talk to me.  He was so wonderful, he comes every day at noon.  He thanked me for my Service and I promised I would be back in 2 weeks.   Now in this room, while all this was going on, Patient B was awake off and on.  When I was leaving she said she was sorry she couldn't stay awake and I told her that even in her sleep she was hearing the Music and it was perfectly ok to sleep while I played for her...........totally Amazing!!

My final 2 Patients of the day were Palliative.  Both Patients were  lying down and I came in and introduced myself, asking if they would like some beautiful harp music.  Patient B was unable to move, but he shook his head yes...Patient A, on the other hand, sat up and said, "are you dancing with me?"  I cracked up and told him no dancing but I would play music for him.  He told me he fought in WWII in a terrible battle.  He told me he was proud of that.  So my first Tune was God Bless America and he sang at the top of his lungs...with a nice voice too!  He remembered the words to most of it and he tried to sing all the other tunes I played.  He also told me I was Beautiful...gotta love this guy!!  Patient B was lying on his side but his eyes were shifting back and forth and I could tell he loved the Music.  Before I left I thanked Patient A for his service to our country.  He said, "did  you remember I served in WWII?  wow that is great you remembered and you're welcome".  I stopped at Patient B's bedside and asked if he enjoyed the Harp.  He shook his head yes and I told him I would be back to play for him........totally gratifying

what a day...what a day