Old School Keyboarding: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #16

Dr. Grimes' 20-1-7 CHALLENGE: 

• For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
• Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
• Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

Old School Keyboarding: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #16

When my Mom's Alzheimer disease prevented her from recognizing me as her daughter, the only way I could consistently engage with her was through music. Christmas carols, children's songs and Broadway show tunes would almost always bring a smile to her face, and her eyes would often brighten as she nodded and sang along. My most cherished memory from those last challenging years was sparked by this connection. After singing Christmas carols nonstop for nearly an hour, my mom spontaneously grasped my hands, made full eye contact with me, and in a fleeting moment of clarity, announced, "Jill, you know I love you." What a gift! 

As such, my eyes quickly zoom in on articles such as the "Effects of Music Learning and Piano Practice on Cognitive Function, Mood, and Quality of Life in Older Adults" . I'm always encouraged to see more evidence that playing the piano positively affects the brain, and yet at the same time,  I have walked past MY piano without touching the keys for longer than I care to admit (think years, not months).

So- this week's challenge is to bring back PIANO playing into my life's routine, if only for a few songs per day. I will be VERY rusty, but I believe at least a few songs are so deeply imprinted in my neural pathways and fingers that they will jumpstart my musical engine (Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag is a must.)

For those of you "playing along" with my 20-1-7 challenge who do NOT play piano but own one...now is a great time to start lessons! If you neither own nor know how to play, feel free to choose a different instrument or simply sing out loud a few songs.

BOTTOM LINE: This week's challenge is to play the piano for at least 10 minutes per day.

20-1-7 Challenge Week #1: COLOR

20-1-7 Challenge Week #2: Veggie Spiralizer

20-1-7 Challenge Week #3: Medication Dispenser

20-1-7 Challenge Week #4: Meditation

20-1-7 Challenge Week #5: WATER

20-1-7 Challenge Week #6: Exercise BOOST

20-1-7 Challenge Week #7: FLOSS

20-1-7 Challenge Week #8: ZZZ 

20-1-7 Challenge Week #9: RESIST

20-1-7 Challenge Week #10: No W(h)ining

20-1-7 Challenge Week #11: YOGA 

20-1-7 Challenge Week #12: CLUTTER CONTROL

20-1-7 Challenge Week #13: NEW SHOES

20-1-7 Challenge Week #14: Hide It 

20-1-7 Challenge Week #15: Nuke It   Feedback: Microwaving the kitchen sponge before and after use was a simple habit quickly adopted by our whole family. 

Thank You, Glen Campbell

Many diseases have the face of a celebrity- we think of Michael J. Fox for Parkinson's, or Katie Couric (on behalf of her husband) for colon cancer. Although President Reagan had Alzheimer's, I don't think there is as strong of a link there. Alzheimer's is the disease we don't want to talk about. It's just too uncomfortable, right?

Well, hat's off to singer Glen Campbell & his wife. Mr. Campbell gave a televised interview last night to openly talk about his experience of memory loss and his diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. I loudly applaud his public acknowledgement of this relentless disease. I hope that his singing tour will bring increasing awareness to this incredibly common disease. Right now, over 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease. I love that Mr. Campbell is highlighting how music memory is something that is preserved...often beyond when the person suffering the memory loss no longer recognizes their family. I have bittersweet memories of singing Christmas carols with my mom- her not skipping a beat nor stumbling on words that I couldn't recall- and she only knew me as a "nice friend," not her youngest daughter.

What's my take-home message here? If you have a loved one with Alzheimer's memory loss, and you struggle to get them to interact with you, consider a song. Old commercials, school fight songs, traditional carols, hymns or anthems are all good choices. I have found in my personal experience that often once the person begins singing, it often "gets the juices flowing" enough that they are able to carry on a conversation (where they were not interested or able when you began your visit.)

BOTTOM LINE: Hitting a communication wall with someone struggling with Alzheimer's? Try a tune!

PS. I recommend sites like ElderSong- a wonderful source for music geared to trigger memories! ( I have no financial interest in this company, but have purchased many sing-along CDs and videos from them.)