TIME MAGAZINE COVERS MUSIC IMPACT ON ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Time Magazine featured a story titled "Music and the Mind" in the `Your Time' section of its November 14, 2005 issue.
The story focuses on music therapy and the use of music and song for persons with Alzheimer's disease. Time Magazine writer, Christine Gorman, noted that even though a cure has not been found, a focus on quality of life for family and patients through the use of music and music therapy services is in wide use. "Life without music would be pretty dull, and sometimes we lose sight of how powerful melody and rhythm can be in the realm of medicine, particularly with respect to Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers."
In considering the contribution of music therapy to persons with dementia and Alzheimer's Disease, Drs. Suzanne Hanser and Alicia Clair of Berklee College of Music and the University of Kansas, respectively, noted the benefits of music to elicit responses in patients when other stimuli fail and pointed out the use of familiar song to assist in patient transitions and daily routine. According to Time, "more and more nursing homes and hospitals are finding that working with a music therapist can make a big difference."
The role that music plays in so many aspects of our lives makes the compelling case for the need to have music available for our children in schools and communities.