Health

You’ll Probably Cry When You See This Video of an Elderly Man Being Transformed by Music

Old Man in a Nursing Home Considered Unresponsive Animates at Sound of Music

Henry generally appears like this except during times when he is listening to his favorite tunes.

Yvonne Russell is a recreational therapist at a nursing home that has a music therapy program for its patients. When she speaks about seeing one of her patients hear music — one of whom was extremely unresponsive and seemingly not alert for two years under Russell’s care — she gets choked up.

“It was amazing,” she said.

Russell is one of the people involved in a project called “Music and Memory,” which seeks to bring music’s therapeutic benefits to the elderly and infirm. There is a documentary on the project — “Alive Inside” — for which some participants, caregivers and scientists were filmed.

The clip of one elderly man within the documentary was released last fall and is making its rounds on the Internet again as the documentary gets set to premier at the end of the month. See if you don’t get choked up too when this man lights up as he hears some of his favorite music:

The man in the clip, Henry, is described as “inert, maybe depressed, unresponsive and almost unalive.” His daughter explains the vibrancy he’d had when was younger and how he was always singing. Russell instructs the technician creating an iPod playlist for Henry to include religious music as his family said it was his favorite.

Old Man in a Nursing Home Considered Unresponsive Animates at Sound of Music

When Henry dons the headphones and hears the music, he becomes a different person. He gets animated, even making a joyful noise. When he’s asked questions by an interviewer, he’s also more talkative. When asked if he liked music, Henry responded, “I’m crazy about music.”

Henry reveals he enjoyed music at a young age when he would attend large dances. His favorites included Cab Calloway and the song he graces us with is “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

Old Man in a Nursing Home Considered Unresponsive Animates at Sound of Music

Old Man in a Nursing Home Considered Unresponsive Animates at Sound of Music

Old Man in a Nursing Home Considered Unresponsive Animates at Sound of Music

The project works to individualize the music to each patient’s preferences. The Music and Memory website reports neurologist Dr. Petr Janata as saying:

“This is a very exciting time to be working in the field of neuroscience and especially in the area of music and the brain.  Although topics such as music or emotion have historically been regarded by the scientific mainstream as frivolous or unworthy of scientific study, there is now a surging interest in understanding how music engages and shapes the brain, as well as the ways in which music can help people whose brain function has been impaired in one way or another….

“As a relative newcomer to the world of translational neuroscience – the term used to describe research that has an explicit goal of converting basic research to clinical interventions as directly as possible – I have found myself contemplating the following question: if music is such an important aspect of people’s lives from the time they are born, why is it that it doesn’t really occur to us, as a society, to provide people with music when they can no longer do what is necessary to provide it for themselves?”

According to the Washington Post Style blog, social worker Dan Cohen and neurologist Oliver Sacks, author of Musicophilia, were included as experts in the documentary. Sacks calls to mind philosopher Kant calling music the “quickening art.” This is what he thinks is happening with Henry. “Henry is being quickened,” Sacks said. “He’s being brought to life.”

Sacks says, in some sense, the music helps Henry remember who he is and restores him to himself. Still, Henry says it better. When asked what music does to him, he said, “It gives me the feeling of love and romance. Like right now the world needs to come into music singing you’ve got beautiful music here.”

In another clip, Russell states she believes the spread of this program would be beneficial for other nursing homes and even suggests use in different patients such as more unresponsive children:

The Washington Post reports the full documentary will premier at New York’s Rubin Museum on April 18. See the Music and Memory website to learn how you can donate iPods to the program here.

Comments (104)

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  • COFemale
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 8:03pm

    When you move off to a nursing home, some elderly feel abandoned and lost regardless of having visitors. Some will turn in to their only little world, becoming oblivious to their surroundings. Then something like this comes along where they hear music and it simulates the brain cells. They are taken back almost to their youth. My dad suffered a stroke after his heart bypass surgery, he was not capable of driving any longer. When the keys to his car were taken away, he became depressed and did not want to do anything. It got worse after my mom passed away. We tried everything, except probably music. He felt useless. He died three years after my moms passing.

    Report Post » COFemale  
    • chrisden
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 8:56pm

      This is a touching story. What I would like families to remember is that the elderly sometimes feel abandoned in a nursing home. Yes the ipod with music is great, but so is having family around to care for the elderly. I know that I will do whatever I can to care for my parents at home rather than putting them in a nursing home. I speak from experience as my father is in the advanced stages of Parkinson’s and my mother is caring for him at home even though she has full nursing home insurance coverage. He is thriving.

      Report Post »  
    • SgtB
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 10:17pm

      Putting our parents in nursing homes is a product of our laziness as a nation combined with the unconstitutional and immoral crutch of social security. The so called “greatest generation” shirked their familial responsibilities and financed them on the back of their children. Then their children started doing the same. Now we see the result is far more instance of dementia and alzheimers because our aging generations aren’t being mentally, physically, or emotionally stimulated. But alas, they are suffering from a society that they created, and I’d have them suffer more for feeling that they could enslave future generations under their debt.

      And don’t think that I am giving my generation a pass. Any man or woman who votes for an individual who votes yea on a piece of legislation that is unconstitutional should pay for their vice, and they will whether they know it or not.

      Report Post » SgtB  
    • CINCH
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 12:22am

      My grandmother was in the final throes of Alzheimer’s, in a nursing home; unable to even remember how to use crayons and a coloring book. Then, the nursing home started having music and social dancing on Thursday afternoons. It took everything we had to get my grandmother to even attend these social gatherings, but all of a sudden she was asked to dance by one of the other residents and she began to dance with him! I will never forget how wonderful those Thursday afternoons were for her and all of us after that. She smiled. She was happy for a few hours. The power of music….the power of caring.

      Report Post »  
    • country_hick
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 5:53am

      SGTB;

      “Putting our parents in nursing homes is a product of our laziness as a nation combined with the unconstitutional and immoral crutch of social security.”

      Have YOU ever been forced to put a parent into a care facility?

      How dare you make such a broad generalization!

      My father developed Alzheimer’s. My mother and I kept him at home as long as we could. He started to sundown and still we resisted putting him in a facility. We hung on as long as we could until the second time the Police had to bring him home because I was at work and mom had to sleep some time. It was harder on us than when he died but he was able to be safe and get great care.

      I was there, in the same house, for my mother until the day I came home from work and found her dead at the kitchen table. I finally got married at 50 and live with my wife AND her 86 year old mother.

      Lazy? Immoral? Bite… Never mind!

      Report Post »  
    • loriann12
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 6:25am

      My mom is a nurse, and when my grandpa got to where he couldn’t live by himself, she moved him in to their house. This was my dad’s dad. She cared for him until he got too much for her, even as a nurse. His generation (born in 1907) felt you went to a nursing home to die. He lasted about from May to December before passing away. He just gave up. He quit eating and wasted away. I don’t think even music would have helped him. That was 21 years ago December. I still miss him.

      Report Post »  
    • lordjosh
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 7:05am

      @C-Hick

      Families in society today, arguably by nefarious design, are unable to care for their elderly, their children, and make a living. I don’t think SGTB was calling out indidviduals on these typs of decisions. I think he was just pointing out the sad state we are in in which it is becoming the norm and even the goal to pawn off care to someone else and let the gov pay for it. It is a symptom of a disease. There was an article written in a local paper last week, directing people on the how long someone has to wait to put their parent(s) in a home after taking over the deed to the house, so the facility can’t take it to pay for their parents care. In other words, children are even confiscating what their parents had of value, then putting their parent under the care of the state as if they had nothing. I don’t blame people for this. We didn’t make the game but we are forced to play.
      It’s not the placement of your parent into a home that is the tragedy, it’s that is was probably your only option and you probably had to do immoral things to accomplish it.

      Report Post » lordjosh  
    • Cptnjarhead
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 9:30am

      @ Country hick, dont listen to sgtb. You did what you could. My father was in the same situation, he had an inoperable brain tumor.
      When a loved one is in a condition that requires professional care that family cannot provide, keeping them in your home could be detrimental. sgtb has no idea what it means to take care of someone who cannot even go to the bathroom without assistance. My father lost his dignity when he couldnt take care of himself and no one could give that back to him.
      rest easy.

      Report Post »  
    • rangerp
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 10:11am

      I cry a whole lot harder when I see generations of heathen American that were transformed by music. From the acid rock hippies, to the heathen ghetto thug rappers, the music is one of the biggest destroyers and indoctrinators of our youth.

      Report Post » rangerp  
    • Dismayed Veteran
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 12:39pm

      My wife and I were full time caregivers for her mother. She lived with us for 6 years until she passed away at home. She had to be in a nursing home for illnesses that required hospitalization followed by rehab. Those two stays convinced us that most people warehouse the elderly. So many inpatients had no visitors at all. My wife and I now go the the nursing home 2 evenings a week and talk to patients during the meal hour. On Saturday, we spend an hour reading passages of the bible to the patients. Then I spend an hour play poker with the “wild guys”. (Their group name.)

      I have heard some amazing stories from the folks we visit. We feel truly blessed to be with these folks. Everyone should try it.

      Report Post » Dismayed Veteran  
    • ldaopines
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 4:02pm

      I hear you Cofemale. My dad had multiple myeloma and sundowner syndrome too. It was dangerous when he’d go out the front door at night thinking he was catching a train. He’d sleepwalk like that and not know who even I was. He was also highly combative at times, thinking ants were in his food, etc. etc. and my mother couldn’t sleep or handle it. He would urinate anywhere, thinking he was in the bathroom. I’m sorry, but judging people who get help in these situations is wrong. I would personally NEVER want my own son having to deal with this. I’ve already had alot of discussions with him about NOT trying to keep us in his home if we have problems like dementia/alzheimers/terminal illness requiring tubes, etc. I love him way too much for that.

      Report Post »  
  • Lets-do-it
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:49pm

    ITSJUSTTIM, While I agree with some of the things you say, do you have to be so negative all the time? I know things look really bad right now, but try to lighten up a little.

    Report Post »  
  • DeltaJoy
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:47pm

    I am so choked seeing this. What a wonderful enlivenment right before our eyes and his memory of and singing Cab Calloway was amazing. I worked in long term care all my nursing career and we always knew music was a way of reaching people but this was a miracle.

    Report Post »  
    • AmericanFightingMan1
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 8:09pm

      “I see trees of green, red roses too, …”

      Report Post » AmericanFightingMan1  
    • lukerw
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 12:33am

      Preparing… for the Soylent Green… Government Clinic Exit!

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • 4xeverything
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 6:42am

      I think it only makes sense. When I here certain songs or types of music on the radio, I’m transported to those times and feelings when that music either meant something to me or was playing in the background. Everyone has a soundtrack for their life. It’s funny how we file it away and forget about it until for no reason it just pops up and were are taken back to those special times in our lives. Kind of like the smell of freshly mown grass in the summertime.

      Report Post » 4xeverything  
  • The Giver
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:17pm

    Elderly need to feel alive like we all do.
    IS THAT A PICTURE OF POTUS IN THE RED FRAME BEHIND HIM? I hope not. You can’t do anything anymore without seeing his face.

    Report Post » The Giver  
  • LovinUSA
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:02pm

    What a wonderful, Joyous , adorable story, Henry! Your back! Lets dance! God bless you people who gave thiis man his memory back and giving him a purpose in life once again! Bravo!!!!!

    Report Post » LovinUSA  
    • Zer0
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:43pm

      I absolutely love this story!

      Report Post »  
    • Nobummer
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 8:38pm

      A wonderful story. May God bless Henry with more music and happiness. My Dad responded similarly to music in his last days. He also fought with all of the nurses until his final night. One nurse, that looked very much like Yvonne, was the only person to calm him. To witness it was surreal. Everyone needs an angel and for Henry, it is Yvonne. There is definitely something more to this. Thanks Blaze.

      Report Post »  
    • Kathleen
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 4:34am

      You fall instantly in love with this man. What a beautiful spirit and what a lovely nurse.

      Report Post »  
    • RepubliCorp
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 7:40am

      I bet if they played Rap-Crap it would kill him……..

      Report Post » RepubliCorp  
  • Joyzee
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:00pm

    no hoodies there

    Report Post »  
  • AmericanWomanFirst
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:53pm

    God love you Henry and thanks Blaze.

    Report Post » AmericanWomanFirst  
    • TurboCat
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 5:17am

      And it is GOOD for these ‘scientists’ to be reminded in this way that people are INDIVIDUALS. HELLO all you (yes you) people who thought that ‘topics such as music or emotion should be regarded by scientific mainstream frivolous or unworthy of study’ (you brainless useless pieces of puke!).

      Report Post »  
  • FaithfulFriend
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:43pm

    Phase 2 of the simple experiment includes the use of bare breasted females and chocolate candies.

    It’s nice to see Henry happy but for crying out loud these results are expected.

    Report Post » FaithfulFriend  
  • jakartaman
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:38pm

    Great to see! – Looks like a blues/jazz man.

    Report Post »  
  • KickinBack
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:38pm

    Music is food for the soul!

    Report Post » KickinBack  
  • jp2feminist
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:36pm

    I wonder how Terri Schiavo would have responded if she had been given music. . .and sunlight. . . and food. . . and water. . . .

    Report Post » jp2feminist  
    • Minnaloushe
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:50pm

      What? Put out a few blooms or something? Miracle Gro anyone? The poor woman’s brain was as gone as if it had been surgically excised.

      Yes. I know. I am *so* going to hell….

      Report Post »  
    • proliance
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:58pm

      Thank you for not forgetting Terri Schiavo.

      Report Post » proliance  
    • The Giver
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:12pm

      She would respond to their voices and the balloons. That was a travesty.

      Report Post » The Giver  
    • Copo
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:56pm

      I don’t know, but she responded to her mother speaking to her.

      Report Post » Copo  
    • whatthecrazy
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 8:53pm

      IMHO Terri was murdered,dehydrated to death.It simply cannot be acceptable to do this to someone espesially if they can respond in anyway but thats just my opinion………….

      Report Post »  
  • spirited
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:33pm

    Oh Henry……

    >How sweet and lovely to see you come (back) to life.

    Report Post » spirited  
  • Small World
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:29pm

    At last a happy story.

    Report Post »  
  • 1956
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:24pm

    Just like mom (she had alzheimers) – she couldn’t remember but a cople of things, but once she heard church music, she sang it from heart – like she was reading it from the church hymnal.

    Report Post » 1956  
    • freedommonger
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:31pm

      I can relate. My fraternal grandfather lived to be 102 years old. He had Alzheimers in the latter years and was “not there” much of the time, but if you called out a verse of the Bible, his eyes lit up and he would quote it for you!

      Report Post » freedommonger  
  • Mark0331
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:24pm

    Music is Gods way of letting us dream while we are awake.

    Report Post » Mark0331  
  • freedommonger
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:23pm

    I work in the healthcare industry and witness the many people in the homes who are“inert, maybe depressed, unresponsive and almost unalive.” This story of how the music brings back life for this man is a beautiful, hopeful story.
    I have a wonderful friend who goes around to different palliative care homes and other places where these lonely, precious people live out their lives and he performs live music for them – simply because he cares. He gets many of the same responses. His website:
    http://thomgillministries.com/

    Report Post » freedommonger  
  • Itsjusttim
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:22pm

    Everyone can be a serf, and as long as they have music they will be happy in serfdom.

    Report Post » Itsjusttim  
    • Teabunny
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:38pm

      …except for you. You are still off your meds i see. For you a playlist should include Mothers little helper!
      and serfdom exists on all levels…some just don’t understand what a gilded cage really means, i guess. don’t think “sucess” comes without a price 9that in my book makes it count as failure, because nothing is worth that mess!) I would prefer my true love be a plummer from Schenectady…, more so than a king any day! I guess it all depends on what you call success.

      Report Post » Teabunny  
    • Itsjusttim
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:51pm

      If people are not living in Liberty (which Americans are not but they lie to themselves), and they glaze over the truth forcing themselves to be happy and make jokes as if they are happy – it’s called insanity, and or a dead soul. That’s why so many Americans just seem to float around, because they are dead inside.

      Report Post » Itsjusttim  
    • Itsjusttim
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:55pm

      You talk a pretty good game Teabunny, lets see how happy and full of optimism you are when you are paying 8 dollars for a gallon of gas, and 10 dollars for a loaf of bread. You’ll be the one miserable, and I’ll be the one content, because for me at least things will be real and the illusion will be broken.

      Report Post » Itsjusttim  
    • Teabunny
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:00pm

      …and i think you judge too harshly, sir. When given the truth (which they have been denied, and many parties are to blame there!) most americans care deeply. They are just denied the truth. The so called death you perceive is the effects of too much spin by experts in the field of soul assasination! Have you ever noticed the trees? they seem dead as well, if you look at them in certain seasons…but spring follows winter…and a great revival takes place then follows a season of growth, then fruit. Patience.

      Report Post » Teabunny  
    • Teabunny
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:03pm

      so, you think the new world order they wish to form has a place for you and your money???LOLOLOL…have you ever heard the saying :no honor amongst thieves” ? where pray tell, do you think that comes from? just something cute to write in a fortune cookie! LOLOL…you should get out that ivory tower more seweetcheeks!

      Report Post » Teabunny  
    • Itsjusttim
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:09pm

      Teabunny,
      I don’t care about money…”money?” And I have no concern for the world order because it will collapse they always do. I’m just sorry the planet is going to have a global catastrophe.

      Report Post » Itsjusttim  
    • Teabunny
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:17pm

      catastrophe can not be avoided….loss of life, that can. But there are too many in power with murder in their hearts. so be it. Let God judge each according to their deeds. If holding on to power is more important than human life…then they shall know true power, for only God is truly in power, the days of man are as grass. It could have been different, but , selah. Funny how what comes around goes around huh? even you “hitch hiker’s” believe in Karma, if i remember the series correctly.

      Report Post » Teabunny  
    • 4truth2all
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:38pm

      Yo Tim:

      You more concerned about the place then the people?
      The planet will be repairable … we’ll have a thousand years of work ahead, it ain’t gonna be lazyboys and wide screens so much so.

      Report Post »  
    • Teabunny
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:57pm

      @4Truth…dearheart, the place IS the people! thats what makes us different!

      Report Post » Teabunny  
    • Teabunny
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 8:06pm

      Just a thought…remember when there were like seven channels of all crap…and you had to keep getting up to change it for the folks? now we lay in our lazyboys, hit the buttons on our remotes, and complain there are 106 channels of crap! not such an improvement , huh? LOL Give me a pair of work gloves, wide open spaces, and fresh air, plants to nurture, animals to care for…and I am in heaven! we‘ve lost more than we’ve gained.

      Report Post » Teabunny  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:18pm

    Excellent, glad to see more wonderful and warm stories such as these being displayed. Miracles still happen in the world.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • bulldawg
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:32pm

      God Bless ya Henry………..

      Report Post » bulldawg  
    • girlnurse
      Posted on April 11, 2012 at 10:17pm

      Yes! I needed a break from all the negativity….this is really sweet!

      Report Post » girlnurse  
    • Bluebonnet
      Posted on April 12, 2012 at 12:15pm

      This was a sweet story about a sweet man brought back to life through music. I’m a cry baby.

      Report Post »  
  • Teabunny
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:17pm

    Music…the language of love! (playlist!)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWw9-iygCfM&feature=related
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUGOgAhCR4Q
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9WT6×9u3pE&NR=1
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFLJFl7ws_0
    (Don’t worry..I won’t say “Play Misty for me” LOL :-) )

    Report Post » Teabunny  
  • searching for the Truth
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:13pm

    That was nice.

    Report Post »  
  • Jenny Lind
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:12pm

    I have a picture of my Mom wearing headphones when she was bedridden and not far from passing. She loved them. I so glad that healthcare people are realizing the value and grace of music.

    Report Post »  
  • kaydeebeau
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:11pm

    I see this every month when a choir from my church goes to the nursing homes to sing to the residents

    Report Post » kaydeebeau  
  • so3
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:10pm

    Word

    Report Post »  
  • LouC57
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:09pm

    Goes to show you how important music is to the human brain…Amazing.

    Report Post »  
  • BenInNY
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:05pm

    That book mentioned in the article, Musicophilia, was a great read if you’re interested in more stories like this. Sacks is the guy who wrote Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat.

    Report Post » BenInNY  
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