New documentary shows power of music on elderly

An inspiring clip has been released from new documentary Alive Inside, showing the extraordinary therapeutic benefits music can have on the elderly. Viewed over two million times since being uploaded to YouTube last week, the trailer introduces an elderly man called Henry and shows the incredible transformative effect that listening to music from his youth has on him, The Telegraph reports.

The film, by Michael Rossato-Bennett, featuring commentary by social worker Dan Cohen and neurologist Oliver Sacks, explores the link between music and memory for those with degenerative brain conditions such as Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Henry, who suffers from one such degenerative condition, is first seen hunched in his chair and unresponsive to questions. However, after being handed an iPod full of songs from his younger days the elderly gentleman is re-energised.

“Immediately he lights up. His face assumes expression, his eyes open wide, he’s being animated by the music,” Mr Sacks says, describing Henry’s reaction.

Henry then engages in a lucid conversation about his love of music and the effect it has on him. “It gives me the feeling of love, of romance. I figure right now the world needs to come into music, singing. You’ve got beautiful music here,” Henry says, before breaking into a version of I’ll Be Home For Christmas by an artist he says is one of his favourites, Cab Calloway.

The film is scheduled to premiere on April 18 at the Rubin Museum in New York, whilst Dan Cohen’s Music & Memory organisation are collecting new and used MP3 players for elderly people across the US. daily times monitor

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