Rekindling joy in music

Two years ago, Matt had been living in his own home on the brink of retirement, with his beloved wife and two dogs. He had enjoyed a successful career and was dabbling in semi-retirement by taking some community college courses he'd always been interested in but never had time for, and brushing up on his tennis game. In an instant, his life changed. His wife passed away suddenly due to a stroke, and because of this, his children had helped him make the move to an apartment in a senior living community in a new city near one of the kids. He brought the dogs with him, but sadly, one of them died a few months later. On top of all of that, around that time, Matt was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

I met Matt several months later when he was moved again, this time from the independent living apartment to a much smaller place in assisted living. He wasn't adjusting well. He seldom came out of his room, even for meals. If it weren't for walking his dog twice a day, nobody might have even known he was there. The artwork he had held on to from his home lay stacked against the walls, waiting to be hung, and the glass collection belonging to his wife and carefully displayed in his apartment was covered in dust.

I received a referral from the activity director who had spoken to Matt's daughter about music therapy. Because he had formerly loved to play his trumpet and compose piano music, they hoped that music therapy might bring him some joy.

In the first visit, I learned just how much Matt loved and missed his wife, and how extremely proud he was of his two grown children. He also talked about how he had played his trumpet at his daughter's wedding, and I listened to one of his musical compositions he had on a CD. He told me he hadn't picked up his trumpet since his wife's death.

Together, we decided he might give music another try. First, he simply listened to me play the piano and made some requests. But slowly, through our weekly sessions, Matt rekindled his love of music. He finally agreed to show me his trumpet and played a few rusty notes. Though his hands shook as he assembled the instrument, and he was often confused about following the music, he seemed to find a new purpose.

As a music therapist, I have worked with many people who had Parkinson's disease. Each one was unique, but they had similarities: a quiet voice, depression, a shuffling gait, and shaking hands. In music therapy sessions with these clients, I used singing to help exercise the voice, the throat, and the lungs. I used live music at the appropriate tempo for each individual to help them with more efficient movements, to lessen the tremors, and to walk more evenly. Each of them, with music therapy, gained the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social benefits that working purposely with music can accomplish.

For Matt, his depression was the biggest symptom. But, with time, he rediscovered his love for music. His neighbors knew who he was not only because of his dog, but also because he was the one they could hear playing the trumpet when they walked past his apartment. He started attending my twice-a-month music therapy groups on his floor, which helped him connect with the other residents. The dog attended, too, which was always fun and a great conversation starter.

Matt and his dog participating in a group music therapy session.

The high point of his treatment was about six months after we met. He decided he wanted to put on a concert for his new friends and neighbors. He and I worked hard picking out music and practicing together. To decrease his confusion while reading the music, I wrote out his trumpet part by hand from beginning to end so that he didn't have to turn pages or jump from one part to another. As I accompanied him at the piano, I still had to listen and anticipate what he'd play, because sometimes he would repeat the line he just played, forgetting we just played it, but he was happy! He said to me several times in our sessions that he felt he'd never played better.

Matt's concert took place in  tandem with a cocktail hour put on by the lifestyle director. His new friends, the staff, and Matt's dog gathered in the activity room to listen to his music. He played a slate of his favorite jazz hits while the audience enjoyed a glass of wine and hors d’oeuvres.

The audience loved it, and sang along to his final song, "When the Saints Go Marching In." It was so satisfying to me when after the music finished, someone asked Matt a question about how he got started in music, and Matt sat back in his chair, crossed his legs, and began to talk with them. His smile lit up the room - the music had done its magic.

Finding joy again in music.