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August 2003
Posts: 2246
Location: Yucaipa, California | As I responded to another thread, this topic hit me as one worthy of discussion:
"What experiences have YOU had in the life changing power of music?"
Here's one of mine:
True Story: One day when my freinds and I were finished playing our program at the Convalescent Home, the Head Nurse for the Alzheimer Ward asked if we could stop by and play for a man on her Ward. Sure thing. When we got to his room, he was in an almost fetal position and totally un-responsive.
We started playing a long forgotten hymn with about 8 verses. Suddenly in verse 5, another voice joined us. We turned and saw this gentleman standing next to us and singing his heart out. He was singing all the verses by heart and wasn't looking at the book. When we finished the song, he walked back to the couch and returned to his fetal position .... totally unresponsive.
There was something in that song, the music, the words.... I'm not sure, but SOMETHING touched him.....and touched us as well!
Never, Never under estimate the power of music.
So, what have you experienced??? |
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October 2007
Posts: 2711
Location: Vernon CT | Tim, Amazing story!!!
I may post something later,but, Nothing in my short time of playing music has anything like that happened to me. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | A guy with a guitar came into my mothers alzheimer ward. I saw a women who had not recognized her children for years suddenly become alert and in the moment when she sang right along to "America the Beautiful". |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 2246
Location: Yucaipa, California | Cool Brad!
This thread will serve to remind us all to GO PLAY THE CONVALESCENT HOMES! Try starting a roving "Singing Band" at the local Hospital and include the Children's Ward and the Alzheimer Ward!!! |
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March 2007
Posts: 840
Location: CA | This one was life-changing, but not in the normal way. A high-school buddy of mine became a DJ and ended up at a station in Las Vegas. As he was on the air one night near Christmas, two things happened: he got a call from a woman who said her elderly mother was not expected to last the night, but in one of her lucid moments, asked to hear "anything by Elvis." Right before that (or shortly after), a DJ groupie girl had come into the studio and basically stripped naked in front of him (he was there alone). So he puts Elvis on — I can't remember which song, but it was one of the longer ones — and makes quickie whoopie with this girl. They finish up about the same time as the song, and the girl leaves. Ten minutes or so later, the woman calls back and tells Steve that her mother passed away right in the middle of the song and how grateful she was for him to have played it. Steve says it really impacted his life to know what he did could impact someone else's life so significantly. I'd like to say that he really cleaned up his act from heavy-drinking party animal to more responsible guy from then on out, but it actually took a few more years for that to happen. But the story has always stuck with him (and me). |
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March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | When I was a kid, my Dad worked at Kaman Aerospace. This was long before Ovation. A guy he worked with mentioned that he had an old Silvertone guitar he wanted to sell for $15. My Dad thought I might be interested, so the guy told Dad to take it home and let me try it for the weekend. If I didn't take to it, he could bring it back. Well, I tried it, but it hurt my fingers, so I said, never mind. The guitar didn't have a case - it was in a cardboard box. When Dad took it back on Monday, as he was getting it out of the car, the cardboard let go and it fell on the ground. Put a crack in it that didn't affect playability, but he had to buy it. He brought it back home and I found out that after you built up callouses it didn't hurt anymore. That cardboard box and cracked Silvertone changed my life forever. And I will always be so grateful to my Dad, for everything, including dropping that guitar. |
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March 2009
Posts: 715
| Well, I was given my current guitar on Palm Sunday of 2007. It was literally in response to a dream and a prayer that I had. I was given this guitar during a period in my life when I was feeling very depressed.
Since then, it has been a wild ride. There have been times when I though of quitting the guitar, but songs pop into my life that seem to keep me going.
A few weeks ago, I was reading my accounting book and was (and still am) having a very difficult time with it. As I was reading the book, I noticed the song "The Hard Way Every Time" by Jim Croce was on the DVD player.
The words in that song really had an impact. I am learning this accounting couse the hard way -- online without the benefit of an in person teacher or tutor for that matter. I am getting tutoring via phone and email, but it isn't the same as meeting with someone.
Michelle |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | i sang one particular child's verse right next to my wife's pregnant tummy often throughout the nine months she carried our daughter, ariana. that was the only song that would calm her as a newborn, make her start smiling at three weeks old, and she sings it today.
"My God loves me
And all of the wonders I see
The rainbow shines through my window
My God loves me".
(some of you saw the video of the duet ariana and her younger sister sang at church last august. they sang our local version of "Jesus Loves Me". at the end of the clip, ariana wanted to sing another song so she says, "the rainbow song, daddy".) |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | here\'s the clip if you are interested. |
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March 2006
Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | I love that clip...you're going to have to invest in pitbulls someday you know... |
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August 2003
Posts: 396
| Ok. My little story is not as cool as lanaki's tale, and it isn't exactly life altering but it made me feel good, and some parents out there probably have a similiar experience.....
As a parent, we pick and choose which items to impress upon, sometimes forcefully, our children. My son had piano lessons for almost 5 years, while my daughter had lessons for a little longer. Of course, they wanted to quit often, and it was a fight to push practice. At an Easter brunch on Sunday, my 16 year old son walked over to an empty baby grand piano in the entryway to the brunch, laid out a few tunes, and people walking through stopped to listen, kicked out some head nods, smiles, a bit of applause. My son had a look of quiet calm and pride. Those battles over practice and the need to play were worth it. Although they no longer take lessons, my son and daughter will, at times, pick out a song they want to play and work on it. I was shocked this last Xmas when my son asked for a keyboard for his room. This last Sunday brunch made me feel great for my son and for myself. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | It's not a life changing, single event but like they say on South Park... "I learned something today."
An ear-worm is not always a bad thing. I find that carrying a little melody around with you can make a bad day more tolerable and a good day even better.
Just make sure it's not something like "Needle and the Damage Done". My current little up-lifter is "Here Comes the Sun".
Also, my day is off to a much better start if I make the time to strum or pick a few chords before I leave the house. Even if for just two minutes. Of course that means you need to one out of that darn case & on the wall or a stand,
ready to go.
Little things maybe, but put to regualar use they could be life changing. |
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The Life Changing Power Of Music: Your Experiences?
