Open Forum

Hi, Connectors!

I have music and dementia on my mind, but only because I've read a really moving article recently. In the May 2022 Rotary magazine, Kate Silver writes about "Melodies and Memories; The good things music does for aging brains."  And this passage really stopped me: "The soundtracks of our lives resonate even more deeply because of the feelings that attach to certain music. Perhaps you associate a Beyoncé song with your first love, or Stevie Wonder with your wedding day. Maybe your grandma danced with you to Kenny Rogers, or your mom loved singing Aretha Franklin. Those songs aren't just fleeting memories. They're tied to strong, emotional moments and experiences in your own autobiography. And they're not just stored in one area of the brain. … they're ingrained in the more fundamental mechanisms of brain processing. In other words, the music that we love actually becomes a part of who we are."

This article got me thinking about the songs that are part of who I am (which doesn't mean they're necessarily my favorite songs). My list could go on and on, but I'll share just a few that are indelible, making their impression on me before I was 7 years old.

• "The Unicorn Song" and "Black Velvet Band" (by the Irish Rovers): Our mom used to play the 45 for my sisters and me when we were kids and we'd sing along.
• "Nature Boy (There was a boy…)" by Nat King Cole, "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing", and "Mairzy Doats" : Our mom used to sing us to sleep to these songs.
• "Downtown" by Petula Clark: Our dad used to sing this song while shaving and getting ready for work.
• "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" by Paul and Linda McCartney: It was such a weirdly delightful song to my 7-year-old ears to hear all these discordant bits stitched together into a song that didn't really go together. But I loved the "hands across the waters" chorus. I consider this my first favorite song.

Now that I've shared my deep dive, I'd love to hear from you: What songs are part of who you are?

Hi, Connectors!

I have music and dementia on my mind, but only because I've read a really moving article recently. In the May 2022 Rotary magazine, Kate Silver writes about "Melodies and Memories; The good things music does for aging brains."  And this passage really stopped me: "The soundtracks of our lives resonate even more deeply because of the feelings that attach to certain music. Perhaps you associate a Beyoncé song with your first love, or Stevie Wonder with your wedding day. Maybe your grandma danced with you to Kenny Rogers, or your mom loved singing Aretha Franklin. Those songs aren't just fleeting memories. They're tied to strong, emotional moments and experiences in your own autobiography. And they're not just stored in one area of the brain. … they're ingrained in the more fundamental mechanisms of brain processing. In other words, the music that we love actually becomes a part of who we are."

This article got me thinking about the songs that are part of who I am (which doesn't mean they're necessarily my favorite songs). My list could go on and on, but I'll share just a few that are indelible, making their impression on me before I was 7 years old.

• "The Unicorn Song" and "Black Velvet Band" (by the Irish Rovers): Our mom used to play the 45 for my sisters and me when we were kids and we'd sing along.
• "Nature Boy (There was a boy…)" by Nat King Cole, "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing", and "Mairzy Doats" : Our mom used to sing us to sleep to these songs.
• "Downtown" by Petula Clark: Our dad used to sing this song while shaving and getting ready for work.
• "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" by Paul and Linda McCartney: It was such a weirdly delightful song to my 7-year-old ears to hear all these discordant bits stitched together into a song that didn't really go together. But I loved the "hands across the waters" chorus. I consider this my first favorite song.

Now that I've shared my deep dive, I'd love to hear from you: What songs are part of who you are?

Hi, Connectors!

I have music and dementia on my mind, but only because I've read a really moving article recently. In the May 2022 Rotary magazine, Kate Silver writes about "Melodies and Memories; The good things music does for aging brains."  And this passage really stopped me: "The soundtracks of our lives resonate even more deeply because of the feelings that attach to certain music. Perhaps you associate a Beyoncé song with your first love, or Stevie Wonder with your wedding day. Maybe your grandma danced with you to Kenny Rogers, or your mom loved singing Aretha Franklin. Those songs aren't just fleeting memories. They're tied to strong, emotional moments and experiences in your own autobiography. And they're not just stored in one area of the brain. … they're ingrained in the more fundamental mechanisms of brain processing. In other words, the music that we love actually becomes a part of who we are."

This article got me thinking about the songs that are part of who I am (which doesn't mean they're necessarily my favorite songs). My list could go on and on, but I'll share just a few that are indelible, making their impression on me before I was 7 years old.

• "The Unicorn Song" and "Black Velvet Band" (by the Irish Rovers): Our mom used to play the 45 for my sisters and me when we were kids and we'd sing along.
• "Nature Boy (There was a boy…)" by Nat King Cole, "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing", and "Mairzy Doats" : Our mom used to sing us to sleep to these songs.
• "Downtown" by Petula Clark: Our dad used to sing this song while shaving and getting ready for work.
• "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" by Paul and Linda McCartney: It was such a weirdly delightful song to my 7-year-old ears to hear all these discordant bits stitched together into a song that didn't really go together. But I loved the "hands across the waters" chorus. I consider this my first favorite song.

Now that I've shared my deep dive, I'd love to hear from you: What songs are part of who you are?