Martin Luther (1483-1546) one of God's great servants tells of the powerful effect that music had in his life.

"My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary."

Music has long been thought to have a relaxing, soothing and therapeutic effect on persons with Alzheimer’s disease. Now scientific research overwhelmingly validates the therapeutic value of Music for the victims of Alzheimer’s disease. A simple improvement in the quality of life for a person with Alzheimer’s is of great importance. This becomes of even more critical importance in the late and final stages of Alzheimer's where the quality of life is close to zero. The evidence of the value of music appears to be unimpeachable. It is frequently used as a part of hospice programs.

(Photo above is David Berg, June Berg's (our) oldest son, practicing with his Grandpa Henry's (June's father) violin. - Ca. 1956. For June the Violin sounds had special meaning as detailed below.) 

Dr. Alice Cash of Healing Music Enterprises says: “Doctors have known for years that patients with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, respond powerfully to the music of the “courting years”. Even when the patient no longer recognized family members and friends, they can still hear the familiar music of their courting years and recognize it, sometimes sing along, but always they derive pleasure from the experience.”

Harvard University Gazette (Science/Research – 2000/11.09/01) reports: “Oliver Sacks. author and neurologist, has commented that patients with nervous system disorders who cannot talk or move are often able to sing, and even dance, to music, “I regard music therapy as a tool of great power in many neurological disorders (like) Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, because of its unique capacity to organize and reorganize (brain) function when it has been damaged,” he says.

Fred Silverstone, Music Therapist, MacLean Hospital Belmont, MA. (Affiliated with Harvard Medical School.)  Oldsters who suffer brain damage from Alzheimer’s can still respond to music. “It touches those parts of the brain that are uninjured, and can help Alzheimer’s patients communicate with others and lead a more social life.” (2002)

CNN, Stephanie Smith reported (27 December 2001) on a program at the Alzheimer’s/dementia ward of the Morse Geriatric Center in West Palm Beach Florida. According to Dr. Jeurgen Bludau, the medical director at Morse – “We’ve noticed that (the music) helps with hydration, it makes them thirsty, it makes them willing to drink,” says Bludau. “It helps them...get to bed better. We are able to stimulate an appetite. So, it definitely has a positive impact on these patients.” CNN also reported that “A study on the impact of music therapy on dementia patients, conducted by Eastern Michigan University, determined that patients consumed 20 percent more calories when music was played during lunchtime.”

USA Today, “Your Health” (7/24/2006) reported on the experience of readers. ”Allen Pfenninger of Brooklyn Heights, Ohio: “Music is a wonderful balm for Alzheimer’s patients. My mother in law...didn’t remember my wife or myself, but she could recognize music from her past....listened to songs we knew she liked. She would hum along. She would laugh at the funny ones...When she stopped humming along about a month ago; we knew the end might be near.”

Dr. Ardash Kumar, University of Miami School of Medicine (Florida) reported on a study in Alternative Therapies (1999;5:49-57) “A music therapy program....improved behavior and sleeping problems in 20 male Alzheimer’s patients. The Alzheimer’s patents underwent music therapy for 30-45 minutes, 5 days a week for one month...the participants in the study also became more active and cooperative and slept better.”...”Relaxation with the type of music that calms you down is very beneficial...to promote a sense of calm and well being, you can listen to your favorite soothing music when you eat, before you sleep, and when you want to relax. Music therapy might be a safer and more effective alternative to many psychotropic medications.”

British Study reported April – June 2008 in Alzheimer’s Disease & Associated Disorders. 22(2) 158-162.  “Efficacy of Music Therapy in the Treatment of Behavioral and Psychiatric Symptoms of Dementia.” Fifty-nine persons with dementia were enrolled in this study. Results were significant improvement when assessed at 8, 16 and 20 weeks. Specific BPSD (ie, delusions, agitation, anxiety, apathy, irritability, aberrant motor activity, and night time disturbances) significantly improved.  The empathetic relationship and the patient’s active participation in the music therapy approach, also improved in the experimental group. ..”The study shows that music therapy is effective to reduce BSPD in patients with moderate-severe dementia.”

British Study reported in "Dementia", February 2008 7: 95-108. Favorite music decreased agitation in residents with dementia.  “Agitation in individuals with dementia living in the nursing home environment affects care and quality of life. Relaxation techniques such as music...are showing promise to decrease agitation and improve quality of life in individuals with dementia. 41 residents with mild to moderate dementia participated in a study to test the effectiveness of favorite music....in reducing agitated behaviors....each treatment lasting 10 minutes...results suggest that favorite music is effective in significantly decreasing agitation immediately following the intervention and also one hour post intervention.”

  What type of music should be used?

a. “Tunes must match the musical tastes of the residents – otherwise it could be harmful.” “They don’t relate to Bon Jovi,...These people have lived a long time...got to do their thing, their music”  (Cautions by the Alzheimer’s Association, Morse Geriatric Center and Eastern Michigan University.)

b.  “Play the music that has meaning for the patient....people find some kind of music that relaxes them, gives them pleasure, or takes their minds from obsessive thought and negative feelings.” (Harvard University Gazette.) 

c.  “Music of their courting years” (Dr. Alice Cash, Healing Music Enterprises.)

d.  “The type of music that calms you down....favorite soothing music.” (Dr. Ardash Kumar, Miami School of Medicine.)

e.  “Favorite music” (British study 2/2008.)

 What type of music should not be used? 

a.  Loud high volume raucous music. This then becomes negative noise and can cause agitation and anxiety. (Alzheimer’s Association.) See essay this section on negative noise.

b.  Music that does not fit the musical tastes of the residents.  Obvious examples would be “Rap” and “Hip-Hop”. Such music can hardly be called music in any event and is more of an assault on the senses. (Alzheimer’s Association and Eastern Michigan University.)

June and Music 

Music has always been an important part of June’s life. She loved to play her organ and later her Clavinova. For years June played by ear. Later she took music lessons and learned to read and play from sheet music notes. June played her Clavinova up until the day she left home to go to the Wellstead Assisted Living facility .I remember well that dark day in our lives. (March 16^th 2005.) We sat together on the living room couch that morning while she napped for a time with her head on my shoulder. When she awoke, she played the Clavinova for a short time before she had to leave our home forever. Although we moved the Clavinova to her room at the Wellstead, Alzheimer’s was closing in on her and she played it briefly on only one or two occasions thereafter.  

(Photo below right is June in February 1998 just one month after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's - Location is San Francisco during a meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Science.)

June had arranged in past years for the installation of speakers in every room in our home. This permitted the music to be played throughout the house from a central CD music player.

June loved the music of the 40’s and the 50’s as well as classical country and gospel music. June also loved the piano music of Steve Hall and Lorie Line as well as the Mantovani Orchestra.

The sound of the violin was very special to June as it reminded her of her father Henry and a favorite uncle Jake, who both played the violin. I recall the time that June and I walked into a "Blue Grass" session just as twin violins struck up their strains. June looked up at me with a smile and said -  " I'm so happy! " June was midway into her Alzheimer's at that time. - Circa 2002.     (** See below notes!)

When music became available on CD’s, June quickly became a collector of the works of her favorite artists.

June soon built a collection of approx. 250 music CD’s. After June left home because of her Alzheimer’s, one hundred (100) of her CD’s were donated to the Alzheimer’s Villa at the Benedictine Health Center. Many were new and several were duplicates that she inadvertently purchased because of Alzheimer’s.

(Photo below right is Kristen, June's (our) granddaughter with the violin that belonged to June's father Henry Rolstad. Photo was made in August 1975.)

When June was in the final stages of Alzheimer’s  she was non responsive and did not talk. Most of the time she sat with her eyes closed, shutting out a strange world she did not understand.

June had a small CD player in her room at the Benedictine. A few favorite CD’s are available for playing. (40’s and 50’s music, and also Elvis singing her favorite Gospel songs.)

I always started the CD softly playing for her at nap time in the early afternoon on each of the days that I was there. I felt it had a soothing and relaxing effect on her. I hoped that it added a spark of quality to a life that otherwise had none.

I encouraged the Nursing Assistant’s to turn the player on for her in the evenings as she went to bed and for any nap times when I was not there to do this for her.

William Congreve (1670-1729) tells us in his famous line -

          
"Music has charms to sooth the savage breast - 

     to soften rocks and bend a knotted oak."

 (Photo below right is Jacob Varnes, June's favorite Uncle playing his violin - 1958.)

Note: On 23 October 2008, June passed away from the complications of Alzheimer's. This was the end of a long weary struggle of almost eleven (11) years.

One of June's favorite gospel hymns was written by Thomas Dorsey, the man who coined the term "Gospel Music". Thomas Dorsey also died from the ravages of Alzheimer's on January 23rd 1993 in Chicago. His death was almost precisely five years before the terrible day that June was also first diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Coincidentally, his death was on the same day of the month as June's.

Use this link to listen to the beautiful sounds of this greatest of all gospel tunes

 Take My Hand Precious Lord

and think of June carried away on the wings of song. As you listen to the music, sing along with Elvis....the words are there...

This song was played and sang at June's funeral service at Redeemer Lutheran Church on October 27th 2008. The soloist Sharon DeVries was accompanied on a violin by Katelyn Ek. 

This beautiful song was also played and sang at the funerals of President Lyndon B. Johnson and Martin Luther King Jr.

** The above Blue Grass Jam session with the violins that brought June so much Joy is a group that was organized by Barb and Gary Carlson in Ca. 1998. The first jam sessions were held in the back room at J's Cafe in Spring Lake Park. This is where June and I first heard the group perform. (Later moved to Culver's in Coon Rapids.)  The group is still piloted by this dedicated husband and wife team. A very accomplished violinist, Greg Kelly has been a long time member of the group and was one of the two violinist's playing on that first day that June and I walked into the session. (Currently the following violinist's are regular performers at the Blue Grass sessions. - Katelyn Ek, Greg Kelly, Lee Cowan, Gilmore Lee, and Sheri Stambaugh.)

Thomas Jefferson loved music and loved playing the violin which he described as the - "Passion of my Soul."

Jefferson owned three violins. He even  designed a special saddle case to take his violin with him when travelling. 

(Picture on right of Jefferson - Wall Street Journal 7/2/2009) 

Jefferson is quoted (1771) as saying "There we should talk over the lessons of the day or lose them in music...the heart thus lightened, our pillow would be soft and health and long life would attend the happy scene."

A special music memorial has been set up in June's behalf. A small group will provide an hour long music concert to the residents of the Benedictine Health Care Center in Innsburck on four special days in June's life. (Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, our Anniversary - August 16th, and June's Birthday November 8th.)  The Benedictine's Alzheimer's "Villa" is where June spent the last two (2) plus years of her life. Because the violin occupies a central and core position in June's music life, a violinist is always to be one of the members of the performing small group. This memorial is intended to be a gift from June to the Benedictine residents. A more detailed description of this music gift from June can be seen on June's website on the listing under the label "June K. Berg Memorials" on the bottom blue navigation strip - or just click the below link:

 "June K. Berg's Gift of Music - a memorial"

June's funeral notice as printed in the Minneapolis Star Tribune following her death in October 2008 can be found on the top blue navigation strip under the label "In Memoriam" on the drop down menu as item:

 "June K. (Rolstad) Berg - In Memoriam"