Feb. 18, 2026

Music and Memory Care: How Your “Time of Life” Songs Support Cognitive and Emotional Health with Shannon Wallace, CDP, CDC

Music and Memory Care: How Your “Time of Life” Songs Support Cognitive and Emotional Health with Shannon Wallace, CDP, CDC

Music reaches your brain fast! It activates memory, movement, emotion, and connection in seconds.

In this episode, host Dr. Krystal L. Culler, DBH, MA, sat down with Shannon Wallace, CDP, CDC, creator of Musical Memory Care to explore how music functions as a whole-brain and body workout. We focus on one powerful idea—the “time of your life” effect.

Research shows the music you loved between roughly ages 13 and 27 leaves a lasting imprint. Those songs shape identity. They anchor memory. They often remain accessible even during cognitive change.

Shannon shares how she moved from professional jazz vocalist to serving older adults in memory care communities. What began as singing for residents evolved into an intentional, research-informed program that integrates rhythm, movement, emotional expression, and identity support.

We explore:

  • Why time-of-life music remains accessible in dementia
  • How music activates the limbic system and supports emotional regulation
  • The role of rhythm in movement, including Parkinson’s support
  • Why intentional facilitation matters in memory care settings
  • How music supports dignity, identity, and human connection
  • Practical ways you can use music today for brain health

You will hear real-world stories from Shannon’s work in memory care. Stories of individuals who had not spoken in years yet responded to music. Stories of rhythm supporting walking and daily tasks. Stories that reinforce this truth. Music is not entertainment alone. It is a neurological tool.

If you are a caregiver, clinician, or family member supporting someone with cognitive change, this conversation gives you some practical suggestions. Play their music, not yours. Use rhythm to support movement. Build playlists rooted in their adolescence and young adulthood. Intention matters.

If you are focused on your own brain health, start here:

  • Create a “time of your life” playlist
  • Use music to regulate mood and stress
  • Pair rhythm with movement for exercise
  • Share meaningful songs to deepen social connection

Music does not require perfection. It asks for presence.

About Shannon Wallace, CDP, CDC

Shannon Wallace is a professional international jazz vocalist and the creator of Musical Memory Care, an interactive program serving active older adults and individuals living with all stages of dementia. Her work has reached participants across North America and in more than 40 countries. She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and Dementia Care Certified professional who integrates music, movement, and compassion into structured memory care experiences.

Brain health lives in daily moments. Music is one of the most accessible tools you already have.

00:00 Why Music Hits Fast: A Whole Brain + Body Workout

00:49 Meet Shannon Wallace & the Musical Memory Care Mission

02:23 The Grant Question That Changed Everything (Volunteering in Memory Care)

05:48 Music Like Fitness: Intentionality, Regulation, and Engagement

08:09 Your “Time of Life” Music Bump: Why Certain Songs Stick Forever

11:41 Music for Mood & Nervous System Regulation (Limbic System, Empathy, Shifting State)

15:10 Why Music Still Connects in Dementia—and the Need for Intentional Care

20:45 Inside the Musical Memory Care Program: Reading the Room + Multi-Sensory Design

23:32 Proof in Practice: Vivian Speaks Again & Building Trust Through Personal Connection

29:28 Try This at Home: Playlists, Movement, Sharing Songs + Parkinson’s Rhythm Hack

36:24 Closing Wisdom: Work-Life Balance, Where to Find Shannon, and Final Takeaways

Resources

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Welcome to the Let's Talk Brain
Health podcast, a public health

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educational initiative of the
virtual Brain Health Center.

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I'm your host, Doctor Crystal
Color, and I'm so glad you're

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here.
On this podcast, I sit down with

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incredible guests to explore all
things brain health and

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Wellness.
Together, we'll talk about how

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to care for your total brain
health, mind, body, and spirit

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while sharing the latest brain
Health Science practical tips

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and strategies you can use every
day.

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By prioritizing your brain
health, you're taking an

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important step towards living a
happier, healthier life.

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So let's dive in and welcome
today's guest.

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Music reaches the brain fast.
It crosses memory, movement,

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emotion, and connection in a
single moment.

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You feel it in your body.
You notice it in your mood.

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You see it and how people relate
to one another.

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Today's conversation focuses on
music as a whole brain and body

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workout.
We explore how rhythm, voice,

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and shared musical experience
support physical regulation,

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cognitive engagement, emotional
expression, and spiritual

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connection.
We also look at why music

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remains meaningful across the
lifespan, including during

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cognitive changes, and how it
supports dignity, identity, and

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human connection.
This episode center on music as

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a practical brain health. 1 you
already have access to. 1 you

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use everyday, whether you
realize it or not.

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I'm joined by a collaborative
partner and friend of the

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Virtual Brain Health Center,
Shannon Wallace, the creator of

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the first ever interactive in
person, live online and on

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demand musical memory care
workshop that serves active

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adults and those of all ages
living with all stages of

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dementia or cognitive impairment
along with their care partners.

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Today, the program has reached
participants live online and all

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of North America and 40
countries across the world.

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Program supporters include
Borough Neurological Institute,

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ARP, the Alzheimer's
Association, the Live Inside

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Foundation and our Virtual Brain
Health Center, where she offers

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this program for free once a
month.

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Wallace's career spans 30 years
in international music,

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television, marketing and public
policy advocacy.

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Shannon is a certified dementia
practitioner through the

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National Council of Certified
Dementia Practitioners and is a

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dementia care certified through
Dementia Care Education.

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She's an advocate for the humans
adventurous and creative spirit

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through interactive expression
and communication.

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Professional and international
vocal jazz musician.

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Shannon, I'm so glad today,
after all of the years we've

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been in touch with one another,
that now you get to join me on

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the podcast.
So welcome.

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Thank you so much.
To kick off the conversation and

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asking what drew you to explore
music and brain health as a

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memory care tool beyond your
experience as a vocalist and

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performer?
In 2015, I think it was, I'm a

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jazz vocalist, and so I hadn't
yet cut my debut jazz album, and

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it was going to be pretty pricey
to be able to do it.

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So I was looking for funding and
the Arizona Commission on the

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Arts was offering a grant for
$5000 for individual artists.

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And I fit the bill with all of
the parameters that they set.

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And as I was going through the
process for the Arizona

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Commission on the Arts for this
grant, one of the provocative

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questions was how does your
project benefit your community?

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And I thought, uh oh, I hope
that the people in Arizona are

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wanting to buy my albums or
download my album and they would

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pay for it and enjoy it for
their listening pleasure.

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Honestly, I thought, I need to
stop applying for this grant

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because I didn't have the
appropriate and honest answer.

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But what that did, it was very
provocative in that it literally

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asked me in my heart, what are
you doing, Shannon, with your

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community, with your music?
And I thought, I'm really doing

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nothing to benefit my community.
And it was the time in my life

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where that meant something to
me.

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This was really the pivotal
moment for me to grow up a

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little bit more and see that my
gifts and talents maybe could be

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of benefit to the community.
So I decided to work with

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seniors because seniors have
always been my jam, always ever

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since I was a kid and my grandma
was the piece to my carrots.

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So she's now deceased.
But at the time she was still

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very much with us, and I decided
I wanted to start working with

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seniors now.
What did that mean?

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I thought at the time I'll sing
for seniors.

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A colleague of mine who was
playing piano for me at the time

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stumbled upon a memory care
community in the Scottsdale, AZ

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area and we met with the
executive director and told her

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that we wanted to offer some
music to her memory care

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residence and I didn't know
anything about memory care.

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I didn't even understand what
memory care was at the time.

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I ended up volunteering 3 * a
week for two years, volunteering

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to sing to them, and it started
off singing to them and then I

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brought in instruments for them
to play along while I still sang

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to them.
And there's nothing wrong with

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that.
That's music therapy one O 1 and

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it's a really important aspect
of bringing joy to the human

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soul.
But what I didn't know about

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memory care and dementia was a
lot.

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And what they did is taught me
about what dementia is and what

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it isn't, and the various stages
of dementia.

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There are 7 stages and learning
how to serve each stage

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according that three days a week
for two years volunteering set

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the foundation for what it is
where I am now.

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And I wouldn't have it any other
way.

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I'm very grateful for, I call
them now my dementia darlings

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who taught me a whole heck of a
lot, and as a result I feel like

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I'm a better servant to them, as
well as even just active seniors

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or the developmentally disabled.
I serve them all.

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Thank you so much for sharing.
What brought you into that

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space.
I feel so many of us that find

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our way to the broader brain
health and memory care areas as

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a whole have some type of shift
that brings us into this area of

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work.
And he alluded to talking about

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music as this whole brain
experience.

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When we start to think about
music as a whole brain body

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workout, what does that mean in
ractical terms?

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I've been involved in fitness
and fitness competitions and had

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various trainers helping me in
the gym.

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I learned also a mind and muscle
connection, a mind and body

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connection.
So if you're at the gym and

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you're working out and maybe
you're working out your back

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that day, it's back day or it's
leg day or whatever.

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If your mind is not on those
muscles, then the muscles and

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the body won't respond and
benefit nearly as much as if you

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put the intentionality behind
putting your mind into that

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muscle.
Music is the same thing with

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what it is Ioffer for the body
because the experience that

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Ioffer now, thanks to my
experiences being immersed into

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this field called maybe dementia
or just mindfulness.

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Brain health is that
intentionality, even in music,

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is imperative and paramount for
positive outcomes in attitude

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and emotion, in psychology and
in maybe even hand eye

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coordination, body responses,
with the music being a

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facilitator for that.
And what do you think sets music

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apart from other cognitive and
creative activities?

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What makes music unique for how
people get engaged?

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My belief is that music is the
elixir of the soul.

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It's the common thread that runs
through all of us beyond our

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humanity.
Music has a great impact on the

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soul.
Certainly there's a therapeutic

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value to music, but also depends
on the person themselves.

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For example, if I am working
with a painter, this person's

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been a painter all of her life.
Music is going to be impactful,

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but she may not therapeutically
benefit from my music as much as

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she might if I were a painter
and I came to her community and

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I started with brushes, paints
and a palette.

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She might benefit differently.
As much as music is, I believe,

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the common thread that runs
through us, it's also what

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touches the human spirit and the
human soul is what resonates

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most.
And that's very subjective.

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And there was something we've
talked about before that comes

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up about this idea that music
hits this time of our life for

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people.
That gets us to this personal

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level of the idea of music that
will resonate with me will be

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different from music that
resonates with you, Shannon,

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that will be different from
anyone else that's tuning in on

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this podcast.
Would you like to tell us a bit

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about that idea of the time of
our life or that music bump, of

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why that is unique to all of us?
And what is about that time

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period that is so meaningful?
I think the time period is

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roughly between the ages of say
131415, somewhere on the bottom

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in there all the way up to maybe
late 20s, early 30s, but 27 ish.

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There's some science on that.
So if any of your listeners are

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interested in digging in that
different white papers say

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different time frames, but
that's basically the era of our

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lives that is the most impactful
on who we become.

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Relative to the music, Whatever
music you were exposed to during

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that time of your life, that
stays with you for the rest of

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your life.
And depending on where you're

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from in the world or the country
will determine what that music

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is.
If you were raised in the South

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part of the United States versus
the Midwest versus the Upper

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East Coast, or if you were
raised in Mexico or Uganda,

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you're going to have different
influences and you're also

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influenced by your parents music
of the time of their life.

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So whatever music they played
and loved during their time of

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their life ends up being in the
household of the child growing

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up with their parents.
I was born in the 70s, but my

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parents were born in the 40s and
their time of their life was the

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50s.
So Motown was a big thing in my

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house and Elvis Presley and the
Dave Clark 5 and a lot of the

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British music and even into the
60's The Beatles played in my

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house.
That's not my time of my life

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music, but it becomes part of
the time of my life because it's

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what's played, it's what's
immersed.

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It's my culture that surrounded
me at the time.

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And the culture can be of the
house, just the household itself

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is part of the culture that
you're growing up in.

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And then when you get to school
in high school and then maybe

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possibly post high school
education or just your peers,

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it's what's played on the radio
during that time of your life or

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what your peers love.
Or oh, did you hear that new

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song that just came out by
someone?

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And then you hear that and
because your best friend loves

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it, you might too.
You might not.

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Peers have a lot of influence on
each other.

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So that's another culture that
we are exposed to in our lives.

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When you become later stages in
your life senior, even if we're

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so lucky to live to be
7580859095, maybe even 100, that

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music never leaves us.
And then it becomes therapeutic

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for us.
It takes us back to the time

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when we had physical abilities
and when we had we remember hot

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rodding down the Main Street,
running around with your

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girlfriends on the playground or
whatever it was.

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It takes you there, and that's
where a lot of people find their

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joy.
It seems to be that time period

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where we naturally seem to
gravitate back to our musical

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preferences.
And I suspect for many of us

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listening in, you probably
already had songs come to mind

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or artist come to mind.
I know as soon as I heard you

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listening, I went straight to
The Beach Boys and the Eagles

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with common CDs that we had
listening growing up.

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Grew up on the oldies and that
was a very salient period for

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myself versus my own punk rock
with my own preference, but very

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different ones of what we will
gravitate to.

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But the other area we seem to
talk about music and you and I

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collaborated on an infographic
which people can grab from the

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show notes about how music's
this whole brain body experience

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was these physical and emotional
components, which we've already

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started to hit on a little bit.
But music can somewhat be this

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tool to help us with nervous
system regulation or stress

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regulation.
How does fake music can also be

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a tool for us in that physical
or emotional domain that you

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00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:39,600
might want to highlight for
people?

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Because we clearly got how music
can take us to this time of our

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lives and be a period where we
all probably instantly had

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memories or a beat.
Then we know, OK, we can use

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this to get us to an emotional
state.

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What are some other things you
might want to highlight for us

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00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:58,680
to know about for music and our
emotions?

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This little sciency portion of
that answers that music affects

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the brain's limbic system, which
is where the emotion, behavior,

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learning, long term memories,
spatial navigation lives in the

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limbic system of the brain,
music and even a cadence of

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someone's voice in a delivery of
speech, for example, rhythm in

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the voice and it can alert and
arouse.

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So music can alert and arouse.
That's what like a real upbeat

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song can do and it makes you
maybe want to dance in your

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seat, but it also can calm and
create a resting state too.

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Chances are all of us have heard
us a beautiful ballad that was

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from the time of our life that
took us straight back to when

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our boyfriend or girlfriend
broke up with us when we were in

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high school and we didn't know
what we're going to do.

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So we listen to the Best Song
that can make us feel the worst

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and it can empathize with us.
So music can be an empathy tool

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as well.
You can set your current mood.

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You can play a song that keeps
you in that mood if you choose

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to stay in that place, or it can
take you out of that mood and

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take you somewhere else.
So we can use music as a tool

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for arousing and changing a bad
mood into a good mood, like

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turning the frown upside down
kind of concept.

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But it's a tool that can help us
take us where we might want to

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go, emotionally,
psychologically, mentally,

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spiritually, even.
I'm not going to say physically

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because that ends up happening
too.

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I was thinking about earlier
when you said for your

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background and fitness of how
music is so important for a lot

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of us to keep moving and that
could be a mismatch.

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00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:41,800
I was thinking about this the
last time we happened to be out

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at park and I could hear the
music before you saw the people

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00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,240
that were coming through
exercising because it's almost

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like where are they and you know
they're coming because it's this

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upbeat tempo music.
And you're like, of course,

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because you need something like
that almost to keep the move and

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the pace if you're wanting to
exercise because we were at the

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top of the hill, of course
that's what I would need to get

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me to a top of the hill.
But you think about it in that

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way would not be the slow ballad
of how you use music to match

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what a goal maybe for yourself
or an emotional state as well.

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Our infographic does highlight
some of these things around how

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00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:23,480
music will be a benefit to your
physical, cognitive, emotional,

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00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:26,840
or spiritual health, and people
can snag that from the show

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00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:29,360
notes below.
But I want to make sure that we

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00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:34,080
can tap into your expertise in
today's conversation about music

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and memory care.
And how does music ability often

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remain accessible even as
people's cognitive abilities may

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change or shift?
Music is accessible.

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But then I said to myself,
before I open my mouth, it all

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depends, I guess, on where we
are cognitively, but where we

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are actually even maybe
physically too.

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Because I think about a lot of
the patients that I work with

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who live in these communities,
memory care communities,

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assisted living, independent
living.

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Music is totally accessible.
Because even if you don't sing,

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a lot of people think, oh, I
don't sing, I can't carry a

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tune.
Doesn't matter if you can carry

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00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:11,400
a tune or not, because music's
in your heart, music's in your

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mind.
You can play a song in your

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brain and maybe it's the Eagles
Hotel California that you can

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00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:21,160
hear them sing it in your brain.
So music is highly accessible on

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00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,000
demand that way.
So I'm answering your question

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00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,240
maybe at least initially that
way.

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00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:29,760
But then we have to think about
if we are care partners or the

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00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:35,200
people who live in some of these
communities may not have the

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00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:37,960
cognition to have the
accessibility right away just to

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play Hotel California in their
head.

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00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:45,000
It's imperative then and
incumbent upon our care partners

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and our carers to help us access
this.

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00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,520
And that's where maybe I come
along with musical memory care,

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00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,760
musical memorycare.com, because
I do it live online, but I'm

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00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:57,840
also in person going to a lot of
these buildings.

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I bring my program and I sing
and we do the wonderful things

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that we do in the chair.
We move our bodies and we do

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00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:05,680
hand eye coordination games and
those are all wonderful and it

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00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:08,920
goes over really quite well.
But when I'm not there, what's

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going on?
Are CN as being trained to know

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that music is actually therapy
and can be played for the

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00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:18,200
benefit of the collective who
live in that particular

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00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:20,280
building?
To be honest with you, I've seen

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00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:23,400
a lot of not that.
I'm taking your question a

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00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:25,640
little in a different direction
because that's how it's hitting

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00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:27,240
my heart right now as you asked
it.

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00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:30,320
So forgive me if I'm not exactly
on point.

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00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:34,160
With what your intention was,
but I think right now, because

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where we are in the world, where
we are in the American Society

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00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,640
since Crystal, you and I are in
America having this

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00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:45,200
conversation, but I would
imagine it's same all over the

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world right now.
It's a challenging time and

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00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:51,640
what's missing, I think, for
humanity is love, compassion,

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00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,880
kindness and intention.
I'm in the business of all that,

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00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:57,200
and I just happened to be able
to sing, too.

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00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:00,720
What I'd love for the world to
be able to do for our elders

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00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:05,680
particularly is to understand
that music and especially the

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00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:10,040
time of the life of the person
who's the elder, music is

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00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:13,800
paramount in the lives of these
people to add quality of life.

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00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:16,800
Now, it can be used as a
physical benefit because we can

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00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:19,240
dance in our seats and we can
move our bodies and that's what

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00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:23,480
I offer and that's great.
But in the end, as much as the

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00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,840
physical aspect of what it is
Ioffer and what music can offer

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00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,360
in terms of dancing or
cardiovascular components and

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00:18:30,360 --> 00:18:32,880
movements is the heart of all of
this.

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00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:38,440
Our elders are not respected in
the way they used to be.

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00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,320
Now, I may be talking out of
school when it comes to other

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00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:44,520
countries and how they treat
their elders, but I know in our

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00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,120
American culture, we used to
treat them better and we used to

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Revere them more.
And seniors are my jam and I'm

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00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:53,640
going to serve them until I
can't serve them anymore and

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honor who they are and what they
bring.

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00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:58,520
Music and the time of their
life.

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00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:03,360
Music brings them alive, whether
they're high functioning seniors

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00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,800
or whether they're deep in the
disease of dementia.

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00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:13,120
Music is a game changer for the
soul and right now in our world,

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00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:20,000
people are worth our time to
implement the game changer that

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00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:23,600
honors their soul.
I think it's one of those ones

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00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:27,720
from anyone that's observed,
people that have an opportunity

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00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:33,800
to engage in music across ages,
how different those types of

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00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:37,920
interactions look for people
when an opportunity is present.

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00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:41,480
We also forget the
intentionality that has to be

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00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:46,040
put into place to create those
experiences, to have the

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00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:51,040
environments that hold those
spaces, as well as the gifts of

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00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:56,040
practitioners that have to have
a skill set in order to properly

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00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,680
facilitate programs in a
meaningful way.

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00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,720
I think so many times I've seen
places where it's up here's a

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00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:06,080
box or here's a crate and here's
just instruments put in a room

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00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:09,440
and you expect things to almost
happen.

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00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:13,480
You have seen that if you
happens when you do music class

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00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:18,120
with young children and you get
chaos and it's just loud noises

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00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:21,280
and it's not necessarily what
we're aiming to do, right?

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00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:25,080
We forget of what can happen
when things aren't necessarily

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00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:28,400
facilitated in a right way or
where there's a skill.

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00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:31,840
And when you're trying to do
that with intentionality of what

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00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:35,360
can happen to what you're saying
of holding a space and creating

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00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:38,840
and environment and creating
experiences for people and what

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00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:41,040
music really can do.
And because it is at the

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00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:45,640
essence, it opens up doors.
It still allows communication.

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00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,840
And I would love more if you
could tell us about your musical

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00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,800
memory care program because I
feel like there's so many

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00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:57,040
components to it beyond the
music and the movement.

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00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:00,440
And I think from so many people
with, if you were to reflect of

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00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:05,400
what happens when people are
involved in music, how many

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00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:09,400
different levels of expression
can happen even if you aren't

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00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:13,800
vocally singing, the ways that
there are still opportunities to

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00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:17,280
communicate and engage and
socially connect with one

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00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:18,800
another.
So I would love if you could

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00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:23,000
tell us more about the
multifaceted musical memory care

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00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,920
program that you have created.
What are some of the outcomes

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00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:30,680
from working with individuals?
The program is based on so many

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00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:35,520
different dynamics and levels of
maybe even science and research

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00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:39,560
done by others and then of
course practically applied by

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00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:41,480
me.
I'll be clear that I'm not a

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00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:45,560
certified music therapist.
I am certified in dementia.

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00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:49,640
But I am a professional singer
for 30 years and have toured

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00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:52,400
around the world singing.
What I've done is combine

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00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:56,960
everything as an entertainer,
have learned how to read A room.

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00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:01,840
As an entertainer, you walk on
stage and you feel the energy in

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00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:04,280
the room.
You take a temperature of the

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00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:08,360
collective, their consciousness
as well as just their energy.

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00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:13,720
As the entertainer, you are
obligated to raise the

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00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:16,680
consciousness of the room.
That is part of your job as an

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00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:19,360
entertainer.
And I've taken all of that.

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00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:21,560
My ability to sing helps for
sure.

388
00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:25,160
That I can carry a tune is
helpful, very helpful.

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00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:29,680
But then my compassion for
seniors and my love for seniors

390
00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:32,320
and my service heart.
I'm sounding a little

391
00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:34,280
egocentric, but that's not what
I mean at all.

392
00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:36,440
Because if there's anyone
listening to this and they've

393
00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:40,400
got these, thanks.
Go do go, do go serve.

394
00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:42,160
We all have different gifts and
talents.

395
00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:45,200
I'm just naming a few that I
have collected over the years.

396
00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,040
I think the only thing I was
really born with is being able

397
00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:51,560
to sing and maybe energy read.
I think that's something I was

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00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:54,720
born with, but the fitness
aspect of my life and being

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00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:57,560
involved in fitness also helps
because I understand fitness.

400
00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:01,440
I understand cardiovascular
exercises that are not harmful

401
00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:03,560
to the seniors.
I know how to move a body

402
00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:07,720
mindfully without popping out a
shoulder or something like that.

403
00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:10,520
So those are also helpful.
And then of course, being

404
00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:13,920
trained in dementia and being
able to identify the various

405
00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:18,360
stages of dementia and how to
work with that, how to respond

406
00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:21,760
to that is also helpful.
So there's all those layers and

407
00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,080
what I have seen anecdotally are
some incredible things I've been

408
00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:28,840
Privy to quite a bit quickly.
When I first started doing this,

409
00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:32,240
when I was volunteering my time,
there was a woman named Vivian.

410
00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:35,440
She's no longer with us, and her
son was her primary care

411
00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:37,360
partner.
She lived in a memory care

412
00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:39,960
community.
She hadn't spoken for five

413
00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:41,840
years.
She was deep in the disease and

414
00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:44,400
her body was starting to curl up
on her hands.

415
00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,480
She could not extend her hands
out anymore.

416
00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,120
They were collapsing on
themselves, the fingers up into

417
00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:52,400
a ball, into a fist.
But she had her eyes and she had

418
00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:55,320
her smile.
I would be singing with Vivian

419
00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:58,400
and her son Kevin.
I'll never forget them.

420
00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:01,360
And I was done with my class.
And then I went up to Vivian.

421
00:24:01,360 --> 00:24:03,800
I had a little soft spark in my
heart for her.

422
00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:07,240
So I went up to her and I sang a
little extra song in her eyes to

423
00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,440
stance.
She had the most crooked, rotten

424
00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:11,880
teeth you could ever see.
But she had the most beautiful

425
00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:15,000
smile that I had ever seen.
And all of a sudden, after I was

426
00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:18,480
done singing straight to her and
she had her arms were moving a

427
00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:21,800
little bit to the rhythm, not
much, but she looked at me and

428
00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:26,760
she said, beautiful, just like
that beautiful.

429
00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,600
And I looked up at her son and
his jaw dropped.

430
00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:35,560
And I said, she's from the East
Coast of the United States.

431
00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:38,800
Where is she from?
He said Long Island, New York.

432
00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:42,160
And I didn't know that.
But when she said beautiful,

433
00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:44,280
then I knew she was from the
East Coast.

434
00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:47,880
And he started to cry because he
says, I have not heard my

435
00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:51,280
mother's voice in five years.
What an anecdote to tell.

436
00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:54,080
That was my very first
experience with what it is that

437
00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:57,560
I was doing and still learning
what I was doing at the time.

438
00:24:58,120 --> 00:25:02,000
Today, I had three sessions and
there's a woman in memory care.

439
00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:04,280
I call her Miss Samara.
She has another name, too.

440
00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:07,000
And I call her by her real name
because I make sure I know

441
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,040
everyone's name.
That's paramount too, that I

442
00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:12,120
know everybody's name because
people need to hear their name.

443
00:25:12,120 --> 00:25:14,320
They need to feel heard and
seen.

444
00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:19,000
We need to learn people's names.
And if you say, oh, I'm bad at

445
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:22,320
names, then get good at names,
then get good at names because

446
00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:24,400
people are worth your time to
remember them.

447
00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,800
I make sure to remember names.
But I also call this woman Miss

448
00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:30,320
America.
She had a very bad stroke, as I

449
00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,800
understand, and she doesn't have
any of her right side legs, the

450
00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:36,280
arm, none of the right side does
she have.

451
00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,320
I'm still trying to surmise if
she still has it, if she has any

452
00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:44,080
cognitive issues, because the
only thing that she can say is I

453
00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:47,600
want to.
I want to is the sky blue today

454
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:49,680
Miss America?
I want to.

455
00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:52,960
Does 2 and 2 equal for Miss
America?

456
00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:55,800
I want to.
That's all I can get from her.

457
00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:59,960
But I'm learning her and her
expression in her face tells me

458
00:25:59,960 --> 00:26:03,080
the answer, not her words.
I found out she's a horse woman,

459
00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:05,840
that she used to ride and raise
horses.

460
00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:07,600
I need to find a little more
about that.

461
00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:11,920
But I went up to her today and I
said, I understand that you love

462
00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:14,960
horses.
And her eyes got so big and her

463
00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,480
eyebrows lifted up.
I want to.

464
00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:20,720
That's how she said it.
I want to.

465
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:22,920
Which meant, yes, you're right,
Shannon.

466
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,640
Yes, you're right.
Is that an example of the music

467
00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:29,680
aspect of what Ioffer?
No, But here's what this is an

468
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:33,360
example of.
The foundation on which I base

469
00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:38,280
my service is a compassionate
heart and authenticity.

470
00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:43,800
And when you have that, there's
nothing you can't do, regardless

471
00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:47,400
of what it is you do it.
With that you can never fail.

472
00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:51,400
As a result, I come into this
particular memory care community

473
00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,840
where Miss America lives, and
I'm doing music and I'm doing

474
00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:56,520
movement.
She's moving the left part of

475
00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:58,320
her body because she can't move
the right.

476
00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,400
And she's doing her best.
And as a result, and I know her

477
00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:04,560
name and I'm calling her Miss
America because she's beautiful.

478
00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:08,440
Even though she may think she's
not, she is because everyone's

479
00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,920
beautiful.
In my opinion, I've ingratiated

480
00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:15,360
myself into not only that
building, but I've also

481
00:27:15,360 --> 00:27:19,080
ingratiated myself into her
heart intentionally.

482
00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:21,840
It's not that I wanted to take
over her heart, but I wanted to

483
00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:28,520
prove myself to her that she can
trust me and as a result, I can

484
00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:32,200
have a conversation with her
outside of the music and have

485
00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,560
her be vulnerable.
And together we can be

486
00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:37,640
vulnerable and move mountains
because we're both being

487
00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:41,760
authentic and true to ourselves
as a result, true to each other.

488
00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:46,120
And that's why my program works,
is because people are worth my

489
00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:49,440
time to learn that they like
horses or they're from Walla,

490
00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:52,640
Washington or Puerto Rico or
whatever.

491
00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:58,520
And I give them a mirror.
I show them a mirror, not

492
00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:02,480
literally, but figuratively of
who they are, who they once

493
00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:05,960
were, and who they can be.
Because who they once were is

494
00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:09,120
who they still are.
And it's never too late to still

495
00:28:09,120 --> 00:28:11,800
become.
And they're worth my time and

496
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:17,160
they're worth the world's time.
That's why music and movement

497
00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,920
and my program works.
I encourage any of the listeners

498
00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:22,400
out there.
You don't have to do music.

499
00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:25,800
Whatever you do best, go do that
and go give it.

500
00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:29,080
Go give it because that's why
you do it best.

501
00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:30,920
It's because it's not meant for
you.

502
00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:33,320
It's meant to be given.
Go give it.

503
00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:37,680
Thank you so much for sharing
more about your program and how

504
00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,920
the different elements come
together to support people in

505
00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:45,000
music and memory.
And it sounds like such a shared

506
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:51,600
musical engagement environment
that also supports connection in

507
00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:55,480
so many different ways while
providing dignity and identity

508
00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:59,880
for those who do engage.
And what was the question as

509
00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:01,720
we're starting to line down our
time?

510
00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:05,920
I have no idea how time goes so
fast with our guests, but for

511
00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:11,080
listeners that might want to
begin to use music intentionally

512
00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:16,120
as holistic brain care, what
would you recommend for them as

513
00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:20,120
a step of how can they use music
intentionally to support their

514
00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:24,160
brain kit in day-to-day life?
Start remembering what songs you

515
00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:28,520
like and put them in a playlist
or get out that CD that you

516
00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:30,440
still have.
If you still have the CD player,

517
00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:32,440
depending on your age, or even a
cassette.

518
00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:34,560
I still have cassettes and I
still play those too.

519
00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:38,000
But whatever modality you have
to be able to play music.

520
00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,200
Play what you love and then that
way you can love what you play

521
00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,560
and as a result, start dancing,
start moving.

522
00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:47,160
And if you don't have the
ability physically, maybe you're

523
00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:49,760
in a wheelchair, I don't know.
That doesn't mean you still

524
00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:53,240
can't do this if you're in a
wheelchair or your abilities are

525
00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:56,880
limited.
Still play the music and move as

526
00:29:56,880 --> 00:29:59,440
you're able.
If you have a bad shoulder, then

527
00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,200
work around that.
If you have arthritis, work

528
00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:03,920
around it.
There's all these workarounds

529
00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:07,040
you can do.
Find your joy in the music and

530
00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:09,400
express it the way you want to
express it.

531
00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:11,720
If that means privately because
you don't want anybody to see,

532
00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:14,560
that's all right too, because
this is about you anyway.

533
00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:16,360
It's about how you want to do
this.

534
00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:19,760
So find the music of the time of
your life that you love so much

535
00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:22,520
and then play that and keep
playing that.

536
00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:25,960
And if you're in a bad mood when
you wake up, maybe play it to

537
00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:28,960
get you out of the bad mood to
start your day on a good foot,

538
00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,800
if you will.
If you're into fitness or you're

539
00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:34,560
not into fitness, even better.
If you're not into fitness, use

540
00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:37,600
it as a modality for exercise
because frankly, that's what

541
00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:41,400
gets people through My class is
that we do the music.

542
00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:45,320
So it's a nice distractor from
doing arm movements, leg

543
00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:47,400
movements, getting the heart
rate up, getting the blood

544
00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:49,640
moving.
The music is a beautiful

545
00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:54,120
distraction from the arduous
exercising that our doctors tell

546
00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:56,720
us is good for us.
That's another way to do it.

547
00:30:56,720 --> 00:30:59,880
Or share time with someone else,
whether it's family, husband,

548
00:30:59,880 --> 00:31:03,320
wife, boyfriend, girlfriend,
best friend, neighbor.

549
00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:06,240
Whatever it is, get people
together in a living room and

550
00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:08,080
sit around in a circle and do it
together.

551
00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:10,640
Or go to the Senior Center.
Or if you're not a senior,

552
00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:14,080
create a class outside in your
park or whatever.

553
00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:18,080
As long as you've got music,
even if you Can't Sing, play it.

554
00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:22,520
I think you gave us lots of
practical ways that we can add

555
00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:26,840
music into our daily brain care.
And I almost remember the

556
00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:31,080
suggestion of years ago, I think
so many people used to just send

557
00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:33,960
someone a song because it was on
their mind.

558
00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:37,280
And I feel like because of the
way social media and so many

559
00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,240
other things have taken over
more recently, we've almost

560
00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:43,000
gotten away from that.
But I think we could totally get

561
00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:47,040
back to that being a more
prominent way of doing that of,

562
00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:48,760
hey, I heard this song and
thought of you.

563
00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:52,840
Because there's probably a lot
of songs that if we hear it,

564
00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,920
someone immediately will come to
our mind or a group of friends,

565
00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:01,600
there's a memory with a friend
or a significant life event that

566
00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:06,120
could easily be a way to start a
social connection as well.

567
00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:09,320
And there's many ways that we
can use music to enhance our

568
00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:11,360
brain health.
And I love your way of saying it

569
00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,120
to just create the playlist for
yourself.

570
00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:16,840
I think so many times we think
we have to make the list and

571
00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:20,440
share with others but make it
for just yourself and enjoy it

572
00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:24,480
and play it at home and move in
whatever way feels good for you.

573
00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:27,240
No judgement.
Luckily, no one has to watch

574
00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,800
you.
I love singing in the shower.

575
00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:34,000
My dog will walk out because I
think I'm too loud, but the

576
00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,840
shower is a great place.
The acoustics are always so good

577
00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:38,880
in there, especially with the
water running.

578
00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:41,360
That is my stage.
I love the shower, but I'll also

579
00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:43,720
sing at the kitchen sink while
I'm washing dishes.

580
00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:46,320
It's a great place to do a
little dance while my hands are

581
00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:48,800
in the water.
I have no shame when it comes to

582
00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:49,800
that.
I just do whatever.

583
00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:53,080
And my husband rolls his eyes
and sometimes he'll sing with

584
00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:55,480
me, too.
And music can be such a

585
00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:58,200
fellowship, if you will, a
community engagement type of

586
00:32:58,200 --> 00:32:59,960
thing.
But I want to say really

587
00:32:59,960 --> 00:33:02,800
quickly, too, Crystal, you had
mentioned sending a song to

588
00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:05,280
someone.
Music can be a gift for someone

589
00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:07,680
else, too.
It's such a subjective thing.

590
00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:10,080
Beauty is in the eye of the
beholder, they say.

591
00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:13,280
So if we were to go to the
museum and art and you and I are

592
00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:15,560
looking at the same painting, I
would think it's gorgeous and

593
00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:18,520
you might think it's hideous.
Music is in the ear of the

594
00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:20,640
beholder as well, and it's so
subjective.

595
00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:24,360
So if you are a caregiver to
someone right now, please play

596
00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:26,000
the music that they love and not
you.

597
00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:28,880
Not your music, because you can
play that later for yourself,

598
00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:32,360
but please play the music for
them that is about them because

599
00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:35,200
it is about them.
Such a great thing to always

600
00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:38,880
remember of the ways to
prioritize others and music

601
00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:42,040
preferences when you can.
Last thing I want to say really

602
00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:46,320
quick if there's anybody out
there who's caring for or has

603
00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:52,240
Parkinson's themselves, music is
a great therapy to get you or

604
00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:54,920
the loved one from point A to
point B.

605
00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:59,600
So you could sing a song as
simple as You Are My Sunshine,

606
00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:05,600
even at the cadence at which
that person or yourself walks.

607
00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:09,480
Take a step and take a step and
take a step.

608
00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:12,080
There's the rhythm.
Maybe you're walking and

609
00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:15,520
walking, but if you have
Parkinson's, going from point A

610
00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:18,719
to point B is highly challenging
if you're in advanced stages of

611
00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:21,520
Parkinson's.
So if it's you yourself, or

612
00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:24,880
you're the caregiver of someone
who has Parkinson's, sing a

613
00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:26,760
song.
Sing a song.

614
00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:32,920
You are are my sunshine.
You feel that rhythm, my only

615
00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:36,080
sunshine.
You start to sing that for

616
00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:37,880
yourself.
If you have Parkinson's or for

617
00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:42,360
the one you're caring for, that
person will immediately start on

618
00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:46,400
a more clear trajectory to get
to their destination with more

619
00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:49,600
confidence because it's the
music and the rhythm that's

620
00:34:49,679 --> 00:34:51,920
helping to facilitate their
cadence.

621
00:34:52,199 --> 00:34:55,920
With Parkinson's particularly
and even Parkinson's dementia,

622
00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:00,360
try to use music for the
modality of brushing the teeth

623
00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:04,080
and walking to the bathroom and
folding a towel.

624
00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:08,440
Do you feel that rhythm?
You can even talk like this.

625
00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:12,760
They can talk back to you and
you can do things together

626
00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:15,440
successfully.
So food for thought on that.

627
00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:17,160
I want to make sure to mention
that Crystal.

628
00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:22,160
Thank you so much for sharing
one simple music based practice

629
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:24,560
that listeners could start using
this week.

630
00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:28,800
That's a great applied example
for all of us to try as we're

631
00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:30,520
winding down.
I want to make sure I get to

632
00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:34,400
pick your brain on a few last
minute things before we close

633
00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:38,560
out the conversation.
As a musician as well as someone

634
00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:42,480
that prioritizes musical memory
care and brain based practices,

635
00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:46,840
what's your one non negotiable
for your own personal brain

636
00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:50,240
care?
Work life balance, I think

637
00:35:50,240 --> 00:35:52,760
that's becoming more acceptable
these days than it used to be

638
00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:57,280
too, because it used to be that
we would just work in order to

639
00:35:57,280 --> 00:36:01,720
live, and I now live to work.
So I want to make sure that as

640
00:36:01,720 --> 00:36:05,280
much as I give back to myself,
and it doesn't have to be in the

641
00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:08,240
form of music, it just has to be
in the form of other things.

642
00:36:08,240 --> 00:36:11,920
I think that's important for
anybody who's still working or

643
00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:15,560
just branching out into their
career is making sure that there

644
00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:18,280
is a balance in that fine time
for you.

645
00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:21,080
Thank you so much for sharing
that.

646
00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,800
And if there are other things
that has piqued people's

647
00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:27,240
interest and they want to learn
more about you or your musical

648
00:36:27,240 --> 00:36:30,200
memory care program, where can
they find you and your work?

649
00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:36,040
Musicalmemorycare.com is the
work I do with music and brain

650
00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:38,760
health if you want to find out
more about kind of like the jazz

651
00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:40,920
side of my life.
So I have two websites

652
00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:45,480
musicalmemorycare.com and
Shannon wallacesings.com and

653
00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,120
they cross pollinate there too.
So you can find my musical

654
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memory care hyperlink on my
Shannon Wallace Sings website.

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Perfect.
And what do you most hope

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listeners carry away with them
after hearing today's

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conversation?
Do what you love and love what

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you do, because why would you do
anything else?

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Why do you do what you do?
Why are you doing what you're

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doing in any given moment?
If you don't know why you're

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doing that, then why are you
doing it?

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00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:18,840
Be mindful with your own time
and your own mind and start

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00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:22,120
doing what you love and love
what you do because you're going

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to benefit first and foremost.
And then the world as a result

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will benefit.
Because when you start to love

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what you do and do what you
love, it no longer becomes work.

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00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:33,440
It becomes a passion.
It becomes something that's

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meaningful to yourself and as a
result, to the world.

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That's the way we move the
needle in this world towards a

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00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,920
bright future, a more
compassionate earth.

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And if you do that for yourself,
if you make things about you in

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00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:52,840
a benevolent, compassionate,
respectful way, then everyone

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00:37:52,840 --> 00:37:55,640
benefits and our world starts to
shift pretty quickly.

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Music does not require
perfection.

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00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:02,400
It asks for presents.
When you engage with music, you

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activate multiple brain systems
at once and support regulation,

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connection, and meaning.
As you leave this conversation,

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00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:13,520
think about how music shows up
in your daily life, not as

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background noise, but as an
intentional practice for brain

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00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:20,720
health, for movement, for
memory, for emotion, for

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00:38:20,720 --> 00:38:23,760
connection with others.
Brain health lives in daily

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00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:26,320
moments.
Music gives you one more way to

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care for your brain and for the
people around you.

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00:38:29,240 --> 00:38:32,680
Shannon Wallace, thank you so
much for letting me pick your

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00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:35,520
brilliant brain on the Let's
Talk Brain Health podcast.

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Thank you for investing your
time and energy into your

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00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:43,600
personal brain care by listening
to today's episode of the Let's

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00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:47,000
Talk Brain Health Podcast.
I hope our conversation gave you

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00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:50,760
fresh insights, a bit of
inspiration, or practical steps

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00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:54,000
that you can take on your own
personal brain care journey.

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00:38:54,440 --> 00:38:57,320
If you enjoyed today's
conversation, I'd like to ask

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00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:00,160
you to please share this episode
with someone who could benefit

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00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:02,680
from it or consider leaving us a
review.

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00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:06,440
If you have questions or a topic
in brain health you'd like me to

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00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:10,360
explore, please e-mail me
anytime at podcast at

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00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:14,080
virtualbrainhealthcenter.com.
I'd love to hear from you.

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00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:18,360
We have so many more exciting
topics ahead, and I can't wait

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00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:21,360
to continue this lifelong
journey of better brain health

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00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:24,640
together with you and our
growing virtual community.

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00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:28,160
Until next time, remember to
give your brain the care it

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00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:31,320
deserves and make your brain
health a priority.

Shannon Wallace Profile Photo

Founder/CEO

As an advocate for the human’s adventurous and creative spirit through interactive expression and communication, professional and international vocal jazz musician Shannon Wallace, CDP, CDC has created the first-ever, interactive, in-person, live online and on-demand Musical Memory Care™ workshop program that serves active adults and those of all ages living with all stages of dementia or cognitive impairment, along with their care partners.

To date, the program has reached participants (live online) in all of North America and 40 countries around the world. Program supporters include Barrow Neurological Institute, AARP, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Alive Inside Foundation and the Virtual Brain Health Center, among others.

Wallace’s career spans 30-years in international music, television, marketing and public policy/advocacy. Shannon is a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) through the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP) and is Dementia Care Certified (CDC) through Dementia Care Education.