The Autumn Leaves Project: Music Discovery Outing
The Music Discovery process actually begins long before Music Is Our Weapon™ (MIOW) walks through the doors of Autumn Leaves, in the form of a questionnaire for the family members of the resident. What kind of music did your husband like? What song did Mom dance to at her wedding? Does your brother have any favorite artists? Did your wife play a musical instrument? All of these questions begin to paint a picture that the MIOW volunteer and the resident can fill in together as the Music Discovery Outing unfolds. It is always a moving experience to witness. The knowing smile as a forgotten memory is unearthed or a twinkle of the eye when a favorite tune comes up on the playlist; the emotions are there and the connections are waiting to be made.
Below are images from 2 recent Music Discovery Outings at Autumn Leaves of Northwest Austin and Autumn Leaves of Georgetown. To say that these were incredible experiences would be an understatement. We witnessed firsthand the power of music to completely turn a resident’s mood around. Take Gene, for example. Gene was having a tough morning. He was agitated and upset, but he couldn’t quite verbalize what was bothering him. Soon enough, MIOW volunteer Khai (an acclaimed singer/producer himself) sat down with Gene and began listening to music. In Khai’s own words, this is what he learned: “Gene grew up in the ‘40-‘50s and listened to artists like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, and the Beatles. Today we were jamming and it’s amazing to see how much life a tune can bring out in a person with Alzheimer’s.”
Khai and Gene – image credit @khaitunes
Within minutes, Gene’s frustration turned to delight as he fondly recalled his earlier days listening to all the old crooners. He made a point to tell everyone how much he enjoyed his time with Khai, and how it reminded him of great moments from his past. His agitation was gone and he was eager to reminisce over these forgotten memories. Northwest Austin Executive Director, Kim Howard, remarked, “The impact that this group had just on Gene alone was priceless.”
David (pictured below in a blue shirt) was another great example of music reaching through the fog and making a powerful impact. Many watched with tears in their eyes as Music Is Our Weapon’s Co-Founder and Executive Director, JP Maloney, placed headphones over David’s ears and saw his face animate into one of a teenager lip-syncing to his favorite Elvis song. Toes tapping, head nodding, a smile spread across his face – the staff said they hadn’t seen David like this in quite some time.
“We cannot express enough thanks to MIOW for offering this experience to our community,” said Autumn Leaves of Georgetown’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Debra Thurber. “We feel it has empowered those who participated with a deeper understanding of the journey these precious seniors are on.”
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