Each Wednesday evening I play music in the hallways over at a nursing home as the residents are getting ready for bed. The music helps them relax during what appears to be an anxious time for many of them. I usually play more instrumental music but tonight I decided to sing more with them and see what happened.
One woman I have seen each week but she is always sitting off near the nursing station and trying to get out of her wheelchair and always in a state of intense discomfort and anxiety. I never tried to reach out to her because it didn't seem to me that she was aware of her surroundings or that she could understand conversations, etc.
Tonight one of the nurses pushed her in her chair near me and told her to listen to the music. I then started to sing to her, "You are My Sunshine" and to our amazement, she stopped struggling and started singing with me. We must have sang about 9 or 10 songs after that. Finally, with great difficultly, she slowly started to talk to me. I found out she is also from Chicago and she was a teacher for preschool children. I was amazed to meet the person behind the face that never looked responsive for all these months. It was as if the music brought her to life and made her remember who she is. I was so moved by this experience and blown away by how singing a song can transform a mood of anxiety or fear or confusion. I have known this but each time it happens with someone new, I am blown away all over again.
When I went to leave, Mary didn't want me to go. She looked as though she might cry but one of the nurses said she would sit with her and so Mary said it would be alright for me to come back next week and sing some more.
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