The New York Times profiles a music therapy program for nursing home residents with dementia. Researchers have discovered that "when all other means of communication have shut down, people remember and respond to music."
There are some moving anecdotes in the article, but it also offers historical context and other information about the profession that I was somewhat surprised to learn:
The discipline of music therapy (MT) was established in 1950, and last year close to a million people received MT services in hospitals, care facilities, hospices and schools. MT is not merely playing music for people, although that’s beneficial. Practitioners are skilled musicians who play instruments and sing, then are trained and certified to use music for therapeutic purposes.
Also: Denise Levertov - Adam's Complaint
Some people,
no matter what you give them,
still want the moon.
The bread,
the salt,
white meat and dark,
still hungry.
The marriage bed
and the cradle,
still empty arms.
You give them land,
their own earth under their feet,
still they take to the roads.
And water: dig them the deepest well,
still it's not deep enough
to drink the moon from.
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