
“It is most effective when it’s personalised and meaningful,” she said. Grace Meadows, programme director for Music for Dementia, said music could also help people less naturally talented than Paul.
T i number one hits free#
Proceeds from the single are going to the Alzheimer’s Society and Music for Dementia, which campaigns for people with the condition to have free access to music as part of their care. Songs involve patterns and we learn to communicate through patterns and these patterns become embedded in our ‘musical brain.’” “The start of a song triggers the memory of the whole song, which is owing to the natural pre-language flow of expression. “It is this natural hard-wired element of the brain and the social interactions and musical language that result and build up from this, which lead to procedural musical memories. Mothers were naturally musical when they interacted with their babies, so before they learned to understand words, they could understand their parents’ expressions through rhythm, pitch and tempo, Odell-Miller said. Researchers believe music helps because it taps into memories of sounds that we hear as babies. Even those in the most severe stages of the disease, who could not speak or dress themselves, could still improvise music, she said. Music can help relieve depression, anxiety and other problems associated with dementia, according to professor Helen Odell-Miller, director of the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research at Anglia Ruskin University. But if I’m a bit stressed, I will go and play the piano, and I’ll be alright then” And if something is not in the right place, then I panic a bit. When I am looking at television or other things around where I live, then I start forgetting things. “I can remember all the things I’ve done. “My memory’s fine when I’m playing the piano,” Paul said. Sitting at the keyboard, his forgetfulness disappears. But because I captured it, it’s now living, and it’s become an entity, which is astonishing.” It wasn’t something that he had crafted over days or hours. “I asked him to play it again this afternoon and he couldn’t remember it because it was an improvisation,” Nick said. There are times, his son says, when Paul cannot remember that he spoke to Sondheim, or play the tune that created the commotion. I would love that.”ĭementia’s cruelty is never far away though. Mind you, I wouldn’t mind conducting the BBC Philharmonic – they were fantastic. Fortunately, because of my age, I’m a bit laid-back about the whole thing, in the nicest possible way. “I didn’t expect all this fuss and palaver. “‘I love your tune, I’m going to steal it,’ he said. “That was very special – I’ve always been an incredible fan,” he said. In the whirlwind of attention that has followed, the highlight for Paul was the chance to speak to composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. After Radio 4’s Broadcasting House featured the song, listeners suggested that it should be played by an orchestra, so the show’s host, Paddy O’Connell, arranged for the song to be recorded by the BBC Philharmonic. It began when his son Nick recorded him improvising a two-minute piece from four notes – F natural, A, D and B natural – and posted the footage on Twitter. With the help of the BBC Philharmonic, Four Notes – Paul’s Tune sped to the top of the iTunes and Amazon charts last week – another high point in an extraordinary few weeks for the former music teacher. Paul Harvey has managed to write one while living with dementia. The likes of Your Song, Benny And The Jets, I’m Still Standing and Can You Feel The Love Tonight never made it.Īnd while Tiny Dancer is also another one missing from the list, it was never released as an official single so we can’t get angry about that one.Not many 80-year-olds have a hit single. He had two close run-ins with Rocket Man and True Love, which both made it to number two, but a whole bunch of classic Elton tracks didn’t ever make it to the top spot. So what about all of the songs that didn’t make it? In 2002 Elton joined forces with Blue for this track which ended up spending one week at number one and 20 weeks in the charts.Įlton featured on 2PAC’s Ghetto Gospel in a 2005 release and it spent three weeks at number one and a total of 39 weeks in charts. It was in the UK charts for 30 weeks in total. One of Elton’s most memorable singles, with him performing Candle In The Wind at Princess Diana’s funeral, it was released in 1997 and spent five weeks at number one. Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind It was in pole position for two weeks, spending 10 weeks in the UK charts. Sacrifice and Healing Hands spent five weeks at number on in 1990, going on to feature in the charts for a total of 15 weeks.Įlton’s stunning duet with the late, great George Michael was released in 1991. This track was released in 1979 and while it only had one week at number one, it spent 25 weeks in charts.
