Music Helps My Mom's Alzheimer's Disease

Music helps brain development and cognition. Music is good for adults and children. Music changes the way we deal with everyday life. When I'm feeling down I can put on a good song and suddenly my mood has changed from bad to good! Music helps memory. My mom has Alzheimer's disease and the only time she becomes present is when she's listening to music. She taps her feet in time to the music and her eyes light up. She will turn to me and say "this is good, I like this". What a wonderful experience for my mom to have. What a wonderful thing for me to witness. The other evening Austin City Limits was on the public TV station and Los Lobos was on. My mom doesn't really know who Los Lobos is but she starting tapping her hands and feet and actually humming with the music. She was having a very present moment! Now usually, with Alzheimer's she is not present from moment to moment and even becomes quite confused. When music is on she's not confused, she's just in the moment. No drug can help her be in the moment but music brings her there! Thank God for music as it enables my mom to have long lucid periods and it enhances our lives. There is no cure for Alzheimer's. Besides music there are some helpful tools that can be put into action. Here are some tips: Non-drug approaches Non-drug approaches to managing behavior symptoms promote physical and emotional comfort. Many of these strategies aim to identify and address needs that the person with Alzheimer's may have difficulty expressing as the disease progresses. Non-drug approaches should always be tried first. Steps to developing successful non-drug treatments include:

Recognizing that the person is not just "acting mean or ornery," but is having further symptoms of the disease

Identifying the cause and how the symptom may relate to the experience of the person with Alzheimer's

Changing the environment to resolve challenges and obstacles to comfort, security and ease of mind Coping tips

Monitor personal comfort. Check for pain, hunger, thirst, constipation, full bladder, fatigue, infections and skin irritation. Maintain a comfortable room temperature.

Avoid being confrontational or arguing about facts. For example, if a person expresses a wish to go visit a parent who died years ago, don't point out that the parent is dead. Instead, say, "Your mother is a wonderful person. I would like to see her too."

Redirect the person's attention. Try to remain flexible, patient and supportive by responding to the emotion, not the behavior.

Create a calm environment. Avoid noise, glare, insecure space and too much background distraction, including television.

Allow adequate rest between stimulating events.

Provide a security object.

Acknowledge requests, and respond to them.

Look for reasons behind each behavior. Consult a physician to identify any causes related to medications or illness.

Explore various solutions.

Don't take the behavior personally, and share your experiences with others. Hope this was helpful. Here is a link to the Alzheimer's Association where you can find other pointers and help in your area. CLICK HERE May Music Be With You Always

Music Helps My Mom'sAlzheimer's Disease

Music helps brain development and cognition. Music is good for adults and children. Music changes the way we deal with everyday life. When I'm feeling down I can put on a good song and suddenly my mood has changed from bad to good! Music helps memory. My mom has Alzheimer's disease and the only time she becomes present is when she's listening to music. She taps her feet in time to the music and her eyes light up. She will turn to me and say "this is good, I like this". What a wonderful experience for my mom to have. What a wonderful thing for me to witness. The other evening Austin City Limits was on the public TV station and Los Lobos was on. My mom doesn't really know who Los Lobos is but she starting tapping her hands and feet and actually humming with the music. She was having a very present moment! Now usually, with Alzheimer's she is not present from moment to moment and even becomes quite confused. When music is on she's not confused, she's just in the moment. No drug can help her be in the moment but music brings her there! Thank God for music as it enables my mom to have long lucid periods and it enhances our lives. There is no cure for Alzheimer's. Besides music there are some helpful tools that can be put into action. Here are some tips: Non-drug approaches Non-drug approaches to managing behavior symptoms promote physical and emotional comfort. Many of these strategies aim to identify and address needs that the person with Alzheimer's may have difficulty expressing as the disease progresses. Non-drug approaches should always be tried first. Steps to developing successful non-drug treatments include:

Recognizing that the person is not just "acting mean or ornery," but is having further symptoms of the disease

Identifying the cause and how the symptom may relate to the experience of the person with Alzheimer's

Changing the environment to resolve challenges and obstacles to comfort, security and ease of mind Coping tips

Monitor personal comfort. Check for pain, hunger, thirst, constipation, full bladder, fatigue, infections and skin irritation. Maintain a comfortable room temperature.

Avoid being confrontational or arguing about facts. For example, if a person expresses a wish to go visit a parent who died years ago, don't point out that the parent is dead. Instead, say, "Your mother is a wonderful person. I would like to see her too."

Redirect the person's attention. Try to remain flexible, patient and supportive by responding to the emotion, not the behavior.

Create a calm environment. Avoid noise, glare, insecure space and too much background distraction, including television.

Allow adequate rest between stimulating events.

Provide a security object.

Acknowledge requests, and respond to them.

Look for reasons behind each behavior. Consult a physician to identify any causes related to medications or illness.

Explore various solutions.

Don't take the behavior personally, and share your experiences with others. Hope this was helpful. Here is a link to the Alzheimer's Association where you can find other pointers and help in your area. CLICK HERE May Music Be With You Always

Play in the Fog. Pump Up Your Show with Bog Fog

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Drum Lessons Online

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Musical Instruments - Best Sellers

Today I've pulled up the best selling instruments on Amazon. Check 'em out:

Vic Firth Drum Sticks are my Favorite

Gotta Love the Vic Firth 5A drum sticks at a great price of $5.94 and FREE SHIPPING! Click Here to Check 'Em

#1 New Release in Amazon's Drum Accessories

The KickStrap to definitively hold your bass drum and/or hi hat in place. The only solution to Stop the Creep! Check it out Here

Bass / Kick Drum Pedal: Double Pedal, Double Chain Drive with Double Spring Recoil

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Amazon Tap - Alexa-Enabled Portable Bluetooth Speaker

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• Just tap and ask for music from Prime Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn
• Uses the Alexa Voice Service when connected to Wi-Fi or a mobile hotspot to play music, read the news, provide weather reports, and even order a pizza
• Streams all your music via Bluetooth from your phone or tablet
• Delivers crisp sound powered by Dolby, with dual stereo speakers that provide 360º omni-directional audio
• Provides up to 9 hours of playback
• Always getting smarter and adding new features and skills
• Includes Charging Cradle

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Deal of the Day - Audio Technica Mic

Click Here for Audio Technica Microphone Deal of the Day The Audio Technica AT2035 is a large diaphragm cardioid condenser microphone designed for critical home, project, professional studio applications, and live performance. This side-address cardioid studio condenser mic delivers exceptional detail and low noise. Equipped with a switchable 80Hz high-pass filter and 10dB pad, the AT2035 microphone handles high sound pressure levels with ease. Along with its rugged construction and high-performance specifications, the Audio-Technica AT2035 is a microphone that provides an exceptional level of consistency from model to model. Audio-Technica equips the AT2035 mic with a protective pouch and a custom shock mount.

Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Smart too!

Dig this Bluetooth Speaker! http://amzn.to/1r5A2MN

Sounds good, works good, great deal! 

• Just tap the microphone button and ask for music from Prime Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn
• Uses the Alexa Voice Service when connected to Wi-Fi or a mobile hotspot to play music, read the news, provide weather reports, and even order a pizza
• Streams all your music via Bluetooth from your phone or tablet
• Delivers crisp sound powered by Dolby, with dual stereo speakers that provide 360º omni-directional audio
• Provides up to 9 hours of playback
• Always getting smarter and adding new features and skills
• Includes Charging Cradle 

Jr. Drum Set for Kids and Adults Cocktail Kit!

This Junior Drum Set is great for the price! Funnily enough I bought one for my son, he ended up playing piano instead, and I now use it for small club/jazz/coffee house gigs. It sounds very good. So pros and beginners adults and kids can get use out of it! I did replace the cymbals but for 164.95 it's a solid deal! Check it out:

Great Deals on Gibson Les Paul Studio 60's Tribute

Hot Musical Instruments on Amazon. This gives a great overview of what's hot in musical instruments. I have found that Amazon has the best deals, sometimes even beating Musicians Friend! I at least always check Amazon and compare. For example this 2015 Gibson Les Paul Traditional Heritage Cherry Sunburst  sells for $2,447.00 and Free shipping on Amazon but on Musicians Friend it sells for $2591.00. Another example is this Gibson 2016 T Les Paul Studio 60's Tribute Electric Guitar for $899.00 and Free shipping on Amazon sells for $1499.00 on Musicians Friend. Always check a few sources before purchasing. Cheers and good music to all!

Sound and Recording Equipment

Great deals on Sound and Recording Equipment. Audio interfaces, PA's, mics and cords. Check 'em out: Sound and Recording Equipment Deals

Best Audio Recording Interface. Great Price

Focusrite's Scarlett 2i2 is a 2 in/2 out USB recording interface featuring two award-winning Focusrite preamps. Housed in an attractive anodized aluminum unibody chassis, the interface not only sounds fantastic but looks great too. What's more, it's solid enough to take on the road when you travel.

Check it out: http://amzn.to/23L3Hrv

Amazon has the Best Deals on Recording and Sound Equipment

I find I always go back to Amazon to find the best deals. Sound and Recording equipment is no exception. Check out these fabulous deals that I've compiled for all sound and recording equipment: Click Here