“The 5th Dementia” – Alzheimer’s Therapy Through Music Mends Minds

Even when my Mother was a sprightly 101 years young, we’d get into my car to drive to lunch. I’d turn on my SiriusXM radio to the Sinatra station, and she’d sing songs with me from Frank’s Tommy Dorsey Orchestra days, 80+ years ago, even though she couldn’t remember if she ate breakfast that day because of her advanced dementia.

This is music therapy in its purest form. And it’s a great example of why people all over the world are benefiting from a group called Music Mends Minds, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in Southern California in 2015 that helps people with Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and PTSD.

“These musical support groups foster a community between the musicians and singers, as well as their families, friends, and caregivers, all of whom thrive on the socialization and music making,” says Carol Port Rosenstein, co-founder and co-director of MMM with her husband, Irwin Bennett Rosenstein, who has suffered from Parkinson’s Disease now for 15 years. “We’ve learned that cells within the brain rekindle themselves from old memories and events.”

“The 5^th Dementia” Was The First of Many Groups.

With a smile on her face and her tongue planted firmly in cheek, Carol named her first music group “The 5^th Dementia” in 2014. This continues to be a diverse band of retired professionals from a range of socioeconomic and educational backgrounds who now struggle to remember anything at all due to illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, other forms of dementia and Parkinson’s.

“When the music starts, they are transformed,” adds Carol. The rhythms and melodies stir something deep within them, as they dive into songs from their generation without a single page of sheet music. Memories otherwise entirely unreachable are unlocked. The music has a euphoric and quality of life-changing impact.

Carol’s idea for this group was so widely praised that it soon expanded beyond Southern California borders into a national as well as international group appreciated by so many disabled people. Different musical groups have different names in different locations, all under the Music Mends Minds umbrella. She was even nominated as one of the CNN Heroes 2020 for founding this incredible group.

The Ability to Play Musical Instruments Seems Unforgettable.

“Music memories are not usually affected by these diseases,” adds Carol, “and our seniors are still capable of learning new songs. In fact, patients with Alzheimer’s Disease may forget certain melodic content of songs, but their ability to play their musical instruments seems to be unforgettable. Listening to music enhances connectivity between our auditory motor and our visual cortices.”

“My dear husband, Irwin, has side effects from Parkinson’s,” she continues, “but every time he played the piano, he would resurrect, recognize his environment, and it was like he had a dose of medication. I was watching the effect of music therapy like medication for dopamine for its natural and positive side effects.

“Soon after that, I found a local school. We showed up with 30 other curious folks who came to see what was up. We welcomed everyone. Organically, four of the 30 found a majestic Steinway piano, a drum kit, my husband grabbed a saxophone, and someone else pulled out a harmonica. Within 20 minutes, they were the “core of four” to create the 5th Dementia band, a spin-off name of the former “The 5^th Dimension” musical group from the mid-1960s.

Everyone Loved and Embraced Our Name.

“At first, we were reluctant to have ‘dementia’ in our name, but everyone immediately loved it and it was soon featured on PBS, which helped MMM begin to grow. Fortuitously, someone in Washington state saw us on the PBS Evening News, called me, flew down to Los Angeles soon after that, and met me at our then home base, the Brentwood Presbyterian Church. We hugged, she left, and a few months later, the first offspring baby band was called “The Island Rockers” in Vashon Island, WA, as part of Rotary International.

“That’s how MMM evolved in a partnership with Rotary. Before COVID-19, we had 19 groups, but now we have thrice weekly Zoom meetings, which will continue indefinitely. We found a music certified therapist earlier this year and that became a sensational success globally from other countries in India, South Africa, the UK, Australia, and growing. Almost on six continents. We have now lost count on the band watch, embracing music therapy by singing and playing together globally on our Zoom platform during COVID-19.”

How One Couple Attained Great Enjoyment

“It became an unbelievably rewarding way to make people with various age-related conditions feel that they could still have fun while making music,” declares Margreth Butterworth of Santa Monica, California. “It was my husband’s great enjoyment to sing his heart out.”

“Ken Butterworth, a vibrant man who passed in 2018 from Alzheimer’s at 93, was an eager participant in The 5^th Dementia for two years,” she continued. “Even today, many people still consider him to be a great influence in their lives, especially in business. Our musical group and Music Mends Minds became bright, uplifting lights for both of us.

“He had a wonderful voice and good looks that actually always made my knees soft,” she said lovingly. “One of the many great moments was always when Ken walked into the church where Carol was holding the recitals. When he saw Carol, his face lit up, and a big smile came over his face. Then he just pushed toward her and wanted to dance with her, which she always accommodated. They were swinging in the middle of the church to the music playing.”

What Music Mends Minds Means to Family Members.

“One of the most important things about MMM was to see my husband happy, participating, and smiling,” concludes Margreth. “The other was the emotional support for people like me, the ‘caregivers’. It is not an easy job to look after someone with Alzheimer’s, Dementia or alike. It’s emotionally, physically draining and depressing. The social world collapses around you because people have difficulty dealing with someone afflicted like that. Dinner parties, going out to restaurants — doing anything social — are no longer possible, due to the difficult behaviors of our loved ones. All the people at MMM became my ’social outlet’, my support, my shoulder to cry on — my friends. And two years after my husband left, they are still my very close friends and support… probably forever.”

Zoom Meetings for Music Mends Minds.

“Our Zoom meetings will never stop but we will continue to grow exponentially,” proclaims Carol. “We had a collaboration in the works with Golden Network TV for Seniors prior to COVID, and they’re now streaming us on Zoom. We’ll be filming, editing, and streaming our Zoom meeting via Roku and are even working on a YouTube Channel to access the power of music on our video archive.

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Music Mends Minds meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:00 – 2:00 pm PT.
Join a Zoom session: https://zoom.us/j/6378877508 with Meeting ID: 637 887 7508.
A FREE service for anyone to join in on the fun.

Watch The 5th Dementia documentary here. 

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Join us for this virtual holiday concert!
“Music Mends Minds: The Gift of Music”
Saturday, December 5, 2020 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm
{ SGD is a proud Bronze Sponsor }

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At SGD, we work with senior living communities who offer memory care, as well as independent living and assisted living. We value how these communities treat each senior with Alzheimer’s and dementia with dignity, respect and carefully coordinated support, especially with music therapy, art therapy, and technology.

We’ve also seen our own parents decline and pass away because of dementia, so we have strong personal emotions about anyone who is affected by this dreaded disease.

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SGD is the Bay Area advertising, marketing and branding agency specializing in the senior and boomer markets. We’ve successfully positioned, branded and rebranded senior-oriented companies, weaving traditional and online tactics to create compelling stories that drive response. 

About the Author: Gil Zeimer is a Partner at SGD Advertising.