Juilliard students' musical medicine is helping seniors stay young at heart and mind
Senior citizens are enjoying the benefits of music from Juilliard students
Senior citizens are enjoying the benefits of music from Juilliard students
Senior citizens are enjoying the benefits of music from Juilliard students
When it comes to healthy aging, music can have a big impact. That's why senior centers and renowned institutions like The Julliard School are creating senior-friendly music classes.
In the latest part of CBS News New York's Cost of Caregiving series, reporter Jennifer Bisram takes a deeper look at musical medicine.
Read more: Geriatric care improvements needed immediately in New York, doctors say
"It is a very, very special ingredient for life"
Every note evokes emotion and elevates the mood in a room at Sunrise Assisted Living Facility in Manhattan. Some seniors even close their eyes to take in the classical harmony.
"I think my mother made a mistake with my birth certificate. I'm really 63, haha," 101-year-old Barbara Fleischman said.
She spoke of her secret to aging.
"Music is soothing. It's exiting. It makes one think, and it is a very, very special ingredient for life," Fleischman said.
The bubbly grandmother, who lives at the senior center, takes music classes every week.
"It's very exciting that at this age I still want to learn," Fleischman said.
Juilliard students create the soundtracks
Students from Juilliard passionately play the instruments.
"It's human connection through music. So, we connect with those seniors through this music. We don't even need to talk to each other. Music speaks, itself," Sandro Gegechkori said.
"The people listening can really record a memory from my performance and it can also improve their memory," student Zhouhui Shen said.
Alyssa Friedman is the program director at the senior center. She has also become a sort of caregiver for the seniors, assisting them with whatever they need on a daily basis.
"What's most remarkable for me is being able to see a resident who has dementia come down to a program. Maybe they're nonverbal but sing along," Friedman said. "I was very close with my own grandparents and I think being able to work with seniors is a little piece of that every day."
What science says about music and aging
According to the National Institute of Aging, music has a positive influence on healthy aging on the brain and body. Studies show it improves memory, enhances emotional health, and triggers heartwarming memories.
Experts say more research is needed before it can medically be concluded, but there's growing scientific interest in music's effects as we age.
Some aging New Yorkers say it's also helping them keep some of their independence.
"I enjoy being with my friends and being with my family, obviously. Going to theatre, going to the opera, taking part in the cultural benefits of the city," Mina Werner said.
Read more: What services does NYC provide for aging New Yorkers and their caregivers?
Werner is 88 and still going strong. She walks to Juilliard's extension program in Midtown weekly for her musical medicine. In one class, a student guitarist played chords that at times brought her back to her childhood.
"I feel very engaged. I guess I'm back at school. I'm learning," Werner said. "I think it's very important to keep your mind going. It's not the same as keeping it young, but keeping it going."
Music helps seniors reflect and keep moving forward
John-Morgan Busch, the dean of Juilliard's extension program, says 1,300 students are currently in the extension division. Most are 65 and older.
"Music and dance and drama as well, it can be a lifeline for people to come together," Busch said. "We believe the performing arts are a way to help combat loneliness, isolation, [and] work with cognitive development."
While musical instruments and melodies have been key to their longevity, the thriving seniors say there have been other ingredients to their aging recipe.
"I think one thing that is so important is to maintain an interest and a zest for life," Fleischman said.
"Looking forward, not backward, I think that's really it," Werner added.
They are all living life through music, one note at a time.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Review: ‘Materialists' brilliantly exposes the price of desire
The lighting says everything in Celine Song 's films. Through most of 'Materialists,' the director and screenwriter's follow-up to 2023's ' Past Lives,' the camera casts its luxurious settings in a golden sheen. This is the world of a successful, high-end matchmaker in New York City. Responsible for nine marriages, Lucy (Dakota Johnson), as her boss crows during a sparkling office celebration, possesses 'razor-sharp instincts and one hell of an eye.' It's a line that could also describe Song, who has spoken publicly about how 'Materialists' is inspired by her own past experience as a professional matchmaker. Here, the filmmaker once again enlists the talents of Shabier Kirchner, the cinematographer with whom she worked on 'Past Lives,' to shed light on the self that Lucy presents to the world and the one she keeps close to her chest. Early in the film, Lucy carefully lines her lips in a tasteful rosy shade and selects inoffensive jewelry as the warm sunlight of her apartment is refracted in her many mirrors. Her voice is a finely tuned, silken purr. These are all elements of the persona that Lucy has meticulously crafted based on the keen sharp observational skills that serve her so well as a matchmaker. Practically a human calculator, she is a woman who uses her gaze to constantly assess the marketability of each potential match, from income to education to looks (including height) and so on. Part of what makes Lucy so good at her job is that she herself is dying to claim a life defined by the finer things. Then, at one of her client's weddings, she meets Harry (Pedro Pascal), the impossibly wealthy and handsome 'unicorn' of a man who just might deliver for her. But there's a moment toward the middle of 'Materialists,' when the camera flips jarringly from the expensive glow of Lucy's present to the harsh, daylight glare of her past. In this flashback, the view shifts through the grimy windshield of a beat-up Volvo to Lucy quarreling with her past love, John (Chris Evans). It's Lucy and John's five-year anniversary, and for once, these two broke, young New Yorkers are trying to celebrate with a meal at a nice restaurant. It's an outing they can't afford, a fact they argue about while struggling to find parking. 'I don't want to hate you because you're poor,' she says to him with a ragged edge to her voice. Severe light emphasizes the lines of her face which, importantly, remains lovely despite its imperfections. It's one of the realest moments of the film for Lucy, who ends up reconnecting with John while he's cater-waitering at the very same wedding where she meets Harry. By Lucy's calculations, Harry is perfect on paper, and he couldn't be embodied by a better heartthrob than Pascal. He speaks her language, noting that she markets her professional services as a 'luxury good' and describes her smarts as 'intangible assets' that are 'good investments that don't degrade.' These are 'Shark Tank'-worthy lines that could come across corny but twinkle when performed by an actor with such charisma. But there's a troubling opacity to Harry. Why is he single? Who is he, really? These are questions that Lucy must answer before the film's dreamy, poignant conclusion. Marketed as a romantic comedy, 'Materialists' is a sharper, more thoughtful film than its genre would suggest. This is a story about perceived value and what its pursuit costs its characters — emotionally, physically and materially. For those who pay attention to the light, though, it's clear by the end what Song values as this film's storyteller. The credits roll against a setting resplendent with a honeyed glow, revealing a depth and sweetness that just might be the warmest light in the entire film. Hannah Bae is a freelance writer.
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Skateboarding ‘Mecca' under Brooklyn Bridge reopens after 15 years
Skaters are kickflipping with joy. A massive section of public space under the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge has reopened after 15 years with a spate of new amenities – including a site once known as the 'mecca of New York skateboarding.' Two acres of 'The Arches,' named for the 53 arches under the historic bridge, reopened Thursday with the legendary 'Brooklyn Banks' skateboarding site, which was shuttered in 2010 to serve as a contractor staging area during the restoration of the Brooklyn Bridge. 4 A massive section of public space under the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge has reopened after 15 years with a spate of new amenities – including a site once known as the 'mecca of New York skateboarding.' LP Media 'In the shade of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, this project delivers many things — an architectural marvel, a proper home for skating in one of the sport's global hubs, and a place to relax in a neighborhood with too few,' Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeff Roth said in a statement. Mayor Eric Adams' administration began revitalizing the area near Chinatown in 2023 with space for shuffleboard, basketball, pickleball and seating in one of the city's most crowded neighborhoods. The project also gave access to the space under the Brooklyn Bridge's landmarked vaulted archways. 4 Skaters and bikers enjoy the newly opened section of 'the Arches' in lower Manhattan. LP Media Tony Hawk's nonprofit Skatepark Project had also advocated for years for the Brooklyn Banks to return to its roots as part of the renovation, with project CEO Benjamin Anderson Bashein calling Brooklyn Banks an 'icon of skating around the world. 'To have it reopened is absolutely profound,' Bashein said. 'This historic skate spot is a special place where people from across the world have come to skate and to find community, and we're thrilled to see it open to the public once again.' 4 Mayor Eric Adams at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly-revitalized park in lower Manhattan. LP Media Another $50 million for public seating, plantings, lighting and more at The Arches is earmarked from the Adams administration's 2026 budget, part of the mayor's 'We Outside Summer' investment and programming initiative. 4 Two acres of 'The Arches,' named for the 53 arches under the historic bridge, reopened Thursday with the legendary 'Brooklyn Banks' skateboarding site. LP Media Thursday's reopening serves as the largest plaza portion to reopen under the phased renovation, which includes Gotham Park – a planned 9-acre urban community space around the iconic bridge. The incoming multi-million investment is expected to 'bring this space back to life, and transform it into a lively, inclusive space for friends and neighbors to come together,' Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement, 'welcoming New Yorkers from all walks of life. 'Right in time for our 'We Outside Summer,' The Arches brings us closer to creating a more equitable, livable, and prosperous New York.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Is Paige DeSorbo Joining Real Housewives After Leaving Summer House?
The news only broke yesterday that Paige DeSorbo is leaving Summer House after seven seasons on the show. But the rumors are already swirling about where she might be going next. It's common knowledge that both she and housemate Lindsay Hubbard were hoping to join The Real Housewives of New York. Though EP Andy Cohen shut down Lindsay's hopes for an apple last week, could Paige still be in the running? Real Housewives of Dubai alum Chanel Ayan thinks Paige may already have her apple tucked up in bed beside her. Is Chanel spilling company secrets or is she just speculating like the rest of us? Over at the r/BravoRealHousewives community on Reddit, there's chatter going on about whether Paige will go to RHONY. Amid the conversation, Chanel posted, 'Girl you are the only person I watch out for fashion … New York Housewives will be good for you.' Has Chanel been talking to Andy? Or is she just making the assumption that the rumors are true? After all, Ubah Hassan and Chanel are cousins, so maybe the Dubai model has an inside track with RHONY. I actually think Paige would be great on RHONY. They definitely need a little spicing up after the last season. Wouldn't Paige and Sai De Silva make a pair? Reactions to the rumor were mixed among Reddit users. In response to Chanel's accidental announcement, One Redditer wrote, 'Love Paige but my housewives gotta be 40+ and delusional.' Maybe Paige is just the one to bring all those delusional New Yorkers back down to earth. And she could gift them all with her new pajama line, Daphne. Maybe Jessel Taank would find Paige's PJs more to her liking than Jenna Lyons' Christmas tree nightie. But until I hear the words from Andy's lips, I'll just leave the idea of Paige on RHONY filed away under things that make you go, 'Hmmm.' Summer House and The Real Housewives of New York are both streaming on Peacock in the US and on Hayu in the UK and Ireland. TELL US – WHAT WOULD YOU THINK ABOUT PAIGE ON RHONY? DO YOU THINK SHE'D FIT IT WITH THE GROUP? The post Is Paige DeSorbo Joining Real Housewives After Leaving Summer House? appeared first on Reality Tea.
