Juilliard students' musical medicine is helping seniors stay young at heart and mind
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.
"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.
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.
