Alzheimer's sufferer plays piano # 1

This is for my mother, Margaret Logan. Mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 2002 and has had a slow gradual descent into a demented state. She has little dignity remaining in her life. She hasn't been able to feed herself, write, watch television, go to the toilet unaccompanied, or do anything much. She doesn't know who anybody is, though usually starts to recognise me, her eldest son after 30 minutes or so.

Mum was born in 1932 and grew up during the depression and War years in Cronulla, south of Sydney, NSW, Australia. She always had a hard life suffering sickness and back luck from birth until now. She lost her husband, my father, over 35 years ago.

Mum still plays the piano. She has played all her life but has never had a lesson; she has never known anything about music, nor can she tell you what the black keys are or what the white keys are. She doesn't know where 'middle C' is, what a 'key' is; she can't read music, write music, or anything.

Mum is a naturally gifted musician who can hear a song ONCE then go to the piano and play it, with all the nuance and flair, and feeling, and beauty of any highly skilled and trained pianist.

The fact that she has so little memory now, shows how deeply imbedded music is in her soul. She struggles a bit to recall tunes, but as you can see, once she gets going, it just flows out of her. They tell me she's not long for this world now; after 9 years of Alzheimer's I hope she is released sooner than later.

The point of this post is to celebrate a woman I love; to demonstrate that the human spirit is hard to defeat; and to show that music is part of our humanity.

Thanks Mum.


There are four clips I've posted - the first three were recorded in early 2010. Mum is talking and quite responsive in these.

The last was late in 2010 - she's done talking, playing slower, and having difficulty walking now, but once she gets going it is still there.

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[MsTessG]

Your mum is amazing and I'm so happy you shared this video. It's inspiring. My 97 year old grandmother sat at the piano after not having played in YEARS and whipped out a gospel tune like she'd been playing it forever. The brain is amazing... what it forgets, but OH what it remembers!

[JakeZelmore]

that was beautiful...music is a powerful force that all recognize...it's universal and everyone can feel music...your mother is amazing.

[Validarity007]

Beautiful in every sense of the word.

[nessaholichu]

This is truly beautiful and inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing.

I hope that when I grow old, I'll still be able to play music like your mum. I hope that music will still be burried in my soul as it's obviously burried in your mum's.

Congratulations! Beautiful video!

[nessaholichu]

@MsTessG Totally

[nessaholichu]

"to demonstrate that the human spirit is hard to defeat; and to show that music is part of our humanity"

[58pianos]

Great video

[ChapperzTV]

Lovely video, thanks for sharing this with the world.

[marysean]

so beautiful...I just went to see my sister out of state

who has Alzheimers and has not recognized me in a year. I showed her old photos of her and I and low and behold she recognized me and said, "I love you." It was the best day I have had in years to hear those words from her again.

[LadyShirl]

The video and your words are a lovely tribute to your dear mother. She is so talented, having never been a student of the piano. Thank you for sharing this.

[theoriginalwasa]

This video reminded me of my Grandma... he music was all she could recognize as her Alzheimer's progressed... it made me cry... thank you so much. It was also good to hear the Aussie hasn't left her.

[bassblower28]

This is amazing. And so moving. Please post more if your mum is up to it