The Power of Music - David Tobert
In honour of Alzheimer's Month, we have a heartfelt story to share with you about the incredible power of music.
Today, we bring you an exclusive blog from Natalie Tobert, who beautifully captures music's role in her father's life. Through Natalie's words, we get a glimpse into the transformative power of music as her father, David, takes centre stage. As you can see from the accompanying video, the magic truly comes alive when David plays! The joy and connection he finds through music are truly remarkable.
Thank you, Natalie, for sharing this incredible story and reminding us of the power of music to uplift and inspire.
My father David Tobert is 94. And he has been diagnosed with dementia. He doesn't know what day it is, nor what he did 5 minutes ago, nor an hour ago, nor what he had for lunch. But if we ask him what he did in the army when he was 18 years old, he can chat happily about it. He now has a full-time carer, who ensures he gets up, gets washed and dressed, and has breakfast.
We take him to St Cuthberts Church in Wembley. They have a memory clinic on a Thursday morning. Run by Rev Trevor Goddard. The memory clinic is brilliant, attended by 70 or 80 people each week, seated on round tables. It reduces isolation: people chat to each other, do quizzes, simple physical exercises, and have non-stop tea, coffee, and cake, served by volunteers. And they have a fine piano, donated by a kind man (Alan) whose deceased wife was a concert pianist.
Thursday morning is the highlight of dad's week. There are people to talk to, who encourage him to play the piano. And as he plays, it lifts his depression. Somehow he says the notes come without him thinking about it. When he hears phone recordings, he doesn't believe it is himself playing. He has a simple upright piano at home.
Kenton Synagogue; More recently my father attends a coffee morning and lunch at the synagogue. Staff there found an upright piano, covered and stored away. And they allowed him to play. And once people attending heard him, they encouraged him to play more tunes, and chat about it.
My father is Jewish and was born in Margate: his own father reached the UK in 1900, as a babe in arms, the family fleeing pogroms in Poland / Russia (shifted borders). Although dad says he taught himself to play the piano, he remembers that his mother used to play in the cinema, to accompany silent movies.
#powerofmusic