Alive Inside
A nursing home volunteer discovered that music has the power to “wake up” people with dementia, bringing back old memories for them and making them more responsive to their environments. This wonderful film documents this process, as well as his process of trying to get iPods with personal playlists on them into the hands of every dementia patient in the country. This is another great example of the healing power of the arts. It also has delightful footage of elders encountering music; footage that reminds me of my work with elders and art-making.