It's not just numbers! Music “connects” us to each other and to memories. Music is Transformative! On a daily basis, those in skilled nursing and similar facilities benefit from music that boosts moods, encourages exercise, discourages isolation and promotes overall mental and physical health. In a recent article in Practical Neurology entitled “Music and Dementia: An Overview” it was noted that music “is a unique and powerful stimulus for reaffirming personal identity and social connectedness in individuals with dementia…” Recent findings suggest that that music delays cognitive decline and promotes brain plasticity in the elderly brain. Music can elicit emotions and memories and help provide a link to a person’s past and promote interconnection with caregivers and others - I've experienced this first hand with my own family. A few weeks before her passing, I and my mother visited my grandmother. It was shortly before Thanksgiving and my grandmother was living in small community with others who were suffering from dementia. At the time, my grandmother no longer recognized me or my mother. After we had been there a while, my mother asked my grandmother if she would “like Bobby to sing” for her – her face immediately changed to one of recognition and suddenly, my grandmother was my grandmother again. I started singing some traditional hymns and before long, all the residents were singing along with us. That was a pivotal moment for me and showed me how powerful a connection music can be.