So many people have been affected by Alzheimer’s disease. My mother was afflicted with it for approximately 10 years before she passed away, and recently my wife and I were the caretakers of my wife’s mother, who also had the illness. It is a very difficult disease to deal with, as the persons’ physical body is still there, but the mind and personality have vanished. This puts an added strain on the caretakers, as the person with the disease is still present, but does not recognize anyone in their family or remember any of the events that shaped their life.
Since this had such an impact on my family, many of my songs were influenced by the experience. “Before I Forget” was composed to reflect the sadness of losing one’s memory. “For Jean” was composed for my wife’s mother as she sat on a couch listening to me play the piano. It is a bitter sweet journey of her life. Even though Jean has passed away, we hope to continue to bring awareness to this problem. One thing worth mentioning is Jean never lost her ear for music. Despite losing her memory of people and events, whenever she heard my playing one of my songs she was able to hum along to the melody.
About the author
Greg Maroney is a Modern Romantic solo piano artist who has composed and recorded 12 CD’s of original piano music. His music is heard around the globe, and it is his hope that the music makes the world a better place for all of us.
Hi, I got here through trying to find a Vo-Cal practitioner. Then I found a fantastically long list of resources compiled by a beautiful woman who lives in my town, Santa Cruz, CA. But a form to submit at “alternative-doctor.com” did not work… Can you help me contact these fantastic people please? (I’m a classically-trained musician with many interests…) -sj