Music helps composer with dementia find new lease on life
Paul Harvey is an unlikely pop star. The 81-year-old musician and composer has dementia, which badly affects his memory and communication skills. But his musical talent remains intact. And when his son, Nick, invited him to perform a favorite party trick, composing a tune from a handful of random notes, it set in motion an amazing series of events that made Paul world famous.
Watch above for the moment Paul got his dream gig, performing with the legendary BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
Video of Paul's composition, entitled “Four Notes,” soon went viral. It was then turned into a single, which became a top-40 hit on the UK charts.
Proceeds from the record, totaling more than a million pounds, went to two charities: the Alzheimer's Society and Music for Dementia.
Music for Dementia advocates music as part of the treatment process for people suffering from dementia. And a year later, they arranged for Paul to play the gig of a lifetime with the world-famous BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
With full accompaniment, Paul first performed “Four Notes” on the piano and then conducted the orchestra in a rendition of another of his compositions, “Where's the Sunshine.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Music helps composer with dementia find new lease on life
