My friend Anita has suggested a mantra for growing older (nofallingnofallingnofalling). Having spent more than a little time trailing after an extraordinarily shaky old lady, I do not believe that this mantra has the proper rhythm to keep an old person upright. I found that singing "The Hokey Pokey" with gentle taps to the appropriate foot had just the rhythm for easy ambulation.
Dr. Frederick Carrick of the Carrick Institute searched for music to stay upright by, registering one clinical trail with the NIH under the title "Fall Prevention in a Geriatric Nursing Home Setting Using the Music of Nolwenn Leroy."* Who then is Nolwenn Leroy?
She is a 25 year old French pop star who's shuffle along music can be found at Nolwenn Sings for the Unsteady. While Dr. Carrick found her tuneskys superior to other musicians including Mozart for modulating the gait of walkers walking with walkers, I don't get it. I'd sooner do the Hokey Pokey myself.
_____
*"Music to stand bolt upright to."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
How about this one from Paul Simon? The lyrics are good anyway. It happens that once I heard this song on the muzak system in a mall as I tumbled embarrassingly down the escalator. You've got to learn how to laugh too!
Learn to Fall by Paul Simon
"You got to learn how to fall
Before you learn to fly
And mama, mama it aint no lie
Before you learn to fly
Learn how to fall
You got to drift in the breeze
Before you set your sails
Its an occupation where the wind prevails
Before you set your sails
Drift in the breeze
Oh and its the same old story
Ever since the world began
Everybody got the runs for glory
Nobody stop and scrutinize the plan
Nobody stop and scrutinize the plan
You got to learn how to fall
Before you learn to fly
The tank towns they tell no lie
Before you learn to fly
Learn how to fall"
I sang this to my mom all the time when she was still ambulatory. Now, I sing it to her at night, hoping she will refrain from hopping over the rails of her hospital bed. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Thank God, no broken bones. . . .yet.
the thing is that frederick R. Carrick is a big fan of NOlwenne leroy. He is subscribed to many fans forums of the singer under the nickname "ted" or "tedd", where he had expressed his will to make her famous.
The mysterious thing is that he only names the music of Leroy , the others musics used are strangely anonymous!
the study seems to be clearly biased.
Post a Comment