Insights and information
about music, brain health, aging, and much more.
Friends are good for your health
Healthy relationships and social interactions can dramatically impact your health, longevity, and overall well-being; study upon study suggests that having friends improves mood, heart rate, and blood pressure, and reduces the likelihood of dying from stroke,...
Guess Who’s Singing Beside You? Sheila Fleming
If you happen to board the southbound CTA No.147 bus on a Tuesday morning, you may encounter Sheila Fleming en route to the weekly rehearsal of the Good Memories Choir. Sheila is one of the volunteers who provides both vocal and emotional support for Good Memories...
Guess who’s singing beside you? Teel Miller
Photographer, chiropractor, and a tenor in many Sounds Good Choirs.Teel Miller on Chicago's lakefront. (photo courtesy of Wil Miller)If you sing tenor in any of the Sounds Good choirs, the singer standing next to you at your concert could well be Teel Miller. While...
Just in Time
I used to ignore articles that say cognitive decline slows if I eliminate sugar or play bridge. I found workarounds instead. When I lost my numbers, I set up automatic payments with the bank to pay bills. I can never remember if choir practice is on the fourth or...
Music & Memories: Songs that Light the Corners of our Minds
Just as Barbara Streisand sings about her “misty, water-colored memories,” in the film, “The Way We Were,” we asked you for the titles of songs and the specific memories they evoke. You didn’t disappoint. Thank you for sharing your responses with us!“The Wedding Song”...
Music, Memory, and Chocolate Custard
The summer I was 13, and the following two summers, before I turned 16 and could apply for a “real” job, I worked at Tasty Freeze, a local frozen custard shop owned by a friend of my older brother, Jack. I suppose there was some abuse of child-labor rules, but I loved...