Insights and information
about music, brain health, aging, and much more.
Attitudes about Aging
In a recent interview with The Village Chicago, I mentioned that our Sounds Good Choir concerts put a public face on what it looks like to be an older adult, and that that face contradicts some of our cultural stereotypes on aging. When people see us performing...
The 1,000 Ways We Show Love
We had our first Good Memories rehearsal last week. It was a joyous occasion. Several singing volunteers were there today, people who hadn’t sung with us since the spring. This reunion is a happy time with lots of hugs. Also, five new singers joined the choir—two...
The Benefits of Gratitude
I hadn’t thought about Dr. Robert Emmons in a long time, but a few weeks ago, a New York Times article referred to a psychology colleague who is doing some fascinating research on the topic of gratitude. Emmons, a social psychologist at the University of...
Preventing Dementia
Jonathan and I were recently in a meeting with the chairpersons of the departments of Neurology from both the University of Chicago and Northwestern medical centers. We were struck by the fact that, although they mentioned a future for medication, both of their...
Classic Rock: A Primer for the Ages
If you’ve ever driven across the country without any means of curating your own playlist, you’ve undoubtedly turned on the radio to stifle the monotony of the wheels-on-asphalt roar. In between the static and proselytizing evangelists of every religious and political...
Purpose in Life
In an undergraduate Psychology class, I read a little book by Victor Frankl entitled, Man’s Search for Meaning. It’s one of those books that had an impact on me at the time, and an even greater impact on my work as a clinical psychologist. The author was an Austrian...