“In a song there is a soul that is eternal.”
Ben Buddy Slack watched his grandmother Teresa (my aunt) deteriorate due to Alzheimer’s.
“Towards the end me and my uncle sang her favourite songs to her. She was pretty unresponsive because she had Alzheimer’s – but when we began to sing she kind of lit up and started tapping her fingers.
I’ll always remember how powerful that was. With her Alzheimer’s the music memory seemed to stay longer than anything else. She’d forget lots of things, but you’d start singing an old song to her and she’d remember all the lyrics and knew them straight away.
Then I thought how nice it would be to have a recording of her singing with us, because she’d always loved music – and that made me think I could do this with more people in hospices.”
Thus the seeds of The Swan Song Project were sown…
In May 2017, Ben began visiting Marie Curie Hospice in Bradford, England.
He has worked with Alan Livett who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2012, to create a “Song for Ginny.” Alan’s swansong recounts their meeting and falling in love, the birth of their 3 children in 1989, 1992 and 1997, early morning starts, football and making a home…
The chorus of Alan’s song is “We can do this.”
Alan Livett and Ben “Buddy” Slack
Maureen Baron has incurable breast cancer and her swansong is called “No fears, no worries.” She was featured on BBC Look North on 11th October which you can view HERE
Maureen Baron with Ben
Ben says “Lots of the songs are very emotive, but its all positive. A lot of them are about people’s strengths and kindnesses…”
You can listen to both Alan and Maureen’s swansongs HERE, together with 9 others. I guarantee they will touch your heart.
“Hospice Family” was written by Victoria Kent, Kathy Roebuck and Ben.
You can listen to “Hospice Family” performed live at the hospice on 14th October 2017 at https://www.facebook.com/TheSwanSongProject/
I wish Ben and all those who participate in The Swan Song Project continued joy and healing in their musical endeavours.
Brigid P. Gallagher is a retired natural medicines therapist, passionate organic gardener and author of “Watching the Daisies- Life lessons on the Importance of Slow,” a holistic memoir dedicated to the art of mindfulness and healing from debilitating illness.
The Swansong Project is a beautiful idea and how lovely to have a recording of your loved one to remember them by. I imagine it would be very moving. Thank you for,sharing this, Brigid.
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My pleasure Kim. I hope we can all leave a Swan Song 🌼
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This post is quite poignant as we have just returned from seeing my husband’s parents who both have Alzheimer’s. Leaving them was tough. In some ways, we are living and seeing the world as who knows what’s around the corner!!
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That is tough Suzanne. This year Ruth who was once my stepdaughter died suddenly and my sister was diagnosed with cancer in April and died on 1 September. Life can truly turn on a sixpence. Every day is precious. 🌼
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At least the Squires parents had the opportunity to reach old age, though unfortunately the quality of life is doesn’t always accompany old age!!. Very sad to lose young family members! Absolutely agree with you that every day is precious.
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Yes. Our health is our wealth.
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It’s true that music is very powerful and affects our brain more than any language. I memorized more music, lyrics than anything else. This is a wonderful post, Brigid!!
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Thank you Miriam. Ben is such a special person. The Swan Song Project will surely grow and help many others. 🌼
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You’re welcome, Brigid!☺
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This is beautiful! This will help so many people through such a heartbreaking disease.
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Thank you. Ben will be thrilled with your comment 🌼
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I too wish the Swansong project all success. Let them spread more and more light and joy around.
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Thank you. They will be thrilled with your kind comments. 🌼
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Such a beautiful project and will make such a difference to so many people. Thank you for sharing this as I had not heard of it before. xxx
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Thank you Heather. It seems to be something unique that is much needed. I hope it blossoms. 🌼🌼🌼
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What a beautiful piece, Brigid, and so personal since it started with your aunt. I love the work Ben is doing and the “No fears, no worries” song is so moving. Music is a language that reaches us in ways words cannot. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you Molly. It is very moving listening to these songs and yet they are not sad but filled with hope and love. 🌼
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That is fantastic.
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Thank you so much for sharing this Brigid. I had never heard of the Swansong Project, so I appreciate the opportunity to learn about such a wonderful endeavor. What a fabulous way to honor and remember those we love!
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Thank you Terri. It is such a wonderful project. I hope it sends out many ripples. Ben is a very special young man. 🌼
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Such an honorable project. And somehow,it is not surprising that music might be the best vehicle to stir up those memories. Wonderful post, B.
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Thank you. It is such a wonderful idea. I hope it blossoms into other much needed places. 🌼
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Music can heal the soul even when it can’t heal the body. And the soul is the most important.
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Yes. I have to agree. 🌼
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This is a beautful idea. I have heard before that people With Alzheimer’s can be so lost to everything and everyone else but respond well to musical memories. Music is so very powerful and can take us back to long-forgotten times, events and even people we once knew. I wish everyone involved all the best with their project. 💜
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Thank you Chris. It is a project that needs to go global. 🌼
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Lovely! I listened to “No Fears, No Worries,” and “Pass On A Smile For Me.” 👏 to the “The Swan Song Project.” As a Reminiscence Coach, I work with groups of wonderful folks who love ❤️ 🎶. If you stay in their lane, they can sing 🎤 every lyric you present. What a joy it is to see their lips moving, and when they sing out, maybe even sway, my heart swells to capacity. It’s failure-free and full of glee. Thanks for sharing Brigid. My foot went to tapping as well.
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Thank you Jen. You are in great company. Singing soothes the soul.
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I cannot imagine life without a song and a toe tap. 😊
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🤗
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This is a truly beautiful and tender post of great humanity. I was deeply moved by it Brigid.
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Thank you Paul. It is a very special project. So many people could benefit from it.🌼
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My mother had dementia the last 2 years of her life, at the end behaving sometimes more like a child, quite tough experience for me to be honest, so I can imagine very well the effects described here!
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Music seems to reach those long forgotten places. Dementia is such a cruel illness.
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Beautiful, beautiful, .. just so, so beautiful. 💙
I haven’t heard of The Swansong Project before, thank you for sharing Daisies, it’s touched my heart in so many ways.
May this beautiful thing bloom and grow.
Sending my love ~ Cobs. x
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Thank you Cobs. It is such a special project that needs to go global. Ben will be thrilled with all the beautiful comments. Hugs to you dear Cobs. 🌼🌼🌼
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Thanks for an enlightening post Brigid, so delighted to learn about this project. Music possesses magnificent healing powers! It soothes the soul and enlivens the heart.
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Thank you Balroop. It sure does. I cannot imagine life without music. 🌼
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What a beautiful project – just lovely. Life is fragile and when we leave expectedly or unexpectedly it is often music that touched us that in turn touches others triggering memories of how things were. To be able to lay down some music for that searing limbo that those we leave behind will suffer is surely a marvellous gift. And what a wonderful play on words.
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Thank you Osyth. Ben will be thrilled with your heartfelt comments. 🌼
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This is a wonderful idea, Brigid. Thank you for sharing.
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My pleasure Robbie. It was a privelege to share it. 😊
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[…] via The Swansong Project — Watching the Daisies […]
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Thank you.
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WOW!!!! This is a beautiful project, Brigid. Thank you for sharing it. God, it’s so inspiring to see what one person can do when they are touched and share their heart!!!! Thanks for including the video too – makes it come more alive. I love love love this! Blessings to you, and love Brigid – Debbie
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Thank you Debbie. I just had to create a post on Ben’s project. It will surely blossom and help so many people. 🌼
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Heartwarming, Brigid. Sharing on Pinterest and will go back to add a link here from a couple of my past articles on the power of music for minds that have begun to let go of life. Watch for pings.
xx,
mgh
(Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
ADD/EFD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
“It takes a village to transform a world!
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Thank you Madelyn. I am planning to start posting on Pinterest but I need to get clear on how to use it first. I shall just have to take the plunge 😉xx
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It doesn’t take long – once you have your boards set up, which simply takes a bit of thinking about how you plan to use it. Watch out – most people find it addicting.
It’s not as useful as it was when I first used it (FaceBook has since taken over and made a bunch of changes immediately that led to a day-long user boycott, actually) – but it’s easy to pin once you’ve got it set up.
You can start small – just jump in.
xx,
mgh
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Thanks for the tips. I have avoided it till now as I wanted to get Facebook and Twitter up and running first but I think my photographs are nudging me…xx
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It is the quickest of the Socials, so I am told (as long as FB leaves it along, that is).
xx,
mgh
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[…] The SwanSong Project – inspiring! […]
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[…] Inspiring post on the SwanSong Project […]
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Did you know that the erm Swan Song comes from the fact that the only sound that comes from a swan is at death. This is a very moving post about a remarkable project.
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I did not know that Bernadette. I used to live in a cottage with swans swimming in the lake behind my home. I hope the project expands and helps many more.
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What a beautiful idea Brigid– my mother-in-law has dementia, and my father-in-law wakes her up i the mornings singing a hymn– and she often joins in. She still has a sweet voice. Thanks for sharing this… hugs hugs!
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That is such a beautiful way to start the day Rhonda. Hugs.
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Such a lovely and heartwarming post. I have never heard of the Swansong Project before and so glad I know about it now. May it continue to grow and prosper. Very near and dear to my heart. Thank you so much for sharing! xo
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Thank you. I think it will blossom into something huge. X
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