In this blog post, I’ll explore the relationship between music and memory as depicted in the documentary “Alive Inside,” as well as the realities of nursing homes and issues within the healthcare system.
Reasons for Selecting This Work
Music holds memories. I am no exception. There’s “Butterfly” by Loveholics, which I heard by chance while studying in the library during my third year of college entrance exam prep and cried my eyes out to; and “I’m Hurt by That Person” by Epitone Project, which I listened to on repeat every day after my first failed romance, shedding tears like a tragic heroine in a movie. Since these memories are so old, I sometimes forget about them, but whenever I’m walking down the street or hear a song I used to love playing on TV or the radio, I find myself briefly lost in nostalgia.
Not long ago, my maternal grandmother, who had been battling dementia, passed away. Until her final moments, she had no idea who she was or why she was in the hospital. That’s why this documentary resonated with me so deeply. Seeing dementia patients—whom I had assumed knew nothing and remembered nothing—enjoying themselves and getting excited while listening to songs filled with their own memories surprised me and made me reflect.
Summary of the Documentary’s Sequences
#1. Dan proposes the documentary project to Director Michael and launches a project to play songs for dementia patients. What was initially planned as a one-day shoot turns into a three-year long-term project. #2. Changes in the dementia patients: Grandpa Henry’s eyes change, his expression begins to light up, and he starts sharing memories related to the songs. Denish, after listening to the music, puts away his walker for the first time in two years and begins to dance. #3. A movement emerges to purchase audio equipment for dementia patients in nursing homes. #4. Criticism of the U.S. healthcare system: The film points out the reality that patients are merely given medication as a formality, with little attention paid to their overall well-being. #5. Dan’s efforts to secure sponsorship for music players: He calls various organizations to request sponsorship but is mostly turned down; Dan attends the Pioneer Network Long-Term Care Conference. #6. Receiving funding for audio devices: Grants sufficient to purchase audio devices arrive from 35 nursing homes. #7. Installing music players in nursing homes. #8. Grandpa Henry’s story is uploaded to YouTube, reaching many people who realize the amazing power of music, and interest spreads.
Form and Theme Analysis
‘Alive Inside’ is a participatory documentary driven by interviews. Through interviews with patients currently suffering from dementia—such as Henry, Denish, Norman, and Mary Lou—and their families, the film draws out stories related to life and memories. Within its one-hour runtime, it addresses not only the remarkable therapeutic effects of music on dementia, issues with the U.S. nursing home system, and the quality of life for the elderly, but also the fundamental relationship between music and humanity.
Director Michael criticizes American society for attempting to solve elderly care issues as a matter of “health insurance rather than social welfare.” Many of the elderly in the film are institutionalized after suddenly losing the lives they had built, spending their remaining days merely taking medication until they die. Their reactions manifest as a state of despair, ranging from seeking escape, being unable to control their anger, or remaining completely unresponsive. A vicious cycle continues in which hospitals overprescribe antipsychotic drugs to pacify these individuals.
Simply by listening to songs they once loved, these elderly people regain their vitality and recall their long-forgotten youth. An elderly person who could not remember their own name or their children becomes excited about themselves after listening to music, dancing, crying, and laughing. Witnessing these changes, Dan resolves to provide personal audio equipment to nursing homes in the U.S.
However, within the healthcare system, nursing homes cannot receive personal audio equipment (MP3 players and headphones) as part of their support services, and the facilities themselves cannot afford to implement them. When someone uploaded a short video the director had made to YouTube, many people were moved and began to join in, creating a small miracle.
Other Thoughts
The inhumane healthcare system and the sight of elderly people spending meaningless days like vegetative patients in nursing homes are not problems unique to the United States; they are not unfamiliar in Korea either. That is why I could deeply empathize with the issues raised in *Alive Inside*. What impressed me most about this film was that it didn’t stop at merely exposing the problem; it used scientific evidence to demonstrate that music is an indispensable part of life—as essential as food—and should naturally accompany our existence. I particularly appreciated the message that music is already inherent in human nature from the moment of our first heartbeat, as well as the hopeful message that we can create a better world through music.
