Throughout our entire lives music is there for us.
We retain memories of our favorite songs when we were young, and recall the music that was there for us in the most pivotal and precious moments. There is no doubt that music holds immense power and influence in our lives. Even when we’re stripped of some of our most critical faculties, music has a way of penetrating the most lonesome of barriers.
Meet 79-year-old Paul Harvey. He is facing one of nature’s cruelest fates: dementia.
While his age is a big factor in the diagnosis, he hasn’t let the ailment prevail in many parts of his life, including music.
He wasn’t sure if he’d remember how to play one of his old compositions, but when he sat down at the piano the memories flooded him and he played flawlessly.
As the song came back to him, his son Nick captured the moment on video and uploaded it to Twitter. There, the post received more than half a million views in less than 24 hours, with many people requesting the piano score for the featured tune.
Nick, who writes music for television, penned this caption for the video:
“Dad has dementia. Sometimes he drifts into another world and I feel like I’m losing him. He is never more present, however, than when he plays the piano. He came to mine today and I asked him to play one of his compositions. He thought he wouldn’t be able to remember it.”
The response was overwhelming.
The former composer and concert pianist played a piece entitled “Where’s the Sunshine” that he composed in the 1980s as a music director of a British secondary school.
Nick eagerly recorded his father’s recollection, stating to the Washington Post:
“I didn’t know how many more chances I’d get to capture him playing like that.”
He was unsure if his father would be able to remember the piece, and in the video it’s clear that Paul was a little unsure of it himself.
But astonishingly, he recalled the piece for a truly heartwarming moment.
Harvey’s son has consistently applauded his father’s music, revealing that like many of his compositions for school productions, this one could have “easily been good enough for the West End stage.”
This beautiful composition will surely fill your ears with love and your eyes with tears!
Nick was able to track down the sheet music for the song, but his father didn’t need it. Despite his dementia, he played the entire song from memory.
The viral Tweet flooded with comments of appreciation and adoration.
Nick replied, letting everyone know that his father was incredibly touched by the outpouring:
“He deserves wider recognition. He has more talent in his little finger than most people have in their whole body.”
The tweet even caught the attention of British singer-songwriter Emeli Sande who responded with a heartfelt comment:
“Thank you for sharing this personal moment. Your dad’s composition is beautiful. Listening to him play, I am reminded of the healing power of music and the refuge it provides for us. Love to your dad and family and all others suffering with dementia.”
One watch will have the tears overflowing, so ready your tissues for this beautiful moment forever stamped in time.
Check it out for yourself in the video linked below!
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