5th Annual Broadway Alzheimer's iPod Drive Returns This August

Dave Roth, Broadway musician and Alzheimer's advocate, is announcing the launch of the 5th Annual Broadway Alzheimer's iPod Drive beginning August 1st and running through August 19th.

Dave's mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease and was stripped of awareness and language for the 3 years prior to her death this last year. He introduced his mother to an iPod filled with her favorite music and watched her sing words that he hadn't heard her speak in years. Unfortunately now his father also suffers from the same disease

Roth's inspiration was the Sundance award-winning documentary Alive Inside, which follows the work of Dan Cohen and his organization Music & Memory (www.musicandmemory.org). Dan is a trained social worker with a background in technology and realized there was a perfect marriage to be had with both. He has been spending the better part of a decade introducing iPods into facilities that care for those with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Specifically targeting music that speaks to that particular patient in an effort to recall memories and emotions from their past. The results are absolutely astounding! Patients that are in a catatonic state or are detached are awakened and move, sing and even converse about what they are experiencing through the music. Of course, as a musician Roth was not surprised by the power of this music but seeing it first hand was still incredibly moving and inspiring.

Through the documentary, Dan related the frustrations of trying to convince these institutions to spend the minuscule money on listening devices only to find they were much more inclined to spend thousands more on psychotropic drugs to sedate these patients. "That really resonated with me," said Roth. "I knew that there was something I could do and more importantly something my community of fellow musicians and artists could do."

Roth and CaringKind NYC (The Heart of Alzheimer's Caregiving) has once again reached out to those onstage and in the pit to help spread the word about this amazing project. "So many people have used iPods sitting in drawers or boxes and I thought this is the most beautiful recycling program ever," Roth said. "I'm thrilled to have Kristin Chenoweth, Jonathan Groff, Laura Michelle Kelly, John Eric Parker and the casts of many contribute to this year's video."

Check it out below!

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You can mail or drop off your used iPod, Apple listening device and chargers to:

AFM Local 802

322 West 48th Street, 5th Floor

New York, NY, 10036

OR

CaringKind NYC

The Heart of Alzheimer's Caregiving

360 Lexington, 4th Floor

New York, NY 10017

We also accept monetary donations towards the purchase of a new iPod. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/BroadwayAlzheimersiPodDrive.