(57) PD: staying in tune 😊

Dopamine & my happy triggers

A recent article on what are regarded as "feel-good transmitters*" by Watson (2024) entitled Dopamine: The pathway to pleasure is an informative, easy-to-read piece of writing, particularly for us People with Parkinson's (PwP). It touches what is at the heart of today's post, namely, what makes me happy! But first, dear reader, some context so we can all connect the dots.  [*NB Besides dopamine, there are three other feel-good transmitters: serotonin, endorphins and oxytocins.]

According to Watson, dopamine also helps us "...feel pleasure as part of the brain's reward system. Sex, shopping, smelling cookies baking in the oven — all these things can trigger dopamine release...[and] this feel-good neurotransmitter is also involved in reinforcement [so] once we try one of those cookies, we might come back for another one (or two, or three). The darker side of dopamine is the intense feeling of reward people feel when they take drugs, such as heroin or cocaine...". Dopamine shortage in PwP has been covered in previous posts so I shan't repeat the obvious. Sadly, in my present parkinsed life, the 'sex' and 'shopping' are absent but other pleasure factors that are still alive and well are music and photographs and my family. 

Music

I learnt to play the piano and to read music when I was at high school - more than 50 years ago - during which time I also spent four years as a drummer in a band. After I left high school I discovered the joy being able to play by ear - i.e. without sheet music - and that ability has given me much happiness on my own. Unfortunately, during the last few years, my right hand has become inactive and stiff resulting in my not being able to play my electronic keyboard with both hands. So, what are alternative happy triggers?

 

Five years ago I bought a versatile and compact music centre (similar to the one in the pic) which has a record/vinyl player, cassette player, CD player, bluetooth capability as well as a FM radio. The sound quality is not great but quite acceptable.  

Naturally, I still have collections of long-playing records (LPs/Vinyls), audio-cassettes as well as compact discs (CDs). They range from rock to R&B to classical/orchestral to jazz to blues, from South Africa and from the rest of the world. Now that I am unable to play my keyboard, my wife regularly plays these CDs, LPs or cassettes. 

Music brings me much joy and warmth and always, temporarily, counters the Parkinson's zone which often engulfs me. Music can be powerful, and an equivalent of an over-the-counter drug! 

BREAKFAST I used to start every weekday by watching TV news for at least 90 minutes while having breakfast. My wife observed that, too often, the news would be depressing and cause me to become moody. So, two years ago, I changed my habit to starting my day and breakfast with one of many DMX music channels available on DSTV (cable TV). I start my weekday with an hour of DMX "Beautiful Instrumentals" (DSTV channel 784) or "Contemporary Instrumentals"(DSTV channel 785). Besides starting my day on the right note :-), I now recognise subtle differences in artists' signature styles, e.g. between pianists Richard Clayderman and Floyd Cramer. 

GENERAL Over weekends we tune into LM Radio (DSTV channel 821) historically one of the older Southern African music radio stations now also available online and broadcasting from Gauteng. Their focus, seven days a week is exclusively music from the 1960s-1990s. I am always happy when listening to familiar sounds of Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Cliff Richard, Santana, Herb Alpert, The Beatles, Herman's Hermits, The Flames, The Dealians, etc.  

During the afternoons and some evenings, I listen to a local Kwazulu-Natal music radio station called East Coast Radio (DSTV channel 836) that plays mainly contemporary pop. While cycling, I generally listen to "Smooth Jazz" (DSTV channel 785). 

INTERPRETATIONS Whilst at high school, a friend came across a rock band called Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP). Around 1971 they released an album of a live concert called Pictures at an Exhibition and we - a group of five - were hooked. We listened to it over weekends for months and knew each of the ten pictures and accompanying tunes quite well. 

A few years later - long before the internet - I stumbled across Russian music composers one of whom was Modest Mussorgsky and discovered that he was the original composer of a piano suite describing an exhibition of ten of Viktor Hartmann's original Pictures at an exhibition. ELP rose in my esteem!

Recently, when searching for background music I came across a piece called The Hall of the Mountain King by Grieg which was familiar to my ear. I wondered if there had been a modern interpretation of it and sure enough, Apocaliptica had a rock version of The Hall of the Mountain King. Such interpretations will allow for a greater audience appreciation of music, both classical and contemporary. You too, dear reader, should keep an eye and ear open for such examples as those two above. 

JAZZ And I would like to share another example of how musicians are able to reshape their craft. I am a jazz lover and a huge fan of American quartet Fourplay. At least two of the band members - pianist Bob James and bassist Nathan East - have also produced a few solo albums. I was fortunate to have seen them live in South Africa. I was even more impressed when I came across their 2013 Live in Tokyo concert performing by themselves (Act I) for the first 34 minutes. Then (Act II) they performed with the New Japan Philharmonic which included some original compositions. They are truly creative craftsmen. 

Conclusion

I still have a few DVDs of music concerts that are my all-time favourites: Celine Dion live in Las Vegas; Santana Supernatural live; The Shadows - The Final Tour. And if you are/were a Cliff Richard & The Shadows fan here is a link to their Final Reunion 2009.

We PwP, as regularly and as often as possible, need to remind ourselves to be happy. Keep the dopamine flowing. And I will continue to listen to music every day. Till next time, dear reader: HaPpY HoLiDaYs.

😀When you pass a mirror, look into it & smile!😀

😀When you pass a mirror, look into it & smile!😀

😀When you pass a mirror, look into it & smile!😀

😀When you pass a mirror, look into it & smile!😀