In 1697, William Congreve wrote in a play called The Mourning Bride, “Musick hath charms to soothe a savage beast…” The phrase has remained in use even though the play has long been forgotten. Whatever Congreve intended by the phrase, it has long been used to indicate the calming effect of music on troubled minds & hearts. Recently a friend shared an article with me about the use of music as therapy for those with dementia. This was very timely due to my wife Sue’s recent struggles. We have arranged through Compassion, a hospice company, for Sue to have music therapy. We had our first visit recently. The visit was quite helpful. The therapist, a young woman with a sweet voice & gentle manner, brought her guitar and played and sang to Sue. The interaction between the two was quite lovely. For about 45 minutes, there were hymns, pop songs & old favorites that Sue recognized. Her responses & the calmness on her face reflected her pleasure at the songs. Sue often closed her eyes & let the music flow over her. After the therapist left, we talked & Sue was quite glad to know that the Music Therapist would be back at least every other week. I was amazed at how responsive Sue was to the visit. Her countenance was brighter & her communication clearer & more to the point for a while afterward. Sue’s heart could hardly be called savage unless she was defending children or those in any way abused, but the calming effect of the music was very obvious to me. It is amazing how music evokes in each of us memories that we treasure. The last thing that Jesus & his disciples did before they went out to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray was to sing a hymn together.