Pauline Grogan Photo: Supplied / Pauline Grogan
Pauline Grogan grew up surrounded by music - as a child, as a nun in a convent, then as a mother and as a funeral celebrant.
When a friend suffered a stroke, she turned that passion into a book, "Music Ignites My Soul", focusing on the healing power of music for those in care.
Then she suffered two strokes herself, and to her horror discovered the damage to her brain made it impossible for her to listen to loud music live. The opera and classical music concerts she'd loved so much now caused her intense pain.
Some might see such a cruel twist of fate as a sign to give up, but Grogan turned to music even more.
She found new ways to listen, and new music to embrace, from out of which has come another book: "Miss adventure - healing with music".
Speaking to RNZ Concert host Bryan Crump, Grogan remains convinced music can play a key role in alleviating suffering, especially for those in care.
While live orchestras and operas are now too much for her, recordings of her favourite tunes, especially tunes from childhood, filled the void.
Music like Mendelssohn’s oratorio "Elijah", or the folk tune "Danny Boy".
Care homes often don't know, or are reluctant to use music, Grogan says, but that needn't stop families starting work on creating playlists for their kaumātua.
Start asking your parents and grandparents now, she says, about the beloved tunes of their childhood.
