New Song, The Window, Captures Hearts
New York City, New York Mar 16, 2021 (Issuewire.com) - When songwriter Keira Wesley (New York, NY) first experienced her dad's memory problems, firsthand, it was during a surprise trip she made during a summer family reunion in Texas. She had flown in to surprise her parents, Clarence and Peggy Wesley. Keira spoke to her parents by phone daily, and she noticed that her father wasn't processing their typical business discussions. He was having trouble writing business plans and had described the newfound deficiency as a "fuzzy mind." Her mother had also been sharing concerns, like confusion and getting dates and times mixed up. However, her dad, Clarence, was still driving and attending meetings. He, in fact, with some initial family concern, had driven from Wichita, Kansas to Dallas, Texas, with his wife, Peggy, for the reunion. He had never allowed her to drive on road trips during their entire 50 years of marriage and they were steadfast in their set tradition. Keira noticed, then, that he had moments of confusion, but as the keynote speaker at the dinner, he was as lucid and captivating as ever. During public interaction, he was on and at the center. Keira only knew her dad as a strong leader, in the community, and within the family. And he was her hero.
Within a year after the reunion, the memory problems of Keira's dad worsened, and to all of their surprise, he suddenly stopped teaching without explanation. He was retired, but in his retirement, he enjoyed substitute teaching and the students enjoyed him even more. He had a special way of teaching and storytelling that captivated them. It had become too confusing for him. He was losing a sense of time and days of the week were not processing for him. Although he was still driving and going to several advisory board meetings, life had become challenging for him and especially for Keira's mom. Her mother started finding new ways to help him through the days. She used a large calendar in the kitchen to mark off days and help him have some semblance of clarity in scheduling. At his essence, he was still the intellectual, the leader, a man of accomplishment and stature. He would arrive at his meetings hours early by his commitment to promptness yet increasing inability to measure time.
The months followed with a rapid downward spiral. The powerful patriarch had lost mental grip, becoming delusional and paranoid, dangerously wandering at times, until finally, the hard decision had to be made for his care. That was the first blow. Keira explains, "My dad was strong at 79, he worked out daily with weights and hit a boxing bag, and suddenly he had to be forced into submission, physically and chemically. His mind had been brilliant. He was a master in economics and served two White House administrations. I was devastated. My family was devastated and it almost tore us apart." After the smoke cleared, the family began to adjust to a new normal. They made daily visits and made sure, as his advocates, that he was properly cared for in a facility. And then, blow number two, the COVID-19 shutdown. Now, the family, like millions of others, had to turn Clarence totally over to the care of a facility without oversight. That was devastating. The devastation didn't stop there. The virus spread through Clarence's facility and he was not spared. COVID-19 took him to the edge, which looked as though he may succumb, however, he miraculously pulled through.
The Window visits became a new ritual. "It was hard because we never wanted him to feel alone or abandoned. And we especially were afraid of the possibility of mistreatment," Keira shared. Keira, an award-winning publisher, and entertainment producer has been living in New York for more than twenty years. Her entire industry shutdown, including the company where she was working. Events were canceled and everything had an eerie uncertainty. In order to cope, Keira reached back to her childhood/adolescent training of music, vocalizing daily, practicing piano and guitar, and songwriting. She calls it a place of surrender, "I'm one that pockets pain or grief until my heart is ready to express it. I think music does that best for me."
Keira was commissioned to record a remake for a fundraiser by way of colleagues familiar with her story, but she tells us that she never intended to record an entire album. Her debut album, Sonic Comfort was released at the end of 2020. The hole in her heart for her communion with her dad still ached and needed more comfort of expression and one day during a conversation with her mom, the idea for The Window hit. "The lyrics were instant, but finding the right collaboration came again by my surrendering," she says. Keira teamed up with multi-instrumentalist, hit songwriter, Native Son, and The Window birthed.
More than 50 million people worldwide are diagnosed with Alzheimer's/dementia. The Window has captured the hearts of many and gives lyrical imagery of a ballerina that "can still kick but her mind won't click," and of a handsome star football player that "now his mind forgets and his murmuring words just don't make sense." The acoustic vibration gives the song a personal feeling of comfort and warmth as the song goes on to describe our own quarantine insecurities, with our personal windows being just as foggy as those living with dementia, singing, "our eyes just stare at the foggy glare out the window." The song ends in perfect harmonies created by singer Angela Scott that bring it home. The song was released by BedRoc Records, March 10, 2021, on all platforms, including Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal.
Listen here: The Window - Single by Keira Wesley on Apple Music
Media Contact
Cedric Beasley
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Source :alzfundsforfamilies.org
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