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Music has always been a vital part of Jim L.’s life.
Jim, now age 65, spent many years working at Chicago financial exchanges, and then worked as a project accountant for an engineering firm for more than a decade. But, his true passion is playing guitar, singing and writing music.
In fact, he has been a member of several different local rock bands throughout the years. Most notably, he was in a band that performed frequently on the Chicago club scene throughout their eight-year run, as well as at notable out-of-town venues as far away as Los Angeles and Liverpool, England.
However, Jim said a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) when he was 56 “threw a wrench” in his ability to play music. PD is a neurodegenerative disorder in which individuals experience progressive symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, slowing of movement and balance issues.
Though Jim didn’t initially experience tremors, oftentimes an early symptom of PD, he started to notice that his right hand and the right side of his body “wouldn’t cooperate.” He found himself lifting his right arm with the assistance of his left arm. His right arm didn’t sway properly when walking. One time, while trying to catch his train for work, Jim said his body just completely froze up, causing him to trip on the train platform and sending his coffee and backpack flying.
Jim also has arthritis, which compounded his early PD symptoms. Over time, he started to have difficulty playing music, especially because his hands hurt and movement on the right side of his body was limited.
“I started to experience symptoms, but I was in denial for at least a year before my diagnosis,” said Jim. “Basically, I thought it was all over for me with music.”
Discovering Interdisciplinary Care for PD
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Over the next few years, Jim’s symptoms progressed to the point where he was not able to walk very well, putting him at risk for falls. It was then that he discovered the Parkinson’s Disease & Movement Disorders Program at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. The program offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary clinic with intensive therapy for PD and other movement disorders; proactive programs for early intervention; and programming such as boot camps, adaptive fitness and support groups.
To support Jim’s motor skills, he started to participate in physical therapy and occupational therapy three days a week at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s Homewood DayRehab Center®.
Jim also received speech-language therapy in DayRehab. PD can affect the muscles used for speaking and swallowing, leading to soft or slurred speech and affecting communication and swallowing for some individuals.
During therapy, Jim learned how PD was impacting the mechanics of his speech. He worked on exercises and learned strategies to help him manage his speech challenges.
Speech Therapy & Parkinson’s Conversation Group Inspire a Return to Music
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As Jim built skills in speech-language therapy, at long last he realized music was no longer in the rearview mirror for him.
“There were early signs of control loss when speaking. My speech was shallow, and my voice was hoarse. I didn’t think I could sing anymore,” said Jim. “Speech therapy got me back to music.”
He also joined the Parkinson’s Conversation Group, which is offered in person at the Homewood DayRehab Center as well as virtually. The group provides a supportive environment for participants like Jim to share their experiences with PD, learn from each other and make meaningful connections.
Jim said the speech-language therapy he received, along with his participation in the conversation group, gave him the confidence to return to his musical passions. He started writing his first song in many years, and he started singing once again.
“The discovery I had was that music wasn’t totally dormant. I could resurrect it,” he said.
Building Confidence to Reach a Musical Milestone
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Today, Jim composes original music and records his songs at home, using a digital and audio workstation as well as instruments, microphones and other equipment he still has from his years of being in bands.
Before PD, he would start the writing process with the guitar. Now, no longer able to play the guitar as a result of his symptoms, he purchased a small keyboard and uses it to create melodies — writing lyrics and other instrumental parts as he goes along, experimenting until he is satisfied.
“Music is an escape from Parkinson’s disease for me. On top of it being creative, writing and recording provides a lot of cognitive stimulation, too,” he said.
Recently, Jim achieved his biggest musical triumph yet: completing a full album of 10 tracks — nearly 40 minutes of music composed, produced and performed by Jim himself.
Today Jim is retired from his job and, though he is unable to drive anymore, he is able to walk with a cane. He lives independently and remains focused on his music.
“Life has changed for me very drastically,” he said. “My advice is to try to get around your obstacles and keep the creative thing going somehow. There’s a good chance you’ll figure a way through it if you work around the limitation.”
