A MUSICIAN living with dementia has been awarded a prestigious prize after his improvised piece of music topped the charts.
Paul Harvey, who lives in Buxted near Uckfield, said he was “honoured” to have won an Outstanding Achievement Award at the Dementia Hero Awards.
The 80-year-old was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2019 and was presented with the award for his piano improvisation, ‘Four Notes’ which went viral last year and was later recorded by The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
The track entered the UK Top 40 charts with all the proceeds from the single's sales going to Alzheimer’s Society and Music for Dementia.
Paul, who taught at Imberhorne School in East Grinstead, attended the virtual awards ceremony on Thursday last week alongside his son Nick.
Paul said: “There were amazing finalists in the category who deserved to win.
“It was very moving to watch the ceremony and I was really quite shocked to win.
“I love music and I took my first exam when I was just four years old. When I was 15, I got the top marks in Britain for Grade 8 on the piano.
“When I was 18, I moved from Stoke-on-Trent to London to attend the Guildhall School of Music.
“Dementia is now on everyone’s lips and we’re talking about it more than ever. We never used to talk about dementia.”
Nick said that his dad’s memory of his incredible rise to fame is “patchy”, but his determination is a testament to the “astonishing” power of music.
He said: “In September last year I filmed dad playing the piano and posted it on social media. Within hours, it had gone viral.
“Before we knew it, we were being interviewed on Radio 4, BBC Breakfast and Good Morning Britain.
“Inspired by dad’s improvisation, Phillip Schofield even set dad the task of playing a piece of music using four different notes and dad then created a new piece of music live on This Morning that ended up making Holly Willoughby cry.
"The message is also out there – that the power of music is an astonishing, transformational force for good for people with dementia.
“The right music at the right time can be so powerful. Music is all around us and it’s free.
“It’s an incredible resource, not just for people with dementia but also for those who care for them. Music connects people.”
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