Credits: La Opinión / Ph: Alejandro López
At 100 years old, Mercedes Peck still lights up the moment music starts playing – and for her family, it’s become a window into memories that Alzheimer’s has otherwise clouded.
This story follows her monthly sessions with our music therapist Hadley Rentz, who uses boleros and rancheras from Mercedes’s youth to unlock moments of clarity, connection, and even joyful singing that surprise everyone in the room.
Along the way, a leading neuroscientist explains why music reaches the brain in ways other therapies can’t, and why Latino communities – who face significantly higher Alzheimer’s risk – may benefit most from culturally rooted approaches like this one.
This piece shares a striking real-world example of music’s power to reach even advanced-stage patients, plus practical, science-backed steps anyone can take to protect their cognitive health starting today.
It’s a moving look at how something as simple as a song can become a lifeline for memory, identity, and family connection.