Improvisation skills see composer with dementia launch single for charity
Melanie May | 27 October 2020 | News
A composition improvised by an 80-year-old composer and former music teacher who was diagnosed with dementia last year is to be released as a single this weekend, with the proceeds split between the Alzheimer’s Society and Music for Dementia.
Now entitled Four Notes, Paul Harvey improvised the composition with the notes chosen by his son Nick: F natural, A, D, and B natural. According to Nick, this ability to compose music on the fly has always amazed, so he asked his father to improvise the tune one day when he was feeling low, and posted the clip of him improvising the melody on the piano on Twitter in September.
Dad’s ability to improvise and compose beautiful melodies on the fly has always amazed me.
Tonight, I gave him four random notes as a starting point.
Advertisement
Although his dementia is getting worse, moments like this bring him back to me. pic.twitter.com/dBInVCTmfF
— Nick Harvey (@mrnickharvey) September 17, 2020
It quickly went viral and has since received over 1.6m views and 62.2k likes. It was also aired on Broadcasting House for World Alzheimer’s Day on 21 September, which led to listeners asking the BBC to orchestrate it, while Paul and Nick Harvey have appeared on Good Morning Britain and BBC Breakfast, and their story covered in numerous news stories and articles.
Delighted to have been asked by @bbcpaddy to orchestrate & record Paul Harvey’s beautiful 4 note improvisation 🎹
Our musicians will be recording it at home and you’ll be able to hear it soon on @BBCRadio4’s BH🎶 @mrnickharvey— BBC Philharmonic (@BBCPhilharmonic) September 27, 2020
The media attention has also seen past pupils – including a member of UK rock band The Cutting Crew, and a Doctor Who composer – plus friends and colleagues getting back in touch with Paul to share what he has meant to them over the years.
The single is due to be released this weekend, on 1 November.
Charity single, here we come. pic.twitter.com/oV8o7Qr8lI
— Nick Harvey (@mrnickharvey) October 22, 2020
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.