Bonus Episode: The Aphasia Choir

Summary

Consider This from NPR: Bonus Episode – The Aphasia Choir

Introduction to Aphasia and the Aphasia Choir

In the February 15, 2025 bonus episode of NPR's Consider This, host Scott Detrow delves into the inspiring world of the Aphasia Choir of Vermont. Aphasia affects over 2 million Americans, impairing their ability to communicate through speech or writing due to strokes or traumatic brain injuries. However, music offers a unique avenue for expression, as it predominantly engages the undamaged hemisphere of the brain. This revelation led former speech-language pathologist Karen McPheeters Leary to establish the Aphasia Choir of Vermont over a decade ago, creating a community where individuals with aphasia can find their voice through song.

Anna King's Journey with Aphasia

A significant portion of the episode focuses on Anna King, a dedicated member of the Aphasia Choir who has been living with aphasia for 19 years. Anna shares her profound experience, recounting the life-altering bike accident she endured at 18 years old, shortly after graduating and aspiring to study chemistry at the University of Vermont (UVM). Reflecting on her journey, Anna states, "There is loneliness, but darkness and lightness. You can't have one without the other. And I understand that really deeply" (02:59).

Navigating Communication Challenges

Anna opens up about the daily struggles of living with aphasia, emphasizing the challenges of word-finding and the frustration of being misunderstood. She poignantly describes common reactions people have towards those who struggle to speak: "Don't let them talk. Speak loudly to them. I wish that everyone could be patient" (04:42). Anna highlights the emotional toll of these interactions, expressing, "Everything. Yeah. You don't get it. And you just will try and then fail. And you tried Human kind. Yeah. And well, you can be kind" (05:20). This underscores the importance of empathy and patience in supporting individuals with communication difficulties.

The Healing Power of Music and Joy

Amidst the challenges, Anna finds solace and joy in music. She shares, "The experience of getting all in a room and singing and I think biting into a peach while walking my dogs. Like they just. God, that this life is precious Every day" (07:05). Music serves as a therapeutic outlet, fostering a sense of community and belonging. Karen McPheeters Leary echoes this sentiment, highlighting how the choir brings together members through shared musical experiences.

A Memorable Performance

The episode spotlights a memorable moment from June 2nd, when the Aphasia Choir delivered their ninth performance to a sold-out audience. Karen's strategic selection of popular '80s songs contributed to the event's success, resonating deeply with both the choir members and the audience. Anna shares her excitement about her solo performance, stating, "Good. I think it went good" (08:09). The episode culminates with Anna performing a heartfelt rendition of "True Colors," showcasing the choir's talent and the profound emotional connections forged through their music.

Conclusion

This bonus episode of Consider This masterfully captures the resilience and spirit of individuals living with aphasia. Through Anna King's story and the supportive community of the Aphasia Choir of Vermont, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs faced by those navigating life with communication impairments. The episode not only highlights the therapeutic benefits of music but also serves as a poignant reminder of the universal need for connection, empathy, and the simple joys that make life meaningful.

Notable Quotes:

• Anna King on coping with aphasia: "There is loneliness, but darkness and lightness. You can't have one without the other. And I understand that really deeply." (02:59)
• Anna King on communication challenges: "Don't let them talk. Speak loudly to them. I wish that everyone could be patient." (04:42)
• Anna King on the impact of silence and empathy: "Everything. Yeah. You don't get it. And you just will try and then fail. And you tried Human kind. Yeah. And well, you can be kind." (05:20)
• Anna King on finding joy through music: "The experience of getting all in a room and singing and I think biting into a peach while walking my dogs. Like they just. God, that this life is precious Every day." (07:05)
• Anna King reflecting on her solo performance: "Good. I think it went good." (08:09)

Production Credits:

• Producer: Noah Caldwell
• Editor: Ashley Brown
• Executive Producer: Sammy Yenigun
• Story By: Erica Heilman from the podcast Rumble Strip

Consider This continues to shed light on compelling human stories, offering listeners insightful perspectives on the multifaceted aspects of life.

Transcript

[Scott Detrow]

Hey there. Consider this, listeners. We're back with another Saturday bonus episode for you. It's part of our new series of short form audio documentaries. It's a story about speech and silence, about loneliness and joy, even small joys, like biting into a peach. So stick around. From npr, I'm Scott Detrow, support for.

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[Scott Detrow]

There are at least 2 million people in America who have thoughts and ideas that they can't put into words. People who have had strokes or traumatic brain injuries often live with aphasia, difficulty using language, both written and spoken. But music mostly originates in the undamaged hemisphere of the brain. So people with aphasia can often sing.

[Karen McPheeters Leary]

I like to hold it in my arms and keep it company.

[Scott Detrow]

This is the Aphasia Choir of Vermont, founded more than a decade ago by former speech language pathologist Karen McPheeters Leary. And today, for our weekly segment of short form audio documentaries, we are going to meet one of the members of the choir. This story is brought to us by Erica Heilman from the podcast Rumble Strip.

[Anna King]

I think I will know when to come in.

[Erica Heilman]

That's Anna King getting ready for her solo with the Aphasia Choir of Vermont. Anna has been living with aphasia for 19 years, struggling with language and with word finding. We take language utterly for granted. We talk and talk. So what is it like to be someone struggling to find words and how are they met out in the world of talkers, in a world pretty uncomfortable with silence, Here is a tiny window into Anna's world.

[Karen McPheeters Leary]

Welcome, sunshine.

[Scott Detrow]

Chris.

[Erica Heilman]

I was Thinking more of a fade out.

[Anna King]

I was exercising when I had this horrible bike accident. Then everything changed. I had to learn how to think again, speak again, talk again, get up again. How old were you? 18. Like I was like three months after I had graduated. I was going to go to UVM for chemistry. But then my life to took a different turn. Like there is loneliness, but darkness and lightness. Like you can't have one without the other. And I understand that really deeply.

[Erica Heilman]

What are the 18 sort of common ways that people react in moments with people who are struggling to speak?

[Anna King]

Don't let them talk. Speak loudly to them. I wish that everyone could be patient.

[Erica Heilman]

There's something someone wants to say and they're not finding the way to say it. And I'm not guessing it. So there's a silence. What is the silence? The giving up of the guessing but just being there anyway. What does that mean to the person who can't speak?

[Anna King]

Everything. Yeah. You don't get it. And you just will try and then fail. And you tried Human kind. Yeah. And well, you can be kind. Yeah.

[Karen McPheeters Leary]

The fundamental things of life as time goes by.

[Erica Heilman]

What about love?

[Anna King]

Oh, that. That really touches me. Yeah. Because my parents love me so much and my dogs love me and I think I have not experienced. I am kind of not experienced in love. But I think that that's what Karen does for us. Like it brings us all together.

[Erica Heilman]

Joy is what you're describing.

[Anna King]

Yeah. The experience of getting all in a room and singing and I think biting into a peach while walking my dogs. Like they just. God, that this life is precious Every day. Like you go out and you smell. Yeah. You know. Yeah.

[Erica Heilman]

On June 2nd, the Aphasia Choir had their ninth performance to a sold out audience. It was a hit, of course, because the Aphasia Choir is awesome, but also because Karen had the good sense to pick some excellent songs from the 80s. How did your solo go?

[Anna King]

Good. I think it went good.

[Erica Heilman]

I want to hear it.

[Anna King]

Yeah. Hold on.

[Erica Heilman]

Anna pulled up the recording on her phone.

[Anna King]

Hold on, hold on. Hold. Hold the phone. Hold the phone. You with the sad eyes don't be discouraged. Oh, I realize it's hard to take courage in a world full of people. You can lose spite of it all. The darkness inside you may make you feel so small.

[Karen McPheeters Leary]

I see your true colors shining through. I see your true colors and that's why I love you. Don't be ashamed.

[Scott Detrow]

That was Erica Heilman from the podcast Rumble Strip. She's also a reporter for Vermont Public, where a version of the story previously aired. That story was produced by Erica, and this episode was produced by Noah Caldwell and edited by Ashley Brown. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigun. It's consider this from NPR. I'm Scott Detrow.

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