Brother Goff-Personal Narrative

Music has always been a very important part of my life. As a child, I was mesmerized by Disney’s Fantasia 2000 and watched the Disney sing-a-longs over and over. I began playing piano at a young age, and in middle school added more instruments to my list, such as flute, saxophone, and ukulele. I have had many opportunities to perform both solos and ensemble performances, but none of them have impacted me as much as my interactions with an elderly man named Mr. Roland Goff, or as we called him in my church, Brother Goff. When I was in 5th grade, I played a piano song in church entitled A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief. A couple years later, Brother Goff’s wife passed away and my family started spending more time with him. He told me he remembered the song I played in 5th grade and how much he loved it. I had many other opportunities to play in church as well, and he remembered and enjoyed each of them. It was then that I started
Doctors are still trying to figure out what he has, but he has trouble with sensory processing. He is overly sensitive and has a very hard time focusing and moving from task to task, no matter what it is. His mother, Ellie Turner, said, “Sometimes he has a hard time even transitioning from the car into the house. He will scream and throw a huge tantrum (getting out of the car) even if two minutes prior he was crying because he wanted to be home.” While they have Avett in many other therapies as well, music therapy is his favorite and has helped in a way none of the other therapies can. Their music therapist, Miss Ashley, has a special song that helps him know a transition is coming up, and it helps Avett be able to transfer better. Avett loves music and can actually focus when he hears it. Mrs. Turner has applied it to their everyday routine and Avett transitions easier now (Mrs. Turner). Music truly has an effect on the brain unlike anything else and helps the development of