“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” —William Shakespeare
Time to put away the books, notes and reference materials and take that first step in the journey of a thousand miles…
Last week I coordinated a concert at the Sarasota Memorial Hospital with the help of Upward Notes and the hospital’s champion of Music in Medicine, Jack Gallahan (I want to interview this incredible young man in a later post.) I can’t thank them enough for their help in making these concerts possible.
The concert was on May Fourth (yes, may the Fourth Be With You) and was one of many kick off events for Nurse Appreciation week. As before for the Holiday concert it was live streamed for anyone who could not make it down to the courtyard. It was a lot of fun and exciting as the windy weather was not cooperating; I had the chance to appreciate the incredible skills of my Sarasota Orchestra colleagues as they chased down flying pages while continuing to play with grace and agility!
While many of my fellow MHTP students know, performances like these fall out of the realm of what we do as music practitioners, but I’ve found them to be essential on a number of levels, particularly if a hospital is new to direct, patient-to-patient therapeutic music. Telling people what you do works up to a point, but actually hearing you play starts a completely different and productive discussion. As a student-practitioner it allows me to come into contact with a wide variety of hospital staff and help increase awareness of the potential for music to complement a number of new initiatives the hospital may be looking in to. Its sort of a musical ambassadorship so to speak.
The most essential aspect for me as both a performer and practitioner-in-training is being able to share something that is from the bottom of my heart: music and gratitude. This last concert was a love-letter to all the nurses at SMH – the warriors who were there for me when I had my life-altering wake-up call and for our dear friend and SO colleague Anne Bobilin who passed away back in September.
So here I am, finally taking that first BIG step and filling out my hospital volunteer form. I am optimistic that volunteer services will be able to make my practicum happen but whatever happens, my foot is permanently wedged in the door!
