Harmonies for Healing Program Director Sophia Yoder
“Although it's a non-traditional form of treatment, I have always believed that music is extremely healing,” says Harmonies for Healing Program Director Sophia Yoder. “Being part of [this program] allows me to contribute to someone's healing process and connect with people of all ages.”
Offered under the Health & Medical Services program track with community partner UVA Health, this Madison House program bridges art and medicine. Students volunteer by playing music for patients at the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center (ECCCC) in Charlottesville. Each volunteer dedicates three hours throughout the week to playing music in lobbies, hallways, waiting rooms, and other common areas.
Hospital staff have commented on the beneficial effects of the program. Volunteer Cassidy Robbins says, “I have been told by hospital staff and have witnessed that it makes patients and their families feel more relaxed and comfortable.”
Volunteering at the ECCCC offers a unique chance to form lasting bonds with patients, some of whom return regularly for treatments. Volunteers play a wide variety of musical genres and sometimes take patients' requests. Sophia’s favorite memory involves connecting with patients and playing the music they enjoy.
Harmonies for Healing Volunteer Arianna Gravatt
“Several months ago, I met a man that I would see pretty frequently while I was volunteering,” she recalls. “He came up to me while I was playing and asked about the composer of a song I had played.” Through their conversation, Sophia found that the patient used to play the violin in an orchestra for years, but had to stop due to health conditions. Going forward, when Sophia saw him, he would request specific songs from his orchestra days. “In one of our conversations, he told me that music has gotten him through a lot of hard times and hearing me play before his treatments made them much easier,” says Sophia.
Volunteer Arianna Gravatt plays the violin and the piano. She believes that the program is meaningful to patients because it brings an aspect of personality and connection that recorded music cannot. One patient recently told Arianna that her music is “healing for the soul.”
Arianna’s favorite memory with Harmonies for Healing is a time when she was able to play a song request for a patient who had gone into remission. “I felt like I was part of the hospital team in celebrating the patient's accomplishments and joy,” beams Arianna.
The Harmonies for Healing program currently has pianists, guitarists, violinists, and singers―and student leaders are always looking for volunteers to help the program grow. “We are especially interested in string instruments and piano players,” notes Sophia. To get started, interested students sign up via Madison House for an audition. To learn more about the process, contact Sophia. Join us and help strike a chord in the hearts of patients through the power of music.
By Cecilia Murphy