MUSIC HEALS String and flute quartet and The Nightingales harnessing the healing power of music

On June 2, soothing musical melodies and angelic voices in perfect harmony filled the corridors and halls of the UERM Memorial Medical Center along Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City.

For an hour or so, doctors, nurses and hospital staff members and even patients happily tapped their feet and swayed their heads to the beat and rhythm of the music. It was a delightful break from their exhausting daily routine as they were treated to a live performance by a string and flute quartet, composed of graduates of UST College of Music. This alternated with a sterling performance by a vocal duet called The Nightingales, who sang a selection of songs ranging from classical to pop to folk in perfectly blended ethereal voices echoing through the halls and corridors of the hospital.

The spirits of the audience appeared to soar with every crescendo. They hummed the more familiar melodic strains. They clapped in unrestrained delight, joy apparently filling their hearts.

During those fleeting moments, the exhaustive routine of attending to the needs of ailing patients was far from everyone’s mind. Music was all that mattered and they discovered that music could truly heal and uplift.

All this happened thanks to the enlightened mind of Wilson Young, vice-chairman of the board of trustees of UERMM Medical Center.  When Young and I broached the idea to the president, Dr. Ester Garcia, and the other members of the board, to their credit, they readily agreed to hold it.

ART AND THERAPY The author with Wilson Young, vice-chairman of the board of trustees at UERM Memorial Medical Center

What happened at UERMM Medical Center is part of my personal advocacy called Artreach Initiatives, which aims to bring the arts closer to the people and to make art work for the people.

One aspect of this advocacy is to harness the healing power of music.
Years ago, I facilitated a similar concert during Valentine month as a project of Sining Sigla, which I head, in coordination with the Philippine Cancer Society. The young cancer patients, as well as the medical staff, were so moved and so appreciative to be able to listen to the kind of music that was usually heard only at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The first concert was so successful that the organizers and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) wanted me to organize it for the next two years in a row every Valentine’s month.

Ancients intuitively used music to soothe and heal the soul, from the strumming of ancient harps and flutes to the pure voices that chanted and sang folk songs. Scientific researchers are providing proof of how music therapy can improve the health condition of various patients, including premature infants and people suffering from depression and Parkinson’s disease.

The healing effectiveness of music is now recognized even by the National Institutes of Health, which states that relaxing music has positive effects on patients, doctors, and nursing staff of hospitals. An organization called the Center for Music National Service is expanding the use of music in medical therapy.

With all these new developments, there is no denying the healing power of music, whether we can explain it or not.

Music is just one aspect of our “artreach” mission. We hope to introduce more educational and rejuvenating artistic and creative encounters for patients, their families, and healthcare professionals and workers and transform UERM Memorial Medical Center into an optimum healing environment.

I would like to see the day when every hospital will follow this the lead of UERMMMC and open their doors too to what I call “artreach concert hall” where musical artists will perform live for a gathering of patients and doctors and medical staff.  Imagine the enormous healing and uplifting force of the communal vibrations triggered by such live instrumental and vocal music.