NYC Health + Hospitals Expands Live Concerts for Staff, Patients, and Visitors in New Partnership with Sing for Hope
Apr 30, 2024
New York, NY — NYC Health + Hospitals today announced an expansion of its live concert series, Music for the Soul, in partnership with Sing for Hope. For the first time, the program will offer concerts during the night shift and in locations throughout the hospital beyond the main lobby. The live concert series began as virtual performances in 2020 in partnership with the Mayor’s Office as a way to honor the work of NYC Health + Hospitals frontline staff during the height of the pandemic and support local musicians while music venues were closed. The program has since transitioned to in-person concerts and includes New York City-based musicians who perform a variety of genres, including Jazz, Classical, Folk, Hip Hop, and Latin music. The first concert of the season took place last month at NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx, where the musicians Larry Siegel, Hasan Bakr, and Victoria Paterson played during the night shift, followed by a concert at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens by The FAB 4 String Quartet and one at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi by The JuanMa Trio. Music for the Soul is run by the health system’s Arts in Medicine department and funded by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.
“The name of this program says it all,” said Laurie Tisch, founder and president of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. “Music for the Soul brings so much joy and fun and laughter everywhere there is a concert. The music enlivens the atmosphere and helps staff and patients and the community alike feel good when they need it most – on their way in and out of the hospital. We’re proud to help these concerts expand to reach people on the nightshift alongside all of the other exemplary programs of the Arts in Medicine department.”
“Music interventions can significantly improve mental health and psychological quality of life,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Assistant Vice President of Arts in Medicine Larissa Trinder. “Convening music concerts in our lobbies and public spaces at NYC Health + Hospitals brings community together and enhances joy. Growing our partnership with Sing for Hope is very exciting because it will enhance our offerings, including night concerts and bedside experiences for patients.”
“We’re so thrilled to resume our collaboration with NYC Health + Hospitals after the disruptions of the pandemic, at a moment when our world can really benefit from a bit of hope and harmony. Sing for Hope is deeply grateful to the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund for bringing our two organizations together and for its transformative support of our Public Health and Wellbeing initiatives,” said Sing for Hope Co-Founder Camille Zamora.
Sing for Hope Co-Founder Monica Yunus said, “It has been a joy to witness the launch of our partnership over the past year, and we have no doubt Music for the Soul will exceed our expectations in terms of positive impact on the deserving staff members, caregivers, and patients served by hospitals in the NYC Health + Hospitals network.”
“The Music for the Soul Sing for Hope concert at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens was an uplifting experience for all who had the opportunity to hear it,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens Chief Experience Officer David Weisman. “The group performed in our atrium which allowed our staff, patients, family members and all others to enjoy the beautiful music. I was able to see the looks on the faces of those who were present, and I was told time and time again throughout the concert, that they were touched by the performance.”
Scientific evidence reveals that music can have a profound effect on health. Music reduces symptoms of depression, supports pain management, provides a safe environment to contribute to healing from trauma, and builds resilience while decreasing anxiety and blood pressure. Music improves our sleep quality, mental alertness, memory, and overall health and well-being.
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MEDIA CONTACT: PressOffice@nychhc.org
About NYC Health + Hospitals’ Arts in Medicine Department
The Arts in Medicine department at NYC Health + Hospitals seeks to foster the emotional well-being and promote healing and wellness for all patients and their families, employees, and the greater community by utilizing the arts, including literary, visual, and performing arts throughout the health care system. In addition to managing the system’s significant visual arts collection, the Arts in Medicine department encourages evidenced based practices and provides technical assistance to all of the system’s health care facilities and clinics. This is accomplished by combining artistic innovation and education into a comprehensive health care continuum that supports the healing benefits of the arts. For more information, visit https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/artsinmedicine/.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund is a New York City-based foundation that aims to improve access and opportunity for all New Yorkers and foster healthy and vibrant communities. In 2018, the Illumination Fund launched Arts in Health, a multi-year initiative to support organizations utilizing the arts as a tool for healing and building understanding in communities across New York City. The initiative’s areas of focus are stigma, trauma and aging-related diseases as well as supporting organizations addressing mental health in communities disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019 the Illumination Fund supported the creation of NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine department, expanding programs serving health care staff, patients, and communities in sites across the City. For more information, visit www.lmtif.org or follow @LMTischFund on Twitter.
About Sing for Hope
Sing for Hope harnesses the power of the arts to create a better world. Our creative programs bring hope, healing, and connection to millions of people in hospitals, schools, care facilities, refugee camps, transit hubs, and public spaces worldwide. A non-profit organization founded in New York City in response to the events of 9/11, Sing for Hope partners with hundreds of community-based organizations, mobilizes thousands of artists in creative service, and produces artist-created Sing for Hope Pianos across the US and around the world. The official Cultural Partner of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, Sing for Hope champions art for all because we believe the arts have an unmatched capacity to uplift, unite, and heal. Learn more at singforhope.org.