In Tuesday’s (11/27) Arizona Republic (Phoenix), Sonja Haller writes, “People drum by in scrubs of blue, jackets of white, shoes with thick soles. Coffee from the Baguettes Lobby Cafe sharpens the air. In the corner, dressed in formal black, a violinist and cellist from the Phoenix Symphony ready their bows. The rhythm of Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center beats steady until the first clear notes release. The first public performance last week of B-Sharp, the Phoenix Symphony’s new music wellness initiative, ionizes the atmosphere, slows the pace. … ‘Beautiful,’ whispers Juliana Swenson, a patient sitting in the cafe, recovering from a thyroidectomy. … The music transports her to weekends in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and waking to hear her father blasting jazz, bossa nova and samba. … B-Sharp is the fine-tuning of the Phoenix Symphony’s work in playing music for people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers four years ago. Expanding the program to include others in need of music’s soothing qualities fit with one of the organization’s tenets to ‘feed the souls of the community,’ Phoenix Symphony President Jim Ward said. The program is one of many across the country using music to reduce anxiety, ease patients’ pain and improve coping abilities.”
Photo by Nick Oza/The Arizona Republic
Posted November 28, 2012
