New Dana project lifts spirits of St. Elizabeth Hospital patients
February 19, 2021
YSU’s Dana School of Music has partnered with the Mercy Health Foundation on a new project titled “Just What the Doctor Ordered,” designed to bring music to patients at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.
“The healing power of music has been very well received by patients, families, and staff,” Mercy Health Foundation president Paul Homick said. “Music is very powerful in addressing the well-being of the whole person. It calms the mind and lifts the spirit, so the body can heal. That is especially important right now when many of our patients can’t be with their families. We know this will be a tremendous benefit to them, and we are so very grateful to YSU, the Dana School of Music, and the students and faculty who made this possible.”
Homick noted that the Mahoning Valley Mercy Health Foundation hosts the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra’s Stained Glass Concert Series at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, and the response to those concerts has been overwhelmingly positive and a real benefit to patients and their families.
“Working with the Dana School of Music to bring live performances to the hospital more frequently evolved from that experience and the desire to provide an even greater benefit to patients, families, and Mercy Health associates,” Homick said.
Execution of the project includes broadcasting four pre-recorded video performances by Dana students to patient rooms at St. Elizabeth. Originally the brainchild of professor of music Caroline Oltmanns, the concerts were intended to be a series of six live performances at the hospital beginning the previous semester.
“The idea began as we searched for an additional performance venue for students and emerged into an opportunity for students to think outside of their own worlds and to experience what other people have to go through in their lives, such as during an illness,” Oltmanns said. “The intention was for it to be an experience in performing, in sympathy, and in altruism.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, the idea was put on hold. At the same time, Dana was producing videos incorporating student and faculty content, including a new series of honors recitals hosted by the McDonough Museum of Art. With available video content, the conversation continued, and the new project was presented.
Three of the four videos in the project are part of the McDonough Museum Honors Recital Series, while the fourth features the Dana School of Music brass ensemble. The videos previously premiered on the Cliffe College YouTube channel. The performers include the Dana Brass Quintet, pianist Michael Barren, flutist Kayla Gilmore, and the Andrew Karkosiak Jazz Trio.