Beginning this month, patients at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, as well as visitors, employees and volunteers, will have access to a unique form of respite care: chamber music performed by an elite group of students from UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music.
The newly developed "Music at the Med" program is a free concert series that offers patients and their families an opportunity to focus on something other than battling an illness, according to Kathy Sipes-Barron, director of volunteer services at the medical center.
"When a patient is admitted to the hospital, time more or less stops for them," she said. "We hope the music will soothe and relax not only our patients and their families but also the caregivers and volunteers who face high-stress situations every day."
Neal Stulberg, professor and director of orchestral studies at the Herb Alpert School of Music and conductor of the UCLA Philharmonia, initially proposed the idea of hosting a series of chamber music concerts in the hope that the performances could provide a new way of demonstrating the healing power of music, while also exposing his students to new audiences.
"There are so many music lovers in the UCLA community, including UCLA Health employees, patients and visitors, who have not yet been exposed to our concerts," Stulberg said. "This will give our students a great opportunity to perform in an exciting new venue, before a diverse audience, for the pleasure of people who will appreciate and benefit from their talents.
"We try to expose our students to all of the implications and power that music can have. I think this experience will help them to understand just how far their art can reach."
The lunchtime concerts will be held at noon in the Tamkin Auditorium at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Seating is limited.
The series includes:
Jan. 28
Angeles Saxophone Quartet
Feb. 25
Vivaldi's "Four Seasons"
March 18
Belles Aires Woodwind Quintet
April 15
Music Made in Los Angeles
May 20
Monaco Brass
June 3
UCLA Camarades String Ensemble
For more information, please call the volunteer services department at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center at 310-267-8186.
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