They are too sick to attend concerts themselves

Feb 26, 2009 09:22 GMT  ·  By
Music performances give people in hospitals an energy boost and may even help with the recovery process
   Music performances give people in hospitals an energy boost and may even help with the recovery process

Music plays a very important role in the lives of many people. It can get you down or fill you with joy, and it can even influence your mood and perception of things. But patients in hospitals, apart from suffering from various illnesses, are also psychologically affected, as they are deprived of hearing soothing sounds while committed. That's why the Call charity group has been organizing bedside performances in hospitals since 1999, thus bringing a little joy to people who go through pain and suffering.

The non-profit group has thus far sung for over 125,000 individuals, over the course of a decade, and plans to do so in the future as well. It gives concerts in large arenas outside hospitals, in order to raise the money it needs to perform in them. There are numerous musicians that play with the group from time to time, which acts nothing like a record company. It's simply an association of ever-changing members, brought together by the desire to do good for the sick ones.

And the therapeutic value of their actions is enormous, doctors say. Patients immediately feel better, as a good mood and happy thoughts are proven to influence a person's state of health. They become optimistic, even if for only a few hours or a couple of days. But the boost of energy they receive makes them forget about their pains for some time, and even helps the recovery process. This type of therapy is increasingly used by doctors around the world, along with other alternative ones, such as those based on religion, colors, vision, and so on.

John Mayer, Gavin DeGraw, Avril Lavigne and Kelly Rowland are only a few of the names that have performed in room-to-room shows in various hospitals around the US. The chance to be near their favorite stars makes people really happy, psychologists share, even though, if it wasn't for their illness, they wouldn't probably have had the chance to talk to their favorite musicians face-to-face.

“It's a simple idea, but results in a lot of positive force in recovery. It just puts you in a better place and reminds you of the kindness of the world and the beneficence of existence,” singer James Taylor, who performed at the last Call concert, points out. The artist himself battled depression and drug addiction, so the benefits are clear to him. And, psychologists add, the best people to express emotions and hope are those who experienced the lack thereof.