Project Music Heals Us Inc

PROJECT: MUSIC HEALS US PROVIDES ENCOURAGEMENT, EDUCATION, AND HEALING THROUGH BRINGING HIGH-QUALITY, LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCES AND INTERACTIVE PROGRAMMING TO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WITH LIMITED ABILITY TO ACCESS ART PROGRAMS, FOCUSING ON THE REHABILIATING, INCARCERATED, ELDERLY, DISABLED, AND HOMELESS.

OUR VITAL SOUNDS INITIATIVE (VSI) PROGRAM OFFERS LIVE, VIRTUAL BEDSIDE CONCERTS TO ISOLATED PATIENTS IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES, PROVIDING ENCOURAGEMENT AND COMPASSION TO PATIENTS WITH MINIMAL STRAIN ON CARE-GIVERS. PMHU CONTRACTED WITH 31 MUSICIANS IN FY 2022-23 IN PROVIDING 359 INDIVIDUAL CONCERT SESSIONS IN 9 DIFFERENT HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IN 5 STATES (CA, CO, NH, NY, WA). FURTHER, OUR VSI GRANT PROGRAM FACILITATED AN ADDITIONAL 405 CONCERT SESSIONS BY 63 MUSICIANS IN 12 DIFFERENT HOSPITALS IN 6 STATES (CA, GA, NY, PA, VA, WI), THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH 8 DIFFERENT 501(C)3 ORGANIZATIONS. A TOTAL OF 4560 PATIENTS WERE SERVED THROUGH VITAL SOUNDS VIRTUAL CONCERTS. THE IMPACT OF THESE VIRTUAL BEDSIDE CONCERTS HAS BEEN SO PROFOUND THAT PMHU BEGAN A PARTNERSHIP WITH A RESEARCH TEAM AT STANFORD MEDICAL SCHOOL, TO STUDY THEIR EFFICACY IN REDUCING ANXIETY AND PAIN IN ACUTE TRAUMA PATIENTS.

PMHU'S MUSIC FOR THE FUTURE PROGRAM BRINGS COMMUNITY- AND CREATIVITY-BUILDING COMPOSITION AND SONG-WRITING WORKSHOPS TO ANOTHER POPULATION IN ISOLATION - THE INCARCERATED. FOLLOWING 2.5 YEARS OF COVID-RELATED LOCKDOWNS, OUR "HYBRID" (IN-PERSON/DIGITAL), COLLEGE-CREDIT, COMPOSITION CLASS WAS PRESENTED IN THE FALL SEMESTER AT GREEN HAVEN PRISON IN NY, THROUGH THE BARD PRISON INITIATIVE. A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL EXTENSION DIVISION IS BEING DEVELOPED TO EXPAND THIS COMPOSITION PROGRAM TO MULTIPLE SITES IN OTHER STATES. IN ADDITION, 18 PMHU MUSICIANS PRESENTED 22 IN-PERSON, INTERACTIVE CONCERTS AT THE NYC DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS FACILITY ON RIKERS ISLAND. DURING FY 22-23, SERVING APPROXIMATELY 300 INMATES.

THE NOVEL VOICES DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM PROVIDES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUSIC ORGANIZATIONS WITH FREE ACCESS TO LIVE, VIRTUAL MUSIC LESSONS, MASTER CLASSES AND TEACHER-TRAINING WORKSHOPS, TAUGHT BY FACULTY MEMBERS OF LEADING U.S. CONSERVATORIES. FIFTEEN ARTIST-TEACHERS LED 11 MASTERCLASS PRESENTATIONS FOR 81 PARTICIPANTS, AND PROVIDED 605 INDIVIDUAL LESSONS FOR STUDENTS IN TWO LOCATIONS: THE EDWARD SAID NATIONAL CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC AND THE GHETTO CLASSICS COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL. AS THE MORE ADVANCED STUDENTS RECEIVING PMHU LESSONS USE THEIR SKILLS TO TEACH YOUNGER STUDENTS IN THEIR COMMUNITY SCHOOL, WE HAVE BEGUN TO ASSIST A FEW OF THESE STUDENT/TEACHERS WITH ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN THE U.S.