Healing Music Touches the Spirits of Cancer Patients

	Classical guitarist Jesse Espinoza plays for cancer patients at UW Medical Center.

"I've had an interest in music as therapy since my college years, and I have witnessed the healing power of music firsthand," said Allen. "However, the Healing Music Project is not about curing illness. It’s about reaching the spirits of people and getting a response that brings meaning to them."

Through the project, professional musicians perform for cancer patients at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, a collaboration among Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine, and Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center. Everyone in the Healing Music Project, including Allen, is a volunteer. 

Performances range from string ensembles, school choirs, piano, and classical guitar to less traditional fare such as the Celtic harp, the glassarmonica (a musical instrument designed by Benjamin Franklin), and interactive theater for children.

Allen, an administrative assistant in the UW Radiation Oncology department, has a Master's of Music degree and is a performer and teacher of piano and organ. She presented her idea for healing music to Fred Hutchinson's volunteer program director Anne Vedella and Chaplain Harriet Platts. The project went live with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center adult hospital patients, and performances were soon extended to the Alliance clinic.

According to Allen, the Healing Music Project deeply touches everyone involved, from patients and their families to staff and musicians.

"The musicians frequently comment that they receive more than they give," she said.  "It is rewarding when a patient's family members come to tell you that they haven't seen their mom smile in five months until she heard a music selection on your program that had a lot of meaning for her."