Music at the bedside
The Music at the Bedside program is a group of clinically certified therapeutic musicians that serve patients and families at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and Westland House. The musicians are certified by programs accredited by the National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musicians.
Music imprints itself into the brain deeper than any other human experience...Music brings back the feeling of life when nothing else can.
— Dr. Oliver Sacks
Montage Health's team of certified therapeutic musicians (from left to right): Tamas Marius, Vivian Sarubbi, Saori Nystrom, David Villareal
These accredited programs are based on scientific studies of the effect of sound and music on the human brain and its impact on social and emotional functioning. Our Music at the Bedside musicians are trained to enter clinical spaces and assess patients’ needs. The musicians understand how certain timbre, pitch, volume, melody, and cadence may affect the patient, and they play music specifically tailored to each patient’s current condition.
The musicians make regular rounds throughout the hospital and Westland House. Patients or their families can request a visit from a musician. When musicians are not there in person, patients can tune in to our music channel on the televisions in their rooms — available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Patients, their families, and caregivers enjoy a peaceful and healing environment through music’s ability to:
- Instill a familiar and restful feeling
- Create a quiet space for conversations and consultations
- Reduce stress
- Help with difficulty resting or sleeping
- Provide a positive focal point for patients in pain
I tell every patient the same thing before I begin — if you fall asleep, that is the compliment. In a hospital, where rest is so hard to find, helping someone drift off peacefully is one of the most meaningful things I can offer.
— David Villareal, Certified Therapeutic Musician, Montage Health
Sounds of comfort — at the hospital or at home
Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula is glad to provide custom cable channels for serenity and healing, available to Community Hospital and Westland House patients.
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