Healing harmonies

Footsteps echoing in hallways, the hushed voices of nurses and beeping from a number of machines are the sounds you can expect in any hospital.

One local student and pianist, Jack Gallahan, wants to help create a more harmonious environment for patients and staff at Sarasota Memorial Hospital by installing a piano in the lobby of the Courtyard Tower.

Hospitals are a place of heal- ing, and Jack thinks the addition of music from a baby grand piano and volunteer pianist would cre- ate a soothing environment.

Jack, a Pine View School for the Gifted seventh-grader, has been playing and studying piano for six years.

“Whenever I’m feeling stressed out I play the piano,” Jack, 12, said. “I think it can really calm somebody down who is in a very hec- tic and stressed out environment and place. I think that having nice music filling the whole hospital will really help them to calm down and really relax.”

The idea for Jack’s Music to Medicine program came to him when he saw a video online of youth pianist Noah Wadell vol- unteering to play piano at the HealthPark Medical Center in Fort Myers. Jack and his mother, Diane, visit Sarasota Memorial Hospital frequently because his sister, Samantha, volunteers in the clinical trials department.

“Jack and I are always hanging out in the lobby waiting for her,” Diane Gallahan said. “I thought it sounded like a great idea because my daughter volunteers at Sara- sota Memorial Hospital, and it seems like we’re always there either dropping her off or picking her up.”

One of the doctors whom his sister volunteers with is Chief of Staff Elect Dr. Karen Hamad. Jack and his mother mentioned his idea to Hamad during an appoint- ment, and it struck a personal chord with her.

Hamad’s grandmother, Nini Perlo, was an international con- cert pianist who also taught lessons in Sarasota. Her mother, Renee Hamad, and husband, Jon Yenari, both share a love for the piano as classically trained pianists. Hamad is a firm supporter of the arts and thinks the piano will be a great addition to the hospital.

"When he started talking about doing something with piano for the hospital, I just thought it was a great idea,” said Chief of Staff elect Dr. Karen Hamad.

“When he started talking about doing something with piano for the hospital, I just thought it was a great idea,” Hamad said. “I just think helping families with music is a great idea.”

The first donation made to the Music for Medicine program came from Hamad’s mother in memory of Perlo.

Once the piano is in place, Gal- lahan hopes to coordinate with local music programs to set up volunteer hours for pianists to provide their talents. During any hours volunteers are not performing an automated player will play. Currently, the fundraising part of the project is underway to collect the $20,000 for the piano and automated player system through a fund set up with the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation. Already Gallahan has collected $5,000 toward the cause.

“I hope to make a difference in the experience that everybody has at [Sarasota Memorial Hospital] for the staff, the visitors and the patients,” Gallahan said. “It will have a calming effect on a normally hectic environment. I hope to make a difference experience for a lot of people.”