‘Healing’ musical concerts at the Cedars Cancer Centre help soothe patients, families – Montreal | 24CA News
It’s not fairly what you’re used to seeing at a most cancers centre — a pianist and an opera singer, belting out classical music in the midst of the day.
Every Tuesday at midday, totally different musicians carry out on the Cedars Cancer Centre, situated on the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).
“It’s a program that we started about almost three years ago, right before the pandemic hit,” stated Patil Harboyan, Cedars Healing Notes founder and musician. “The idea is to lighten the mood a little bit in the (Cedar) Cancer Centre, where it’s often very quite, very sombre.”
The program got here to be after Harboyan accompanied a member of the family to the centre and thought a piano might spruce up the place.
With the assistance of the Cedars Cancer Foundation and others, a child grand piano was put in on the primary ground, and later the concept of one-hour live shows was born.
“They’re here in the cancer centre, it’s not always easy,” stated Dr. Tarek Hijal, MUHC radiation oncology division director. “They have treatments, they have their disease on their minds. So to be able to give them an hour where they can take their mind off of their current stress and to be in another place, enjoying the music is very restful for them, very anxiety reducing.”
The tunes are useful not just for sufferers, but in addition for members of the family and even health-care professionals on the centre.
Many say the live shows present a second of pause or distraction.
“I’ve just come from seeing the oncologist, we’ve arranged different treatment, different medication,” stated Wayne Boone, a most cancers affected person. “This was a wonderful finish to that day because I did not know this was going on.”
The music varies from week to week, from jazz to well-liked or classical music.
Once a month, skilled musicians take centre stage, however different occasions college students from McGill’s Schulich School of Music carry out.
“We know that patients often spend a fair amount of time in this cancer centre and it could be long,” stated Chantal Le Blanc, an oncology social employee on the MUHC. “So I think having a moment of music is a gift.”
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