Remedy Through Music: Musicians perform at local hospitals
On a Friday afternoon, Jessica Nathania, a senior majoring in human biology, can be found at California Hospital Medical Center.
“The best thing about Remedy is when, after a performance, a patient or hospital member will come up and let us know how much they really appreciated it,” Nathania said in an email to the Daily Trojan. “This happens more often than I thought it would, too.”
Nathania is the co-president of Remedy Through Music, a USC student-run group committed to performing therapeutic music for patients in medically underserved areas of Los Angeles.
“Remedy Through Music is a service organization aimed to help mitigate the pain and suffering of patients in hospitals, residents in assisted living homes and at-risk children through the use of music,” Remedy Through Music Vice President Shamit Bhatia said in an email to the Daily Trojan. “Remedy strives to empower USC students to use their musical talents and help out the local community around USC by providing [therapy] to all. Music has no specific language and is therefore universal.”
The organization usually has one performance a week, often on a Friday afternoon or Saturday morning with an occasional performance on Sunday. These performances generally take place at medical care centers, convalescent homes or after school centers for children. Students are also encouraged to play for patients in a more intimate setting, such as their individual rooms.
In addition to weekly performances, the group organizes a more formal recital on a semester basis at Kingsley Manor where students are given the opportunity to perform more polished pieces.
Members perform any genre of music, ranging from Bach to the Beatles.
Most students in Remedy Through Music enjoy using music as a means to express themselves while also appreciating medicine and its positive influence on society. Many students who take part in the organization are majoring in science-related fields or are pursuing the pre-health track at USC.
Co-President Brian Zukotynski said he initially joined his freshman year to combine his two passions: music and medicine.
“Beyond weekly performance opportunities, Remedy provides me the chance to use the musical skills I have built up over most of my life to give back to my community and fellow students,” Zukotynkski said. “Remedy’s goal is to bring the joy of music to anyone who wants to listen, but primarily for the sick and elderly.”