WBUR | Program Prescribes Music Lessons To COVID-19 Health Care Workers

WBUR's Here and Now tells the story of The Boston Hope Music Teaching Project, which connects New England Conservatory student teaching fellows with COVID-19 health care workers for private music lessons.

Luther Warren ’18, ’20 MM is one of the teaching artists in the program:

Warren on teaching students who may be beginners on their instruments

“I don’t think that the level of experience, previous experience actually is so important. I think it has much more to do with the willingness to be very analytical, to be constantly seeking for perfection, to be constantly trying to better yourself. That’s a lot of what it takes to study music effectively and I think that those are qualities that clinicians tend to have in spades.

“No matter what the level of experience is for the healthcare workers that are coming into this project, everyone has just been so floored by the dedication and the professionalism even in this work which is, it’s not at all what their primary profession and primary concerns are.”

Dr. Kathy May Tran is studying viola with Warren:

Tran on bringing music to COVID-19 patients and their families

“As an extension of this program, or as an evolution, we’ve been participating in a program at Mass General Hospital called ‘Virtual Bedside Concerts.’ And the idea is, to bring in music for patients who are isolated, so it’s a treatment for loneliness.

“So many of the teaching fellows, including Luther, participate in that. For special concerts, we invite family members, so it’s a little private concert, a time of togetherness in which we can share the gifts that these amazing teaching fellows have. These hugely relevant gifts I would like to add, Luther, these hugely valuable, valuable, relevant gifts to patients.”