CHILDRENS HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES

The Program

The Mark Taper-Johnny Mercer Artists Program is a multidisciplinary team at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles providing art, music, writing, and other creative and expressive experiences to patients and families at the hospital. The program was founded in 1991 on the belief that the arts can provide healing opportunities for children and adults to express themselves and find relief.

The following services are offered in Childrens Hospital Los Angeles's Family Centered Care Support Services, with special consideration for the multicultural population of the hospital and surrounding community.

• Creative Arts Therapies: Art Therapy, Music Therapy, and Dance/Movement Therapy provided in groups and at bedside, facilitate growth and healing with patients and their families. Our therapists are certified by their respective credentialing boards and bring a unique perspective to the hospital's treatment team. Creative Arts Therapists collaborate with the hospital's clinical and medical staff to alleviate pain, build coping skills, and facilitate the expression of thoughts and feelings associated with illness and hospitalization.

• Visiting Artists/Musicians and Artists/Musicians in Residence: Professional artists, musicians, writers, and teachers carry out classes and workshops designed to provide entertainment and diversion, foster an appreciation for the arts, and build self-esteem through skill mastery. These experiences normalize the medical environment, provide a mentorship relationship with a professional artist, and help families to identify talents in patients and their siblings.

• Volunteers and Community Collaborations: Artists Program volunteers enhance our ability to reach patients, siblings, and parents with art supplies, craft projects, musical instruments, and other hands-on experiences. Volunteers interact with patients, assist with events, and facilitate workshops in our extensive range of outpatient areas. We collaborate with local non-profit groups who provide in-house concerts, workshops, lessons, and other experiences.

Music and Healing at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

Each year, thousands of patients and their families receive music therapy in groups and community spaces, at bedside, in isolation, and before and after medical procedures. Music therapy, defined as the use of music to achieve non-music goals, has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress, assist patients with coping and self-expression, and increase communication and social skills.

Patients working with music therapists have freedom of choice - a rarity in a hospital setting! - and may write personalized songs, perform for friends and family or record their music for use during future procedures. Children learn to participate and take turns, empathize with one another, and cooperate during music therapy groups.

Patients' lyrics and music projects are often featured in the program's quarterly newsletter, Art Beat. Depending on the patients' needs, song can be used to explore and process the hospital experience, or give patients a relief from the hospital setting by escaping into familiar tunes, performers, and conversations. 

 

Touching Patients' Lives

One such patient was Stephen, an 8-year-old boy with a complicated medical history, who has had frequent hospitalizations since birth due to gastrointestinal problems and other ongoing issues. These days, Stephen can communicate his symptoms and pain with doctors and nurses, but he went through a difficult period where this communication was difficult. He would cry and throw tantrums, but the staff could not determine the cause.   

Working with the music therapist, Stephen and his family developed songs that he could use to communicate his needs. One song in particular, sung with a simple, 3-note cadence, says, "I'm hur-ting, I'm hur-ting," and allowed Stephen to communicate increases in pain clearly and without tantrums.

8-year-old Kristen was diagnosed with a cancerous bone tumor and later leukemia. Kristen initially discovered music therapy during weekly playroom groups. During these groups, she was cheerful, energetic, and interacted with her peers and family members in an open therapeutic setting. As Kristen's condition worsened, she was placed into isolation and no longer permitted to leave her room to interact with other patients or families.

Music Therapist Cheryl Holland began to visit her at bedside. She gave Kristen a recorder, teaching her how to play so that she could maintain her physical stamina and feed her active, curious mind. Kristen was often caught practicing her recorder between sessions, working on music therapy "homework" and demonstrating her new talent to visitors and medical staff.

Kristen then entered a phase of song-writing and self-expression, which prominently featured Kristen's favorite animal - the penguin. Kristen's imaginary penguins went on great adventures in her songs, made silly mistakes, and ate their favorite foods. The penguins gave each other pep talks and made comfortable, cozy beds to sleep in. Although Kristen found it difficult to verbally express her thoughts and feelings about illness and hospitalization, she could write lyrical "pep talks" through the voice of her stuffed penguins and friends.

Kristen ultimately required an intensive treatment which placed her in the strictest isolation. During this time, she became interested in using the computer and, with the help of her music therapist, began to investigate websites promoting children's music. Often, when she did not feel like talking, Kristen could use her songs to be heard and understood.

Kristen recovered and was able to go home just in time for Christmas. We miss her, but know that she and her penguins are having new adventures back home!