Brookline Symphony Orchestra Brings Music to Patients and Caregivers at Spaulding Hospital Cambridge

Cambridge, MA- Beeping medical devices and overhead announcements are the normal sounds you’d expect to fill the air on an average day at Spaulding Hospital Cambridge. On a Monday evening in early March, there was something very unique heard by dozens of patients, families and staff; the beautiful strands of music from the Brookline Symphony Orchestra.

With a rich legacy of over sixty years the Brookline Symphony Orchestra has a renowned reputation for both the quality of its music as well as its commitment to outreach to area communities. In addition to its standard concert schedule the Orchestra comprised entirely of volunteer musicians performs several free concerts expanding the reach of classical music beyond the concert hall through community-wide outreach. The group chose as part of this year’s outreach to go to Spaulding Hospital Cambridge, which treats long term and medically complex patient populations.

“Many of our patients who stay with us for months at a time recovering from serious illness and injuries are extremely limited on where they can go or what they can do. Being able have this amazing performance for them lift’s everyone spirits, from the patients to their families to our dedicated staff who work so hard to help our patients improve” said Joanne Fucile, VP of Operations and Chief Nursing Officer for Spaulding Hospital Cambridge. “

“We cherish the opportunity to play for audiences that would be otherwise unable to come to our regular performances. This was our first collaboration with Spaulding Hospital Cambridge and it could not have gone better,” said Laura Bouix, Brookline Symphony Orchestra. “The staff members were very gracious hosts and the audience incredible. It truly is a special feeling to be able to help brighten the day of the patients and their families and we will definitely be coming back.”

An exciting souvenir from the Brookline Symphony Orchestra’s performance is that Spaulding Hospital Cambridge was able to record it for use on the patient TV channel in the hospital. This will allow patients and their families many of whom were unable to leave their rooms for the performance, the chance to experience it also.  Fucile closed the event by saying, “the impact this type of event gives everyone at our hospital can’t be measured but it will be seen in the smiles and positive feelings for weeks to come.”