Hofstra students, faculty deliver healing power of music to COVID-19 patients

After a successful pilot at Lenox Hill Hospital, there are plans to expand to other hospitals.

News 12 Staff

May 22, 2020, 11:57 AM

Updated 1,605 days ago

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Hofstra students, faculty deliver healing power of music to COVID-19 patients
In the battle against COVID-19, Northwell Health is tapping into the healing power of music with an on-demand service that broadcasts Hofstra University student and faculty performances to patients' bedside televisions.

The Northwell Health Patient & Customer Experience Team asked students and faculty in Hofstra's Music Department to submit performance videos for hospitalized COVID patients.

After a successful pilot at Lenox Hill Hospital, there are plans to expand to other hospitals. The performance videos are incorporated directly into patients' bedside television programming.

Students from different musical concentrations and talents have submitted videos in the hope that their work might bring some happiness and relief to those recovering in the hospital.

Among those students and professors to submit videos are:

• Pianist and guitarist Frank Buffolino '22 composed an original song, "The Ones You Love."
• Adjunct Associate Professor Cathy Callis submitted footage of her performing "Beau Soir," transcribed for piano solo by Ralph Berkowitz, at the String Poet Studio Series in 2011.
• Soprano Erica Fletcher '21, a theater arts major, performed two songs from her junior recital: "The Monk and His Cat" by Samuel Barber and "Coyotes" by Ricky Ian Gordon.
• Lucas Folan '21 played Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G Minor on the baritone saxophone.
• Vocal performance major Samuel Tesch '21 channeled Frank Sinatra with a recording of the hit "My Way."