Hospital volunteers spread healing vibes with the power of music

Research has shown that music has many healing qualities, such as reducing anxiety and blood pressure, easing pain, and improving mood. Volunteers at a Chicago hospital are working to harness that power.

Chris Johnson recently saw several patients on his rounds at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood. He's not a doctor, but he helps people heal and rehabilitate from various injuries and illnesses.

Johnson volunteers with Musicians on Call , going from room to room to serenade the patients and providing bedside therapy.

"You know I have played in front of 1,000 or 2,000 people, and up there, I'm fine," Johnson said. "But if you put me one-on-one in front of a patient, I will get way more nervous than in front of a crowd."

On his rounds, Johnson ran into a fellow entertainer, actor Eddie Bo Smith Jr., a double heart bypass patient. Smith's credits include roles in "Under Siege," "The Fugitive" and "Chain Reaction."

It was clear Smith appreciated the music judging from his toe-tapping to the beat.

"He was that good," Smith said. "He was excellent."

Musicians currently operate out of Shirley Ryan and Lurie Children's Hospital, although some volunteers think the crowds there can be a little tougher.

"I don't do Lurie because I don't know enough kids' songs," Johnson said. "I feel like I would be really struggling over there so I got to get on my Taylor Swift game."

Johnson said he has visited 350 patients since 2019 – finding his rhythm in each room.

Patient Nathaniel Greene has been at Shirley Ryan for about a month. He's recovering after a boating accident where he may have saved his niece's life but lost a leg. He's now building momentum in his recovery.

"It was amazing," Greene said. "I love the music, but I think we loved even more the fact that people would come out just to lift our spirits. That meant a lot."

Johnson will spend two hours in the hospital. There are free concerts for patients, and he says he's happy to take requests.

"Maybe some Tim McGraw next time if we can make requests," Greene said.