The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra announces its newest initiative: Music & Wellness. Under the leadership of Music Director Lucas Richman, who is nationally acclaimed for his work in this field, the KSO has successfully launched an award winning Music & Wellness program.

MISSION
The mission of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s music and wellness program is to provide live musical performance that enhance the healing process and benefit patients, visitors and staff in healthcare settings.

THE POWER OF MUSIC
The power of music exends beyond the concert hall and touches our daily lives in whatever we do. One of our missions at the KSO is to acknowledge and develop our musical connections throughout the community. We already have in place a music and education commitment to bring music to children throughout East Tennessee. Now we are turning our attention to the healthcare community.

HEALTHY COLLABORATIONS
The KSO has set up collaborations between healthcare providers and musicians in order to fully nurture, develop, and utilize the healing power of music. Currently KSO string quartets perform at UT Medical Center and Covenant Healthcare facilities for patients while they are receiving treatment and in waiting rooms for families of patients as well as for members of the Wellness Community. We continuously look for possibilities to incorporate the musicians into musical therapy programs in hospitals and healthcare facilities – activities that we know have eased the lives of patients as they go through the process of diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

SPIRITS UPLIFTED
It is acknowledged by those involved in these programs that incorporating music into the healing process uplifts the spirit of the patients and by doing so accelerates the recovery period.

In 2006 the KSO received a Bank of America Award for Excellence in Education based on the Music and Wellness Program.

 

Groups affiliated with KSO's Music and Wellness Program

• The Wellness Community
• University of Tennessee Medical Center
  
• Covenant Health

 

We Share a Bond

A song of reflection and empowerment for breast cancer awareness.
Music and Lyrics by Lucas Richman
Performed by a Choir of breast cancer survivors and co-survivors and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

More information

Society for the arts in healthcare

American Music Conference: Wellness

NAMM initiatives on music and wellness

Yamaha information on music and wellness