On Thursday, March 14, children’s musician Red Yarn took a break from SXSW to visit patients at St. David’s Children’s Hospital as part of the facility’s MyMusicRx program. He also gave a special lullaby performance in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. David’s Women’s Center of Texas.
MyMusicRx is a therapeutic music medicine program that brings the joy of music to hospitalized children and teens. Last April, St. David’s Children’s Hospital was the first hospital in Texas and the only hospital in the area to launch a bedside music service through MyMusicRx.
Utilizing a state-of-the-art music cart stocked with high-quality instruments, volunteer Austin musicians who have undergone specialized training to learn music medicine techniques that are most effective with children, teens and their families play and teach music to pediatric patients at their bedside. MyMusicRx is tailored to the patient’s needs and allows children to sing along, interact with instruments, and explore music games and apps on a computer tablet.
MyMusicRx is the flagship program of the Children’s Cancer Association. The innovative program leverages music, friendship and nature to create transformative moments of joy for kids facing cancer and serious illness.
Musicians ages 18 and older who are interested in training as a volunteer music specialist must be able to sing and play guitar, use an electronic tablet and volunteer approximately four hours a week. For more information, contact the volunteer services coordinator at (512) 901-1223.