Music that Spreads Joy to Hospitals and Celebrate Health Workers

During the month of December 2020, Grade 7 TISB student, Veruschka and her uncle, together with a professional pianist and drummer, performed online for Manipal, Fortis and Columbia Asia hospitals, who sponsored the events. The purpose of the performances was to celebrate and encourage the health workers and patients. The video of the performance uploaded to Fortis Facebook page, has gotten over 60,000 views. We reached out to Veruschka to find out more about the performances.

I have cherished and loved music ever since when I was 5 and discovered this phenomenon. And one thing I've learnt over the years is to use your talent for the enhancement of the world – Veruschka, Grade 7

Over the winter holidays, Veruschka and her uncle, Ashish Dubey, who is a professional singer were digitally invited together with their band members to three hospitals in Bangalore: Manipal, Fortis and Columbia Asia. Veruschka’s uncle sang Bollywood and Kannada hits, while she sang old and new English hits with a backing piano and a drummer. The purpose of their performances was to to motivate and give thanks to the health care workers who have been working painstakingly hard, day and night throughout the pandemic; as well as the patients in the hospitals that have been feeling sad and alone, while being separated from their families. “I though why not give these workers and patients some entertainment and interaction to improve their moods through the healing powers of music. After all, music can heal all the wounds medicine cannot touch”, says Veruschka, who wanted to give the audience a range of different music that everyone could relate to.

The audiences at the hospitals ranged from children below the age of 10 and all the way up to senior citizens above 70. The hospitals had put up loudspeakers for the staff and patients and the band performed with their cameras on, as they sang Christmas carols and popular holiday music to get everyone in a cheerful mood. “There was one instance where a girl aged 10, who had been sulky for the past one week in quarantine missing her family, began to dance when I sang the song 'Dance Monkey'. She even un-muted the hospital mic and was ecstatic”, says Veruschka, who also played the piano for some of the tracks. The organising hospitals put the performances on their social media pages, so that more people could join in on the fun and good music. Their performances also got featured in a health magazine, and were given certificates for their efforts from each hospital and their directors.

Veruschka hope to be able to continue bringing these performances and joy to more hospitals in the future. “I hope to do these performances for more hospitals who are struggling during such strenuous times and I wish to take music, the love of my life wherever I go”, says Veruschka who is herself longing for some kind of normality, so that she can continue singing live at concerts and in competitions in school.

To read more about Veruschka and her uncle’s performances, visit Healthysoch and Health Vision. To watch the performance, visit the Fortis Facebook page.