Music, Patient Experience, and Branding

Today I read in USA today that a survey by the Society of the Arts in Healthcare, along with the Joint Commission and Americans for the Arts, found that out of the 1,923 facilities surveyed, 35% offered some type of music to patients.

Many years ago, my mother started a patient music therapy program. She used to take her guitar into patient’s rooms and sing to them. My mother has a wonderful voice and I know that she brought a deep sense of comfort to her patients through her personality and music. She has been a nurse for her entire career and earned the warm title, “the singing nurse” by her friends and colleagues.

My mom is one of my musical heroes, and I am so glad that she set such a good example for me about positive ways to use my music.

“Besides promoting relaxation and reducing stress, music therapy has been shown to affect sleep patterns, improve stroke patients’ memories and decrease the amount of sedation medication needed for some patients” USA Today – June 18, 2008

Music can also play a vital role in a hospital’s brand. What you hear when you enter hospital sets the tone for your experience there.

Think about how you would feel if you walked into a hospital and the following musical pieces were piped in on the speakers:
THE EMPERORS MARCH
VIVALDI’S SPRING
VAN HALEN’S “JUMP”
QUEEN’S “ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST”
JACKIE WILSON’S “HIGHER AND HIGHER”

No matter the industry, we as marketers need to pay attention to the nuances of our brand. The things that sometimes get “unnoticed” contribute greatly to our perceived brand.