{"id":222970,"date":"2024-12-23T12:57:14","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T17:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=222970"},"modified":"2024-12-23T16:59:16","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T21:59:16","slug":"music-brings-belonging-at-uconn-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2024\/12\/music-brings-belonging-at-uconn-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Music Brings Belonging at UConn Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether as a provider, trainee, or support staff, being in health care can be enormously demanding, often with little room for outside interests or interactions with others who may share them.<\/p>\n

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Dr. Howard Gutstein leads a rehearsal of the Orchestra of UConn Health. (Tina Encarnacion\/UConn Health photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Recently, a few dozen musically inclined members of UConn Health\u2019s faculty, staff, and student body found a way to overcome this challenge: They formed an orchestra and started practicing together Wednesday nights in the cafeteria.<\/p>\n

For Dr. Anthony Diaz, neurosurgery resident and principal flutist, it\u2019s the perfect vehicle to merge his passions of medicine and music.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe orchestra provides a sense of community and belonging, much like a lifeline during the demands of residency,\u201d Diaz says. \u201cIt mirrors the teamwork and trust essential in medicine while offering a space to reconnect with creativity. For me, this group serves as both an escape and a reminder of the balance needed to thrive in such a challenging profession.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Orchestra of UConn Health, or \u201cOUCH!,\u201d made its debut performance Wednesday, Dec. 18, sharing the stage with the student a cappella group \u201cDo No Harmony.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Dr. Howard Gutstein, conductor of the Orchestra of UConn Health, presents the ensemble to the audience at the orchestra’s debut concert Dec. 18, 2024. (Tina Encarnacion\/UConn Health photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The UConn Health student a cappella group “Do No Harmony” performs in the Keller Auditorium Dec. 18, 2024. (Tina Encarnacion\/UConn Health photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMusic has always been a deeply communal experience for me,\u201d says medical student Yee Won Kim, who plays the violin. \u201cThere\u2019s a unique joy in blending my sound with others, creating harmonies that convey emotions words often cannot. I am profoundly grateful for this orchestra and the magic of our hopefully annual holiday concert. Every rehearsal is a celebration of creativity and joy, especially during the busy hours that medical school can bring; and through this journey, I\u2019ve met so many remarkable people. I can\u2019t wait to see how our orchestra continues to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their free winter concert, featuring the music of Faur\u00e9, Mozart, and Corelli, as well as holiday tunes, played to a full house in UConn Health\u2019s Keller Auditorium, which seats nearly 300.<\/p>\n