Three members of the Odessa High School Chorale spread some holiday cheer Thursday at Medical Center Hospital.
Anika Gundlapalli, a member of the MCH Junior Volunteer Teen Leadership Program, got two of her friends and fellow singers, Nana Ampem and Josephine Saucedo, to join her. They sang a couple of days this week, including Thursday in the hospital cafeteria.
“Last summer we had a music therapy program and I really enjoyed singing to patients and they really enjoyed it. … This year, we wanted to bring some cheer during the holidays to patients,” Gundlapalli said.
She noted that music therapy offers a lot of benefits to patients.
“For example, it reduces preoperative anxiety and post-operative stress and it stimulates cognitive processes. It’s also an accessible and inexpensive way to benefit patients physically and emotionally,” Gundlapalli said.
This week, they sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “Let it Snow,” among other familiar tunes.
“Patients have really enjoyed it, I think, and we’ve really enjoyed singing to patients,” Gundlapalli said. Adina Crain, volunteer services manager, said the girls, who are all juniors, got a lot of applause and really nice comments. It brightened people’s days wherever they performed.
“It’s been fun,” Ampem said. “We were kind of nervous the first day, but I think we got used to it.”
“It’s really nice making people happy; making them smile,” Saucedo added.
Gundlapalli was a Junior Volunteer last summer and Crain is recruiting the other two to join this coming summer.
Saucedo said she had free time and wanted to use it constructively.
Ampem said what Gundlapalli asked was easy as they are all in choir andenjoy singing.
“It feels good,” Ampem said of performing for people at MCH. “I think the patients and the hospital staff, they’re happier.”
Saucedo agreed and said it puts them in a better mood and gets them in the Christmas spirit.
Crain said she currently has about 35 active Junior Volunteers. She is taking applications for the summer through Jan. 16, 2023.Volunteers start in June soon after school ends.
“I was not a part of the program in the summer, so I’ve been very pleasantly surprised just how well it’s gone. And just to see the joy in the visitors’ eyes as they’re watching them sing. The appreciation definitely is worthwhile to continue this when they do come back in the summer. We’ll probably add some musicians as well. (We) just kind of take the talents of the current group and try to work with whatever their interests are,” Crain said.
Ampem and Saucedo said they plan to volunteer this summer and Gundlapalli said she expects to return, as well.
Gundlapalli has also found a passion for music therapy.
“It definitely is something I’m very interested in because it mixes two things I love a lot, which is music; it’s something I’m really passionate about, and medicine, which is something I’m very interested in for my future,” Gundlapalli said.
Cashier Annette Molinar, said it was lovely hearing the girls sing.
Rosemary Gamble, patient access representative, said she works in radiology and heard the girls sing a few songs earlier this week. She told them it was beautiful.
Asked if it brightened her day, Gamble said, “It sure did.”
