Sound Health bridges music and medicine through live performances by UNO students who contribute to the environment of care and gain professional performing experience while contributing to their community.
The mission of Sound Health is to enrich the health care environment for patients, families, health care providers and staff through live music while providing music students with an opportunity for service learning and professional performing experience. The goals of Sound Health are to contribute to a healing environment; to give music students community service learning opportunities; and to break down the “fourth wall” barriers, connecting musicians to their audiences and vice versa.
Dr. Mary Perkinson founded Sound Health in 2010 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a new faculty member at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2014, Dr. Perkinson knew that she wanted to bring Sound Health to Omaha. The pilot program took place in spring 2015 and continues to contribute to the environment of care at health care facilities throughout Omaha.