HeartStrings, one of the Symphony's community engagement programs, is designed to reach beyond traditional healing and learning environments. Through live, interactive performance by the Rhapsodie String Quartet, residents at healthcare centers are engaged in music-making and movement activities that are grounded in the principles of music therapy. Our 2009-2010 partner agencies are American Family Children's Hospital, Angelus Retirement Community, Badger Prairie Health Center, the Central Wisconsin Center, two Madison Area Rehabilitation Centers, Capitol Lakes Retirement Community, Oakwood Village Retirement Communities and two St. Mary's Adult Day Health Centers.

Our sessions have demonstrated astonishing results for participants, staff and musicians alike. A report from a music therapist detailed extraordinary physical, emotional, cognitive and social changes in residents and a much-needed, and unexpected, respite for the staff. The program continues to experience sustained growth, with an estimated 3,000 people to be served in the 2009-2010 season.

HeartStrings has just received a three-year grant from the Johnson & Johnson / Society for the Arts in Healthcare. The grant was awarded to nine organizations in the US and Canada to support innovative model programs that use art to advance healing and preventative health.

Chosen from more than 320 proposals, the winners represent innovative work in visual art, drama, film, music and writing in healthcare. This means that the MSO will partner with the Society for the Arts in Healthcare to develop and implement a HeartStrings curriculum specifically designed for children with disabilities. The MSO also received a consultancy grant for the society to expand our evaluation methods and deepen our understanding of the program's impact on participants and caregivers. See the press release.

As a part of this grant, Education Director Michelle Kaebisch attended the Society for the Arts in Healthcare's 20th annual conference in Buffalo, NY. This conference brought together artists and healthcare professionals from all over the world including the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Sweden, Ireland, Kuwait and the United States. The participants included more than 350 people who are passionate about incorporating all art forms into the healing process.