Volunteer donates voice to raise spirits at Woodwinds Hospital
WOODBURY — It takes a special person to volunteer — and over at M Health Fairview Woodwinds Hospital, there's a lot of special people.
"There's a lot of good singers," hospital volunteer Robert Callahan said. "There's a great deal of music, and I love to do almost all of it."
At 70 years old, Callahan knows firsthand the healing power of music. It's why he donates his singing voice to the hospital lobby every Thursday afternoon.
"I try my best to sing to uplift people's moods," he said.
With a laptop and a speaker, Callahan is a one man band. His range is impressive — he'll sing anything from Frank Sinatra to smooth classics, pop and country.
"The other day I played 'My Girl' and I had four people, one in a walker, dancing right down here," Callahan said. "…what we really want to do is try to lighten it up. Try to give a little relaxation again and let people's hearts get untangled from all the problems of the world. That's why I'm here."
Callahan is one of several musical volunteers the hospital hosts, but the first to take on lobby singing. It's an impact administration says is undeniable.
"As a physician, I can tell you a bunch of science-y stuff about how music engages all the parts of your brain, and how it's associated with the feeling of wellbeing and how it reduces anxiety, but the reality is, people just love this. And that's why we do it," VP of Medical Affairs Dr. Will Nicholson said.
Callahan's singing brings a gift of comfort, cheer and connection — not just for hospital patients and staff, but for himself, too.
"It's a bit of therapy too," Callahan said. "A year ago, August, we lost a son to suicide. This is my way of therapy I guess. People have bad days and people have bad years and lifetimes maybe, but if you can bring a little bit of cheer — it might help."
Before Callahan stepped in the spotlight of the hospital lobby, he had a successful career in finance. Look for him Thursdays at Woodwinds — he even takes requests.
