Monday, May 28, 2007
By: Jeffrey Kurz, Staff

MERIDEN -- It may not have been built with acoustics high on the priority list, but it turns out that MidState Medical Center makes a fairly decent concert hall.

Likely, it's the cathedral ceiling and the wide Galleria hallway, which stretches from one end of the hospital to the other. MidState has been taking advantage of the harmonious situation to add music to its list of complementary therapies.

On a recent late afternoon, the sound of Matt Nozzolio's dobro playing could be heard nearly hospital-wide. A bluegrass musician who has played with several ensembles, including Amy Gallatin and Stillwater in the 1990s,

Nozzolio has recently been focusing on his solo career. He's one of the few dobro players who sings while playing, though at MidState he keeps the music at the instrumental level.

The dobro is a steel guitar with an aluminum resonator that's usually played held flat, often on the lap. As well as at MidState, Nozzolio plays at Griffin Hospital in Derby. His schedule also takes him to the New York subway, where he performs through the Music Under New York program.

MidState's complementary therapies, funded through a grant from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, include reiki and pet therapy, in which volunteers bring pets to the hospital to help cheer up patients.

The music program started late last year, following a pilot program a few summers ago that proved tremendously successful, said Denise Gagne, who coordinates the music therapy program. The aim is to provide "an appealing environment for the patients, for staff, for visitors," Gagne said.

"There's something about music, live or otherwise, and it makes a huge difference in the atmosphere of the hospital," she said. Gagne said studies have shown that music can have a beneficial influence on pain management and in helping those with Alzheimer's, for example.

About 10 musicians participate, with two or three performing each week. Most play for about an hour, Gagne said.

Gagne, who sings, has also participated. She and her husband, Mark Gagne, a piano player, performed a set of love songs to help the hospital celebrate Valentine's Day in February.

Musicians are paid to perform, though Nozzolio, a Meriden resident, was so enthusiastic about the MidState initiative his first performances were gratis.

"I've been a longtime sideman and in the last year I've concentrated on playing solo," he said. "So I see this as one way to make a go of it as a musician and I think what MidState is doing is just great."

Nozzolio's bailiwick, country and bluegrass, can be lively fare. He says he tones it down for hospital performances. "I try here to play more atmospheric music," he said.

"The acoustics are so great and the sound does travel," he said. "I try to bring a calming, relaxed atmosphere."
Nozzolio performs upstairs in a lounge area not far from the entrance to Pavilion B. Occasionally, people will gather around, but a captive audience is not the primary goal. "The way I approach it is it certainly humanizes the hospital experience for people," he said.

"One of the first times I was here, a woman was having a rough night with a family member and she told me how much she appreciated it," he recalled.

Nozzolio has recorded a five-song CD and has been working on a full album. More information about his music can be found online, at http://matt.nozzolio.googlepages.com/.
Along with high ceilings and open space, the hospital's concert friendliness is due to hard surfaces, which are good for acoustics, Nozzolio said.

"I asked if it was on purpose, I was so impressed with it," Gagne said. "But I think it was serendipity - it's just a happy accident."