Written By: Caroline Vickstrom, Music Therapy Intern At UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, you’ll see music therapists with guitars on their backs and instruments in tow, walking the halls of the pediatric units. This past January, music therapy intern Caroline Vickstrom expanded her music therapy services across to another side of the hospital to support adult patients in the Birth Center as well.   As part of her final internship project, Caroline conducted a 5-week trial of music therapy in the Birth Center, specifically in the Antepartum Unit&nb ..read more

We are so excited to share that we received a grant from the BCH Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (DEI/AR) Council for 2024. Our proposal highlighted the importance of providing kids with opportunities for exposure to diverse music experiences and will allow us to bring in three visiting musicians over the next few months!  Why is this so important? Music is universal. It is a powerful way to reach across cultures, languages, barriers, and to create connections and community. Seeing new and different cultures fosters growth and understanding of people different from ..read more

The San Francisco Symphony and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco partnered together to create an event for recently discharged patients and their families. This event at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco was held on Sunday, December 10th and it was closed to the public. The performance was designed to meet the complex medical needs of our patients. It included having spaces for multiple children with wheelchairs, more space between seats for patients who are immunocompromised, and having seats in places near outlets for medical equipment. In addition, UCSF provided Spanish and ..read more

Get ready for the latest installment in our holiday video series…we took it back a few decades and are so excited to share the joy of the last year with you all. We wish you a holiday season full of love, light, and music. Video Description: Music therapists and patients are featured throughout the video singing, dancing, and playing instruments. Vocals and music performed by Brianna, Caroline, Jenny, Madelene, and Matt To keep the music going, click here to see videos from the last five years ..read more

Back in April, we all enjoyed a delightful performance by the Music Box Quartet. The group of talented high school students has once again shared their gifts with us, dedicating this special video performance to the patients, families, and staff at UCSF. Please enjoy this concert and let them know which piece was your favorite by leaving a comment! Join us in thanking the Music Box Quartet ..read more

In July of 2023 I was invited to present at the World Congress of Music Therapy Conference in Vancouver, Canada.  I was honored to be included to speak about the work that I do with long-term patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).  In addition, I spoke about the virtual music therapy groups that I facilitate to support our older infants.      This conference was a wonderful opportunity to share the work that we do here at UCSF and to meet music therapists from all over the world.  There were some topics that I was very familiar with and others that ..read more

What is the holiday season without traditions? One of our favorite traditions is the annual music therapy holiday video. It started small and has evolved each year. It began in 2018 and we just finished our FIFTH annual winter holiday song. We don’t get a lot of snow in San Francisco…but with a festive spirit and some video editing, anything is possible! The 2022 video is officially released! 2022 Music therapists at UCSF San Francisco sing “Let It Snow”, featuring many of our wonderful patients.   Our creative arts programs are philanthropically supported. Consider a gift today!   ..read more

Mara completed her Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy with a Minor in Psychology from University of the Pacific. She is originally from the San Francisco area and is so excited to be back in SF and working with so many incredible patients and families! Mara’s primary instrument is voice and she loves singing all kinds of music including musical theater, pop, jazz and choral music. Mara has worked as a private music teacher, church music director and a preschool teacher. She is passionate about making music with people and is always excited to have a jam session! She is also thrilled to be in ..read more

When one hears "music therapy," it's easy to envision a light-hearted, enjoyable session filled with melodies and rhythms. While it may appear as a delightful bonus rather than a core treatment, the reality is far from this perception. In my experience, music therapy is not just a "nice-to-have" but often becomes an essential lifeline, providing invaluable support to many of our patients and their families. Music therapy is a recognized healthcare approach that utilizes music to achieve specific therapeutic outcomes for patients. This method has proven effective in enhancing patient experience ..read more

Written by Marissa Beaty, Music Therapy Intern "I’ll miss all of you, thanks for help along the way.  Time to say goodbye, all this feels like yesterday." Congratulations to Daniel on his remarkable recovery! Daniel is a talented musician who loves singing and playing piano, especially if it’s a Billy Joel song! In April 2023, Daniel had a stroke that caused a complete loss of movement and speech, among other health complications. Over the next three months, he worked with the rehabilitation team at UCSF to regain his skills for a truly inspiring recovery.   Music ..read more