Each moment, we move to a nearly imperceptible soundtrack: our heartbeat, which is as unique to each of us as our fingerprints. If we’re healthy, we might not notice our heartbeat much. Our most important soundtrack is one that we take for granted.
The music therapists at Atrium Health Levine Children’s are changing that. They record music, composed to the rhythm of children’s hearts. Pediatric patients and their families can choose a favorite song – some even write their own. All of this is set to a very special percussion: a looped track of the child’s heartbeat. The result is something as unique as the child’s heartbeat itself.
For some families, the song becomes a souvenir of a challenge that a child overcame. For other families, the music becomes a cherished memento, honoring a child who didn’t come back home.