Our Mission

PROJECT: MUSIC HEALS US is a non-profit organization whose mission is to defy social barriers, build unlikely connections, and create compassionate communities by bringing high-quality, interactive music programming to individuals in carceral systems, healthcare settings, and under-resourced international communities.

Project: Music Heals Us

"This instruction has been invaluable, marking the first time I’ve had a dedicated tutor to guide me on my musical journey."

Novel Voices student
in Nairobi, Kenya

"Thank you for reminding me that even behind razor wire and locked inside of walls made of concrete, I can still find strength, beauty, and hope for a better tomorrow."

Music For The Future student
incarcerated at Radgowski Correctional Center

"This is the first time I have been able to relax in here. I could see my blood pressure dropping as you played."

Patient Participant in the Vital Sounds Initiative
at Strong Memorial Hospital

Programs

PMHU’s Vital Sounds Initiative (VSI) offers live, one-on-one, virtual bedside concerts to hospitalized patients in isolated units, including cancer, surgical transplant, and palliative care units.
PMHU works with incarcerated individuals through music programs that span from single day concerts and workshops to semester-long music composition courses.
Novel Voices provides international community music organizations with free access to live, virtual lessons, workshops, and masterclasses.
PMHU’s Arts Leadership Program provides two years of support for one string quartet on the verge of entering the professional music world.

Featured Press

These Are the Bedside Concerts Comforting Virus Patients

An I.C.U. doctor felt despair at how little could be done for the sick. Soon, she had musicians playing over the phone in hospital rooms.

In chaotic emergency rooms and intensive care units around New York City, coronavirus patients struggle to survive in isolation, with masked doctors and nurses keeping their distance and family visits barred. Alarms, monitors and overhead announcements blare incessantly.

Featured Press

Can Music Help Deal With Trauma? A Feature by the Sound Health Network

A national spotlight on the power of music to transform lives in isolation.

Project: Music Heals Us was recently featured in the Sound Health Network’s video series Shorts, a collection of stories illustrating the profound impact of music on health and healing. Hosted by neuroscientist and PMHU board member Dr. Indre Viskontas, the episode highlights our unique approach to bringing music into carceral settings—where individuals facing isolation use composition as a tool for expression, resilience, and rehabilitation. With over 27,000 free concerts delivered, this feature affirms the heart of our mission: to restore dignity and connection through the universal language of music.