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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Amanda Visconti tunes her acoustic guitar and warms up her vocals, as the 25-year-old singer-songwriter prepares for her audience at Miami Cancer Institute, as a member of the Art in Medicine program.
“I like to sing a lot of uplifting music. I’m into folk, indie pop stuff. I also really like country and soul. Anything that lets me use my vocal range in a big loud way,” said Visconti.
She and other professional musicians, visual artists, and literary artists use their talent to comfort cancer patients.
There is scientific research that indicates the powerful role of music and art in healing.
Clearly, the compassion of these individuals plays a large part as well.
“I think it’s a gift to provide them with an outlet and to be a companion in a time of hardship, especially during the pandemic because a lot of people are attending their appointments alone,” Visconti said.
Like patient Alfreda McIntosh, who lives alone, and whose children live out of state.
“I could feel myself going into a pity party and feeling sorry for myself. Because my children aren’t here, my friends aren’t, my cousin, nobody is here. But they didn’t let me feel alone, and they are a blessing,” said McIntosh.
On the day she needed it the most, Amanda, and painter Alexis who also works in the program, came to her rescue. They sang and danced a little, throwing a little party for her.
“When I see Amanda, I’m like ‘move over!’ So I can get that good buzz,” McIntosh giggled.
Amanda doesn’t take for granted that her presence and voice make a difference along with the state-of-the-art medical care here.
“This has been a scary, amazing, beautiful voyage,” McIntosh confessed.
As she heads into her checkup she said to Amanda, “thank you, you have no idea how much you have helped me, your calm beautiful voice is a gift.”
For more details on this program, click here.
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