A Tuneful Alternative to Beep-Beep-Beep

UMD Professor and student bring sing-alongs to children in hospital

By Lucy Hubbard '24 | Maryland Today

When one unfamiliar adult began tuning her ukulele and another began warming up to sing, a 3-year-old girl in a pediatric unit of the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital (UMCH) peeked from under the covers of her hospital bed. As they played “You Are My Sunshine” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” she slowly lowered the blanket. Her respiratory issues kept her from singing with them, but she was soon bouncing her feet along to the songs.

She’s one of many children at the Baltimore hospital who’ve had their often-difficult days brightened by a fun sing-along session with University of Maryland, College Park Assistant Clinical Professor Allison Durbin ’15, Ph.D. ’23 and music education major Paige Peercy ’25. The two began regularly playing music for the children in the hospital in September as an initiative within the newly established Terrapin Community Music School (TCMS).

“We have children who can't leave their room in a hospital, and we’re able to come to them and provide musical companionship and hopefully bring some levity to their day,” said Durbin, director of TCMS, which launched this fall to offer weekly instructional programs for community members of all ages.

Read the full article in Maryland Today

Photo by Riley Sims Ph.D. '23