Medicinal Music from Stratford Orchestra

On Dec. 7, Stratford High School's varsity orchestra tuned their instruments, set out their sheet music, and prepared to play. Only, they weren't performing at a normal concert - they were performing at a hospital!

After performing their winter concert on Dec. 5, the orchestra performed at Memorial Hermann on Dec. 7 and then Houston Methodist on Dec. 11 to celebrate the holidays.

After orchestra director Artan Zhuri began playing for hospitals in 2014, the hospitals have always requested that he return the following year to continue the tradition of playing Christmas music for patients and staff members.

Zhuri says that he enjoys watching his students have the chance to play in an orchestra outside of a school setting. He likes how playing for the hospital gives students the "opportunity to perform for their community."

The orchestra played an hour-long medley of over 15 pieces consisting of Christmas music as well as pieces from past concerts, offering students quite a different experience from their usual concerts which tend to have only 3-5 selections.

"It gives the students a great opportunity to play a real concert," Zhuri said, explaining how playing many different pieces for over an hour is more similar to how professionals play than what the orchestra does during an average orchestra concert.

Stratford orchestra director Artan Zhuri conducts the varsity orchestra at Houston Methodist. (Photo: Iris Wei)

Sophomore and Vice President Morgan Swearer helped to set up the event details, making sure that all of the students were well-prepared for the field trip. She notes that she liked the change.

"I enjoyed playing at the hospital because it was interesting to play in a different scenery than normal," Swearer said.

While students did have to dress in their formal concert wear, they ditched the harsh stage lights for the peaceful hospital surroundings, complete with a massive sparkling Christmas tree and plenty of doctors and nurses eager to listen to beautiful orchestral music.

"I liked playing at the hospital because it was more relaxed than a normal concert setting," senior and President Renee Lee said.

Just before the orchestra began to play, Zhuri told a few of the waiting doctors how there were quite a few students in the orchestra who hoped to one day become doctors. After the performance was over, some of those students had the chance to briefly speak with some of the doctors, who graciously offered to write any necessary letters of recommendation.

This field trip proved to be a success both for musicians interested in medicine as well as medical professionals interested in music!