A Different Channel

June 2009. Patient and wife very glad to see me and invited me into the room.  The patient appeared to be quite sick and trying hard to participate to please his wife.  I invited him to relax into the music, and told him that the biggest compliment I got was when patients were able to relax and perhaps even fall asleep as I play.  He lay back.  His wife looked at me and mouthed the words, “thank you.”  I noodled in and out of several familiar pieces of music very softly and moved toward the door.  The patient breathed slowly and steadily the whole time with his eyes closed.  As the music faded and I was leaving the room, the patient opened his eyes and thanked me, telling me I had “changed the wavelength” with my playing and he felt very relaxed.