Harps of Comfort

Harps of Comfort has made the sad and challenging decision to complete our work and close as an organization as of September 1, 2023. We are no longer a fiscally-sponsored project of Community Initiatives.  

Harps of Comfort began in spring 2020 in order to bring music into ICUs for patients who were isolated by Covid-19. Our harpists were trained music-thanatologists and other therapeutic musicians with years of experience in medical settings. They knew first-hand how powerful music can be as a tool for symptom management, comfort, and even meaning-making in the face of suffering. 

Our team collaborated directly with health care providers to offer live, 1:1, virtual music sessions to patients and, when possible, their loved ones, first with Covid-19 and then others in need of care. The music was quiet and contemplative, creating an opportunity for rest, relaxation, and comfort. Nurses and other staff expressed appreciation for the benefits of the music, both for patients and for themselves.

From September 2020 to July 2023, Harps of Comfort offered nearly 400 music sessions at no cost to patients and families. Harps of Comfort received generous support from individual donors and other grant and foundation support. Circle of Love, a music-thanatology nonprofit, gave initial funding to our musicians.

While we are sad to complete our work, we have learned something extraordinary over the last three years. Thanks to feedback from patients, family members, and our healthcare partners, we now understand that music and a compassionate presence can offer care, support, and symptom management even when it is provided remotely. The implications of this for clinical care are vast. We hope that our project is one example of the ways in which more isolated populations can receive excellent care using music, even when trained music practitioners are not available in their immediate geographical area. 

You can view links to videos of harp music and natural images, and learn more about our past work on our resources page. 

Our mission: Harps of Comfort provides remote music to isolated patients with COVID-19 and other serious illness, patients nearing the end of life, loved ones, and caregivers. Using the gentle vibrations of harp and voice, our highly-trained therapeutic musicians offer individually tailored, live music sessions with compassionate, loving presence.