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INSPIRATION MEETS MUSIC... MEETS ART THERAPY Dr. Gail Fyke
Two years ago, Dr. Gail Fyke’s son was successfully recovering from brain surgery at a New York area hospital, when inspiration struck … an idea for a unique research project that is now helping people in the Decatur community.
MIL LIKIN MAGA ZIN E
Dr. Fyke’s son, Austin, went through many complementary therapies during the summer of 2020 as part of his surgical recovery process, including music therapy. After visiting the health care team in New York, Fyke took a trip on the subway and saw a poster with the words “Sing for Hope.” The poster was promoting the Sing for Hope initiative — one of New York City’s largest public art projects, bringing artist-painted pianos to parks and public spaces of the city for public enjoyment each June. The Sing for Hope pianos are donated to schools, health care facilities and community centers, enriching lives for years to come.
“I wanted to do that,” Fyke said. The assistant professor of nursing contacted Dr. Neal Smith, associate professor of music at Millikin, to help get her idea up and running. In the fall of 2020, the Public Painted Pianos Project in Macon County was officially launched. As part of the project, local artists paint pianos that have been donated and Fyke finds places in the community to adopt the pianos for public use. Among the places was a local assisted living center in Decatur where Fyke, along with undergraduate fellows from the Millikin School of Nursing, are conducting research on the response to music and art therapy in senior citizens who have dementia.
