Beyond the Bedside: Medical Students Bring Art and Music to Pediatric Healing

A new program developed by third-year Rutgers New Jersey Medical School students brings the creative arts bedside to children in the hospital 

There isn’t always a single pathway to healing. Sometimes it includes a crayon, a song or folding origami. These are the building blocks of Healing Hues & Harmony, a Rutgers New Jersey Medical (NJMS) student-led creative arts enrichment initiative that supports pediatric patients at University Hospital in Newark, N.J. 

Launched in 2025 by Sneha Gandhi and Shivani Srivastava, both third-year medical students at the medical school, the program is rooted in healing that extends beyond medicine to include interpersonal connection and an array of creative arts. 

Gandhi and Srivastava discuss the program’s mission, activities that engage both patients and families and the lessons they have learned about melding creative arts into the hospital setting. 

What is Healing Hues & Harmony and how did the program come about?

Gandhi: It is a student-led arts and music enrichment initiative created to support pediatric patients and families at University Hospital. We started this program because we believe children are meant to play and not feel defined by hospital beds, IV lines and constant procedures. 

While rotating through pediatrics, we saw how isolating and overwhelming hospitalization can be, especially for children admitted long-term or facing language barriers. Although their medical needs were being met, many lacked opportunities for play, creativity and simple human connection.

Sneha Gandhi

Rutgers New Jersey Medical Student 

While rotating through pediatrics, we saw how isolating and overwhelming hospitalization can be, especially for children admitted long-term or facing language barriers. Although their medical needs were being met, many lacked opportunities for play, creativity and simple human connection. We also noticed how often children needed distraction to tolerate treatments or briefly forget discomfort and fear. 

With support from the Pozen Program at Rutgers NJMS, which funds student-led community service initiatives, we were able to turn this concern into action. Healing Hues & Harmony launched in August 2025, bringing age-appropriate art and music activities directly to the bedside through trained medical student volunteers.

Why is it important to bring art and music into University Hospital’s pediatrics?

Gandhi: Hospitalization often strips children of their sense of control, routine and identity. Art and music help restore some of that. When a child chooses a color, folds origami or sings along to a familiar song, they are creating something of their own. 

Wellness is part of healing, just as much as medications and procedures. Art and music also transcend language, allowing connection with patients and families even when words fall short.

What impact have you observed on patients and families since the program launched?

Gandhi: Since launching, we’ve seen a clear emotional impact on patients and families. Children who initially appear withdrawn or distressed often become engaged once an activity begins. Many patients hospitalized for weeks or months share how much they appreciate the company and the chance to do something enjoyable. 

Parents frequently tell us that seeing their child calm down or smile provides relief. In several cases, families shared that art or music helped their child relax during difficult moments, such as treatments. Often, parents and siblings join in, turning the visit into a shared positive experience.

We’ve seen infants respond to music and patients facing language barriers bond with volunteers through shared creativity, reminders of how powerful play can be during illness.

Shivani Srivastava

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Student

How does this initiative benefit medical students?

Srivastava: It allows medical students to connect with patients beyond traditional clinical roles. By spending time with children outside of exams and procedures, we learn how powerful small, nonmedical interventions can be. 

Volunteers gain experience engaging patients across ages and developmental stages, working with interpreters, and supporting families during vulnerable moments. These experiences reinforce the importance of seeing patients as whole individuals not just diagnoses.

Can you share an example that captures the impact of Healing Hues & Harmony on a patient or family?

Srivastava: During one visit, a young patient who had been crying continuously while on a nebulizer gradually calmed down after engaging with coloring materials, giving the parents a rare moment to relax. In another instance, an 8-year-old, who initially refused to speak, began opening up after drawing her favorite TV characters and displaying the artwork in her room. 

We’ve also seen infants respond to music and patients facing language barriers bond with volunteers through shared creativity, reminders of how powerful play can be during illness.

What are your hopes for the future of Healing Hues & Harmony?

Srivastava: Our hope is for it to become a sustainable part of pediatric care at University Hospital, complementing existing support by offering additional one-on-one creative time. More broadly, we hope the program reinforces that healing is both medical and emotional, supporting children and families while shaping compassionate future physicians.