Feature
Hand in Hand
Patient, physician share love of music
Strains of Fiddle Faddle by LeRoy Anderson and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue fill the tall ceilings of the Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield. The hands of SCI patient Linda Von Qualen and oncologist Robert Mocharnuk, M.D., have been playing duets twice a month in the lobby, on the piano that once belonged to Dr. Mocharnuk’s parents.
“This kind of music makes people happy,” says Dr. Mocharnuk during their rendition of the “classical pops” music. “How could you not be happy to hear music like this? For patients who hear us play, it reassures them that there is life after cancer. They see Mrs. Von Qualen’s IV pole, but they also can see that she can still do things she normally does while in treatment. She is enjoying her life.”
“It’s always fun to play with somebody,” says Mrs. Von Qualen, who has played the piano for 65 years. She received a master’s degree in education at Southern Illinois University in 1970, the same year the medical school began. The duo is working on longer pieces, and Dr. Mocharnuk hopes to perform for a bigger audience in the coming months.
“Playing with Mrs. Von Qualen is a nice break and a stress reliever for me,” he says after an emotionally stressful Friday morning.
“It improves your mood, too,” jokes Von Qualen.
“It does!” Dr. Mocharnuk agrees.
The pair have played for nearly a year, as part of a Friday Music Program at the Simmons Cancer Institute. Other Friday serenades have included holiday choirs, pianists, and the SIU Quartet.
“I hope music can be an integral part of the cancer center,” Dr. Mocharnuk says. “Music also helps the patients, and it’s important to me.”