Sounds of the Season

Staff members, visitors and patients at Mercy hospital in Berryville got an extra bit of Christmas cheer last week when five members of the Berryville High School Band performed holiday tunes in the hospital’s lobby.

The students — Karson Casey, Maynor Cruz, Keily Diaz, Israel Merida-Noriega and Molly Staats — played their instruments at the hospital on Monday, Dec. 15, and Wednesday, Dec. 17.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Mercy Berryville administrator Tom Guhr. “I’m glad we were able to get that pulled together.”

Guhr said the idea stemmed from a visit he made last year to Mercy’s hospital in Rogers.

“I walked into the lobby and there was a cellist playing in the lobby,” he said. “You just kind of get those warm and fuzzies and think: ‘Man, this is a really neat environment,’ because anytime you’ve got to be in the hospital or come visit somebody in the hospital, especially during the holidays, that’s tough.”

Guhr credited Berryville band director Doug Blevins with helping organize the students’ visits.

“We really appreciate those kiddos,” Guhr said. “Not only are they really good musicians, but they are just really good kids. We’re blessed to have them in our community and excited that they were able to come and serve. I know the patients and our caregivers sure enjoyed it. We had several caregivers tell us how much they appreciated it, just hearing the sound throughout the facility and down the hallway.”

Guhr said the hospital administration likes to “break the script,” when it’s appropriate to do so.

“Any time you can do that, you can create little moments for people,” he said. “And those moments can be pretty powerful. So this was a neat opportunity for us to do it.”