Tim Woods, Gregory Gross, and Bari Zwirn go together to Sharp Grossmont Hospital Rehabilitation Center once a month. But instead of wielding crutches or getting around in wheelchairs, they carry guitars into the place.
“We know the healing power of music and hope to bring a little sunshine into the day of the patients who need cheering up,” said Tim Woods, who co-hosts with Gross the weekly Wood ‘n’ Lips at Kaffee Meister in Santee.
Tim Woods, Gregory Gross, and Bari Zwirn go together to Sharp Grossmont Hospital Rehabilitation Center once a month. But instead of wielding crutches or getting around in wheelchairs, they carry guitars into the place.
“We know the healing power of music and hope to bring a little sunshine into the day of the patients who need cheering up,” said Tim Woods, who co-hosts with Gross the weekly Wood ‘n’ Lips at Kaffee Meister in Santee.
Woods said that he, Gross and Zwirn usually practice on Mondays to expand their Wood ‘n’ Lips repertoire. For a long time, they discussed playing at a hospital or care facility on one of their Mondays. They contacted Stephanie Ousley, a recreational therapist at the Rehab Center.
“And she was enthusiastic about our proposal. Now we play at the rehab center the last Monday of each month,” Woods said.
On June 29, the three of them headed into the lounge area at the rehab center and began playing a variety of folk songs. Ousley sat in with patients Annette Hudson, William Barrett and David Ruddock to listen.
But they did not just sit. As they listened to the musicians play “Save It for a Rainy Day,” they tapped their fingers on the table, smiled and nodded.
Zwirn joked around with them.
“That was a boys’ band song, but I told them I would sing along with them,” she said.
When the musicians sang “Has Anybody Seen My Gal?” Ousley sang along with the musicians.
Ruddock smiled and said, “I love the harmony.”
Before the musicians played “Count the Flowers on the Wall,” Woods told a little about the song.
“It was written on a tour bus. I guess the writer must have been bored, but it turned out to be a good song,” he said.
Barrett hummed along with the song.
“I remember that song. I used to play that on my guitar,” he said.
When they struck the first chords of Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi,” Hudson sat up straighter and gave a thumbs-up. Gross made an announcement about Mitchell.
“Just to let you all know, Mitchell suffered an aneurism, but apparently she is going to make a full recovery,” he said.
Everyone murmured sounds of relief.
“Now, this next song everyone will want to sing along with,” Woods said, plucking on his guitar the tune of “I’ll Always Love You.”
“That’s what guys always say,” Zwirn said, joking as she strummed along.
The musicians finished with the “Happy Trails” song. Everyone clapped and thanked them.
“I loved this. It got me out of my room and out into the real world for a bit,” said Ruddock, whose wife, daughter and Hugh Montgomery, a golf buddy had come to visit him.
“I vote for this to be once a week,” Montgomery said.
Hudson had begun eating her dinner as the musicians finished up.
“I heard some old songs this evening. It was real relaxing,” she said.
Ousley said the music did have a therapeutic effect on the patients.
“We don’t call this music therapy, although we actually do have a music therapy component to physical rehabilitation,” she said. “But listening to the music is good for the patients because it gets them to remember some better times. And if they’d played music before, the music becomes inspirational for them, gives them a sense of hope that maybe they can do it again.”
Wood ‘n’ Lips musicians got the idea for singing at the Rehab Center as they gathered on Wednesdays for breakfast and a jam at the home of one of the group’s members. It was at Bob Cool’s home where they usually did this.
Woods said that one week Cool was in the hospital and he received permission to have the rest of the musicians come play music in the waiting room on the floor he was being treated in.
“The other patients and staff really enjoyed our music and I felt it would be good for Wood ‘n’ Lips to return to entertain the patients again. It’s nice to see the enjoyment of the faces of the patients and notice a few of the staff dancing and singing along with our music,” Woods said.
Woods, Gross and Zwirn play regularly at the weekly Wood ‘n’ Lips Open Mic at the Kaffee Meister in Santee. All are invited to the open mic sessions to listen or play. Sign-ups begin at 5:30 p.m. with music starting at 6:30 and going till 9:30 p.m. For more information, go to www.woodnlips.com.
