Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago have joined forces to explore the potential health benefits of music instruction for children and teenagers living with Fontan circulation, a congenital heart condition characterized by having a single functional ventricle instead of the usual two.
Comprising 16 young singers, ages 8 to 16, who are patients in Lurie Children's Single Ventricle Center of Excellence, The Fontan Choir has been meeting with singing coaches from the Bienen School for several weeks, providing participants with individualized instruction and group practice. On Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m., the children, along with parents and supporters, will present a final public performance.
The Fontan Choir is part of a feasibility study by Northwestern University and Lurie Children's to assess how singing and breathwork might enhance both the physical health and psychological well-being of young patients who have undergone multiple open-heart surgeries, including the Fontan procedure - the third and final surgery in a staged surgical approach for managing single-ventricle defects. Organizers hope to develop a "singing as therapy" model that can be replicated at other children's hospitals across the country.
