Students from the choir program at Slippery Rock High School sing Wednesday afternoon at VA Butler Healthcare. The students, who are on their holiday break, traveled throughout the building singing Christmas carols.

Christmas carols continued for an extra day at VA Butler Healthcare.

A group of singers, including Slippery Rock High School Chamber Singers, sang the holiday songs that echoed throughout the building, according to Karen Dunn, VA Butler Healthcare patient-centered care coordinator.

“It's all about the healing power of music and incorporating that into health care,” Dunn said.

Dunn said the program has run on the fourth Wednesday of each month since January, but this was the first time a choir has volunteered.

“There's nothing nicer than them coming on their Christmas break,” she said.

She said previously they had individual volunteers, such as local artist, Tom Panei, who would play guitar or piano.

The choir instead traveled around the building singing a full set of Christmas carols.

“We started up in our lobby,” Dunn said. “We got to some people who can't really leave their area.”

She said the students sang wonderfully, and they showed her a new acoustic dynamic by gathering around the top of the staircase, which sent the tunes cascading down and around to multiple areas at once.

“They all stood around that, and it really echoed nicely into the first floor,” Dunn said.

The program is part of an initiative to bring more music to the center's patients, Dunn said. She said in the past the center has held a music therapy class and continues to promote Guitars for Vets, a program geared toward veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Dunn said the monthly music sessions are a more passive approach to the therapy, but they also help by coinciding with holidays that can be tough and lonely for those struggling.

“I think a lot of things exacerbate that loneliness and depression,” Dunn said.

She said she has heard good things from the patients and their families.

“A couple people stopped me and said, 'It's so nice of them to come in,'” Dunn said. “A couple said, 'It's so nice to have this while we wait.'”

Dunn said music therapy helps people, especially through depression and PTSD because the melodies evoke emotional responses and encourage reflection.

“Music is emotional,” Dunn said. “I think that no matter what you're going through, music is going to help you.”

Dunn said the program will continue next year.

“We're looking for names to fill in the dates for next year,” she said. “We're looking for anybody musically inclined.”

To volunteer your vocals for the VA, call Dunn at 878-271-6484.