Key Chorale, the Suncoast’s premier symphonic chorus, is thrilled to announce their recent partnership with Healing Arts Medicine and its co-founders, Dr. Raul Storey and Barbara Hoffman, in its HealingArtsHub.com platform. This platform is a series of over 100 virtual art programs and experiences of interest to its patients, caregivers, and staff, as well as to the general public. Key Chorale’s Come Together Choir Online Choral Rehearsals, Volumes 1-3, are now housed on the HealingArtsHub.com website as an at-home option for cancer patients from over 70 Florida Cancer Specialists’ offices.
Arts in Medicine Founders
With a life filled with the arts, Barbara Hoffman’s passion to help others through the arts was developed. Using art to comfort her father in his later years, from observing the tears flow down his face as he watched on television “Live at the Kennedy Center” and “Vladmir Horowitz’s 1986 Concert in Moscow” to seeing his anger and angst as a patient during terminal illness change to a beautiful, peaceful patient as music was played in his intensive care hospital room. From these experiences and her position as Director of Indian River County’ Cultural Council, her passion evolved and began a focus for new programming opportunities with art and health care.
Dr. Raul Storey has dedicated himself to continuously strive for excellence and offering his patients the most advanced and personalized care possible. Upon initiating his career, he served as the Research Project Coordinator of an oncology group in Houston Texas. During his residency and fellowship, Dr. Storey gained experience with the MD Anderson Cancer Center Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Department. He has published in many prestigious publications including the Journal of Oncology and Medical Oncology and has presented at conferences in the United States and internationally. Dr. Storey. Dr. Storey has Florida Cancer Specialist Offices in Vero Beach and Sebastian. He believes that more people are living with cancer today than ever before; what was once thought of as the end of the journey has now become a chronic condition that millions of people are living with very day.
As a guest of Dr. Storey, Barbara and her husband attended a cancer gala in 2017 where their conversation turned to the benefits of art in healing. The results of that evening created a pilot project between the Cultural Council of IRC and Florida Cancer Specialists, Vero Beach, a pilot program for Arts in Medicine, which today continues its programs under Healing Arts Medicine, LLC.
Come Together Choir
Key Chorale launched their Come Together Choir in March 2020 for many of the same reasons Hoffman created the Art in Medicine pilot program—people need music and arts in their life. The online episodes are shot from the perspective of the choir, focused Artistic Director Joseph Caulkins as he guides 10 singers and you through each fun rehearsal, every episode builds on the previous one, giving you a sense of accomplishment and of being right there. Although this is not an interactive experience, the project is conceived to give the feel of being right there as a singer in the choir.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with HealingArtsHub to bring the joyful and therapeutic benefits of singing to cancer patients, says artistic Director, Joseph Caulkins. The music is fun, not too hard, and the experience is certain to put a smile on any music lover’s face. Since Key Chorale started the Come Together Choir, more than 600 unique households have participated from all over the country. We want to continue to bring the transformative power of music to more and more people and this new partnership enables us to do that in such a powerful way.
About Key Chorale
Key Chorale, the Suncoast’s premier symphonic chorus, is dedicated to transforming lives through innovative programming, artist excellence, educational outreach, and service to the community. Key Chorale, led by Joseph Caulkins, produces high quality collaborative musical events that engage and enrich our community. Dynamic collaborations abound as they take you to unexpected places exploring almost every corner of choral music in unique one-of-a-kind concert experiences. Through dynamic collaborations with Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, The Sarasota Ballet, The Venice Symphony, and The Circus Arts Conservatory, Key Chorale is able to create unforgettable programs that continue to push the boundaries of choral music.