THE HEALING POWER OF MUSIC Park Slope Courier Over the bars of his hospital crib, little Danyel LaCroix eyes his new visitors with more skepticism than the average toddler can muster. "Don't bother me," his expression seemd to say. "Don't poke me. Don't make me sit still." Wary as a wounded bird, he looked toward his sleepy-eyed mother for reassurance. But when Kathy Lord began strumming her guitar and Susan Weber started clicking a set of wooden sticks, a tiny eyebrow went up with intrigue. A little smile surfaced when the strangers broke into song. And a diaper-covered bottom began bouncing to Bob Marley. Abandoning his suspicions faster than a plate of broccoli, Danyel joined in on percussion, keeping the beat with an egg-sized shaker. With a few portable instruments and a cache of cheery tunes, Lord and Weber got a sick child to giggle and dance. It is both the miracle and mission of their profession. Firm believers in the comforting and curative powers of music, the local duo founded Music That Heals three years ago in an effort to soothe and inspire seriously ill children. Traveling from bedside to bedside in hospitals throughout the city, the longtime professional performers administer a remedy in ways more powerful than medicine. They have sung lullabies to restless infants and raised low blood pressures with rock and roll. They have cheered exhausted parents and consoled grieving families. Now in popular demand throughout the city, the founding members of Music That Heals split their energy between performances and fundraising in order to keep the project in full-time operation. Having expanded beyond their own capabilities, Lord and Weber have hired a crew of fellow musicians which allows them to both add performances and employ new artists. - Story by Melissa Robbins
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