Music of the Heart: Event at Duquesne University showcases talent, behavioral health progress

Coming up is a concert with a cause that transcends entertainment.

Not only do performers in the 13th annual Music of the Heart Recital have the chance to display their talents, they can demonstrate how participating in the Wesley Family Services Creative Arts Program has helped them overcome social, communicative and cognitive limitations.

“In addition to that, we’re providing the opportunity for the individual to have a successful experience and for the family to also witness that success,” program supervisor Katie Harrill said. “A diagnosis can be sort of heart-wrenching. You’re told about everything they won’t be able to do. So this provides an opportunity for them to do something that is positive.”

The recital is scheduled for 1 p.m. June 11 at Duquesne University’s Mary Pappert School of Music. Donations and sponsorships cover the cost of the event, and additional proceeds go toward scholarships for the creative arts program, which is conducted at the Wesley locations in South Fayette, Monroeville and Marshall Township.

Featured during the show will be singers, instrumentalists, dancers and at least four rock ’n’ roll bands, along with some performances outside the realm of music.

“We’ll probably have some comedy,” Harrill said, “because a lot of our kids really like to crack jokes.”

She founded the creative arts program with a dozen clients 22 years ago, and now the number is up to 240, plus more when contracts for school services are included.

“We collected data to see how many individuals we have impacted in the past year, and it has been close to 800,” she said.

Overall, Wesley Family Services provides behavioral health care and therapeutic support for more than 20,000 people of all ages in Western Pennsylvania.

Harrill, a native of Monroeville, instituted the creative arts program after earning her bachelor’s degree in music and psychology at Allegheny College and music therapy certification from Duquesne University.

“One of the big things we hear whenever we get a referral is, ‘My kid responds so positively to music,’” she said. “I think because music is a motivator — and is also something that individuals enjoy, with or without a diagnosis, at any age — it creates a nonthreatening environment in order for individuals to work on developmental goals, or even physical goals.

“We have some kids with hip dysplasia, and although we might not be necessarily directly working on that, even passively standing up and sitting down helps with some of that motor issue. And obviously, language development: Everyone knows how to sing their ABC’s because it was to a melody.”

The Music of the Heart Recital brings the various elements together for a confidence-affirming experience.

“We’re empowering the individuals,” Harrill said, “and trying to transform their lives on stage.”

For more information, contact Katie Harrill at 412-706-2596 or visit wfspa.org/Donate-Recital.