On August 8, JoyRx hosted an outdoor concert in the sunny courtyard at Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon, where JoyRx musicians, JoyRx-served teens, and guest performers took to the stage to bring Joy to the community.

All who were present witnessed first-hand the power music has to bring people together to share solace in times of struggle, and healing in times of hardship, achievement, and celebration.

New Partnerships are the Sweetest Melody

JoyRx partnered with SoundsTruck NW, whose mission is to increase access and connection to the arts by utilizing a mobile stage.

The concert was livestreamed to the hospital rooms via JoyRx’s Digital Live program, to allow kids who couldn’t leave their hospital rooms to still participate in the experience.

We also partnered with Ochoas Lupitas food truck to provide concertgoers with tacos and other Mexican fare.

Getting the Concert Going

JoyRx musicians kicked off the performance singing some crowd favorites, including Disney songs and well-loved classics.

Next up was JoyRx-served teen Connor and his sister, Tess. Both are amazing pianists who played solo before joining in a lovely duet to close out their set:

Another JoyRx-served teen, Chava, then performed with his band, Poder Designado, playing a few traditional Latin tunes as well as some original songs:

The concert concluded with a performance from Music4Harmony, a local nonprofit started by high school students, who wowed the audience with orchestral versions of popular songs:

Cheering for Joy!

The concert was a great success — staff had to keep setting up chairs as more and more guests arrived. Egg shakers were passed out so that all attending children could play along with the music; it made for a lively and fun performance.

“It was so inspiring to see the kids reacting to the music,” said one JoyRx staff member. “I actually started tearing up seeing how happy they were. Kids were running around laughing, some were singing along, and the kids who couldn’t move as freely were still grooving out. I thought: how wonderful to see.”

It wasn’t just a big hit for the kids, either.

“There was so much joy and positive morale across the campus,” said one Randall Children’s Hospital staff member. “It was awesome to see our staff being able to take time on their breaks to join the festivities and get food.”

“I was so moved by the happiness it provided to so many of the kids, families, and staff,” another staff member agreed.

That’s the power of music. That’s the power of Joy.