Our team of musicians’ skills extend far beyond excellent live music performances, providing music engagements to the community via songwriting and music-making workshops and classes, and a weekly radio show.
Songwriting in Alachua County Public Schools
Musicians in residence lead students at various Alachua County public schools in music and songwriting workshops.
Shift Change Radio Hour
Shift Change is an hour-long radio program showcasing health care workers’ song requests, testimonies, dedications/shout-outs to other fellow healthcare workers, and exciting patient and AIM spotlights. The radio show connects healthcare workers, patients, and arts in health professionals both in the hospital and in the greater community.
available virtually only
StorySongs
In the StorySongs experience we take your stories or poems, individually and as a community, help with structure as needed, and then add music to create a song. Cathy DeWitt, Musician in Residence, leads this process, helping you choose the tempo, rhythm patterns, chord structures, major or minor key – all the components of composing a song. Everyone gets to participate in the process, hear the song, and sometimes even sing along! The experience inspires your creativity and broadens your understanding of the songwriting process. Selected songs are recorded and made available for download.
Past Music-based Initiatives
Sickle Cell Songwriting Group
In January and February of 2025, Arts in Medicine musicians gathered with members of the Gainesville and North Florida community for a weekly workshop series. The community members, having identified as being affected by Sickle Cell Disease, joined the workshop series to learn songwriting and music production skills, as well as to gather together in a community that validated their lived experiences. The product of these workshops is an 8-song original album written solely by the group of attendees. Titled “Warrior’s Path”, the album explores the immense depths and unexpected joys of living with sickle cell.
Artful Life: Arts-based Workshop for Teens
6-week series of art workshops for teens aged 15–17 who want to create art together and explore their creativity, featuring visual arts, music, and movement.
