Joyful Noise

Photography by James Moore

How a Piano and a Passion for Music Uplift an Entire Hospital

Patty Goss has many blessings in her life, among them an ear for music and a deep, abiding love for helping others. Twice a week, she combines these elements into a unique service at Ozarks Healthcare that lifts the spirits and soothes the souls of patients and staff alike.

When the hospital acquired a baby grand piano for its lobby, Goss became one of its most dedicated champions, using it to bring joy and peace to others.

“I had a very close friend, Kathy Campbell, who had cancer treatments at the Holston Cancer Center in Springfield, Missouri,” Goss said. “I would drive Kathy up there for her treatments. She would be so anxious on the way, and we would pray over the appointment before she got there. The thing she looked forward to most was the baby grand piano in the lobby and the people who played it. It blessed her so much.”

When the piano was installed at OZH, Goss took it upon herself to organize community volunteers to play. She also volunteers her own time, performing every Tuesday and Thursday from 1 to 2 p.m.

“I contact different individuals in our community, and I try to play regularly,” she said. “I could tell you a couple of stories that honestly made me sit at the piano and weep.”

The most meaningful encounters often happen spontaneously, Goss shared. She recalled one such moment when an elderly man in a wheelchair rolled up to listen. After the first song, he requested “Amazing Grace.”

“I played it for him, and as I did, tears streamed down his face while he softly sang along,” Goss said. “When I finished, he patted his chest and said, ‘This, my dear, is a gift from God to me.’”

In another instance, a man arrived at the hospital in a visible state of distress, requiring intervention from several staff members. He resisted their efforts until the music calmed him enough to allow them to help.

Goss, a career educator, has a wide repertoire of songs to play, most of them hymns interspersed with a few nostalgic secular tunes. She deflects much of the credit for the impact of her playing, attributing it to the therapeutic power of music and the piano itself.

“I was raised poor. We had no piano, but I prayed that God would teach me to play,” she said. “My mom says I wore out the arm of our couch just pretending. We went to a little country church, and I would convince her to go early—that’s how I learned. I do not read music; I play completely by ear.”