'All about the connection': Singing chaplain unites Columbus psychiatric patients

Each day at 3:15 p.m., Rev. Chris Ciampa uses his voice and guitar to rouse groups of people into a “glorious cacophony.”

No matter the size of the crowd, his friendly demeanor and accepting attitude can coax even the most reluctant singer to join in — whether with the tap of a foot, a quiet hum or all-out belting the lyrics and dancing.

Ciampa, 63, is a chaplain at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and leads groups of patients and staff in sing-alongs at Harding Hospital daily. Harding Hospital serves psychiatric patients and is located on the Wexner Medical Center campus.

The visits are something the chaplain, ordained as a United Methodist pastor, has been doing for the past nine years. And before that, a previous chaplain did the same for decades.

Ciampa is the only of 18 full-time chaplains at Wexner Medical Center who offers the sing-alongs. The addition of music to what chaplains offer is important because it can uplift those in difficult medical situations, said Imani Jones, director of the department of chaplaincy and clinical pastoral education at Wexner Medical Center.

The music sessions also give patients room to feel human, be accepted by other people and have fun, Jones said.

“Music is a universal language,” Jones added. “Music unites people.”

'Thank you, thank you very much.'

Ciampa's list of 182 songs offers something for everyone, spanning top 40 hits to classic rock to hymns. Included are "Blackbird" and "Hey Jude" by the Beatles; "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley; "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd; "You've Got a Friend in Me" by Randy Newman; "My Girl" by the Temptations; songs by Green Day; and "Amazing Grace."

His personal favorite? He likes “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers.

"It's a great message," he said. "It's all about the connection."

After Ciampa sets up in a sunny gathering room on each floor of Harding Hospital, he passes out song lists to those in attendance and tells them his rules.

"The rules are: I play 'em, we sing 'em, you gotta pick 'em," he said. "We don't do the same song twice. ... And if anybody picks an Elvis song, whoever picks the Elvis song has to be the one at the end to go 'thank you, thank you very much.'"

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The melodies are contagious, said Tina Wheaton, a staff nurse at Harding Hospital, who often steps into the room to listen and sing along with Ciampa.

“It’s upbeat, it’s uplifting. It makes you want to move, it makes you want to sing,” said Wheaton. “We encourage group activities and we encourage people to be involved in the unity.”

'You see everyone impacted in a positive way'

When Ciampa interviewed for the job, the first question he was asked was, "Do you pay the guitar?"

He was surprised, but also knew the chaplain who did it before him, and was interested in that part of the gig, as well as the chaplaincy. He started playing music at age 3 after seeing The Beatles play and never stopped, eventually earning a bachelor's degree in music education at Otterbein University.

"I play music because it's part of who I am," Ciampa said. "And that's what I bring to patients."

Those patients are involved in various therapy sessions during their stay, Wheaton said.

“By the time they get to the music group, some people who don’t come out of their shell or who aren’t open, it’s an opportunity for them to release some pent-up energy or stress,” she said. “You see everyone impacted in a positive way by singing.”

Research shows that music can improve mood, reduce stress and help distract people from pain. Listening to music can also release dopamine, a happy chemical.

"These are people who are really trying hard to get better and it's really hard work for them, so I can give them a little extra support by coming in once a day and just say 'take a breath. Let's sing and have a little fun,'" Ciampa said.

He tells people they don't have to sing loud or well. He even likes it when no one sings well, as it can be fun to hear the high notes of a song like "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" with everyone bringing a different sound.

"It just means they're having fun," Ciampa said, also noting that hospitals aren't typically joyful environments. "And when you're there to try to work on you, it can be really challenging. So, let's care for them. Let's connect with them."

Ciampa's ability to connect with patients in this way can help build trust and familiarize patients with him, so they may feel more comfortable seeking him out for counsel, and being more open with him, Jones said.

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"He’s so engaging, and has the ability to draw those who are with him into the moment and to be inclusive of everybody,” Jones said. "People see that investment, they see that he cares, that he's taking the time to spend with them."

He's seen — and welcomes — all kinds of reactions from people.

"Sometimes they pick songs that are poignant, and maybe even painful," Ciampa said. "You get tears. Music is about emotions. It's about connecting to those emotions in a way that anybody who listens to the radio does. If you're gonna cry, you're gonna cry. And that's alright. Emotions are OK to have."

Spirituality isn't just about sitting in a pew and praying, Ciampa said. It's about how people live, which is through connection with others.

"Music is a way of gathering that common experience that people have," he said. "That's really what chaplaincy is about, it's being the presence for people in a time where they're not necessarily having their best day."

He doesn't tell people everything will be fine when they're having a bad day, but acknowledges that sometimes, for just a moment, things can be better.

Ciampa remembers how music has transformed some of the patients he works with. One patient was typically very angry, but, for the 45 minutes that she was singing along with him and others, she was out of that distressed state.

"She would actually dance and smile," Ciampa recalled. "If she saw me coming in, boom, she's right in the chair ready to go. She knew that it helped her and she wanted to be a part of that."

dking@dispatch.com

@DanaeKing

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Singing chaplain unites, uplifts patients at OSU Wexner Medical Center