Field notes: My voice teacher helped a patient with Parkinson's disease.

Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell perform at the Concert For America: Stand Up, Sing Out! at The Great Hall at Cooper Union on June 30, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images). Notice something about the way they sing?

As many of you know, before medical school, I studied classical music (composition and choral music, mainly). As a result, I am sometimes asked to talk about the connection between music and medicine. When I do, I am often asked some variant of the following question: “How does music help in your practice of medicine?”

I have many answers to this question. Recently, I was reminded of a completely strange, unexpected, and wonderful example which I’d like to share with you.