How Arizona’s Therapeutic Harpists Orchestrate Healing

Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photography by Loralei Lazurek

In a quiet room at St. Joseph’s Hospital, science and soul converge in a remarkable moment. A baby’s persistent crying suddenly stops — the transformation takes exactly 31 seconds from the moment Jocelyn Obermeyer’s fingers touch her harp strings, her music precisely matching the infant’s distressed pitch. 

“I could hear that he was crying in the key of F,” explains Obermeyer, executive director of the Therapeutic Harp Foundation. “When I matched that pitch with my harp, he followed the music down until he was completely peaceful.”

This scene, where an ancient instrument meets modern medicine, demonstrates the foundation’s research-backed approach to healing. The precise frequencies of harp music can influence everything from heart rate to oxygen levels — a scientific reality that plays out daily across Arizona’s healthcare landscape. As February hearts turn to thoughts of love and connection, THF’s work reveals how music — particularly the ethereal sounds of the harp — speaks directly to the heart, both metaphorically and literally.

“The harp physically lies against us — it’s truly soul-to-soul, heart-to-heart music,” Obermeyer explains. “What’s inside us comes out through our playing, and in this therapeutic setting, you can really tell when it’s not authentic.”

Founded in 2000, THF stands as Arizona’s only therapeutic harp program, serving over 300,000 patients across more than 30 healthcare facilities. From premature infants in neonatal intensive care units to end-of-life hospice patients, the foundation’s skilled practitioners bring comfort through carefully calibrated musical interventions. The organization evolved from Hospice of the Valley’s Integrative Therapies program, which incorporates nontraditional healing arts with traditional medical treatment to sustain and improve individual well-being.

For Obermeyer, the journey to therapeutic harp music began with an unexpected spiritual calling. She had spent years as a principal of a Christian school, leading a life far removed from hospital corridors and healing harmonies.

“One of my parent volunteers got cancer and ended up in Gardner Home, which was one of Hospice of the Valley’s palliative care units,” she recalls. “A harpist came and played for her there, and she told me that she felt she could die in peace because her soul was relaxed and comforted.”

After the volunteer’s passing, Obermeyer experienced persistent dreams about playing the harp — an instrument she’d never previously considered. Her late husband responded by importing a beautiful instrument from Italy called the Salvi Ana.

“It was shipped to L.A. in pieces, assembled there, and then trucked to Phoenix where it needed a full month of tuning three times daily to acclimate,” she says.

That was just the beginning. A smaller harp named Lois, acquired through what Obermeyer describes as divine timing, became her companion for 18 years of service at Hospice of the Valley.

“I thought, ‘Okay, whatever, I’ll just learn another instrument,’” she remembers. “But it evolved into my true passion: Being with people who are dying, creating what we call ‘the cradle of sound.’”

The therapeutic power of harp music extends far beyond its emotional impact. The harp’s wide pitch range creates vibrations that resonate with the entire human body, producing effects that science is increasingly validating. These vibrations can help regulate everything from heart rate and blood pressure to oxygen saturation levels.

“We’re experiencing frequencies that go beyond what our natural ears can detect, but our bodies can feel them,” Obermeyer notes.

Research has shown that therapeutic harp music is absorbed at the cellular level, affecting patients whether they’re deaf, sleeping or unconscious. Scientific studies have demonstrated that the sound resonance increases oxygen levels and promotes healing, while the vibrations correlate directly to the heart and brain, promoting physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being.

The foundation’s approach differs significantly from traditional music therapy. While both modalities serve vital roles in healthcare, THF’s practitioners work more intuitively, responding to each patient’s unique needs in the moment.

“We’re therapeutic musicians, not music therapists — there’s a key difference,” Obermeyer emphasizes. “Music therapists work with prescribed treatment plans and charts, and they do that work beautifully. We partner with them, but our approach is different. We enter each situation asking ourselves, ‘What’s meeting us today?’ We respond to what we hear, feel, see and intuit from our patients in that moment.”

The impact of this intuitive approach reveals itself in countless patient stories. One particularly moving example occurred during what was supposed to be a dinner date for Obermeyer.

“Around 8 p.m., St. Joe’s Hospital called,” she recalls. “They said a patient who had heard me playing earlier that day requested music because their loved one was near death.”

Upon arriving at the ICU, she met a family — parents in their early 50s and their teenage daughter. The patient’s wife requested a specific song but couldn’t name it.

“I said ‘sure,’ having no idea which song she meant,” Obermeyer says. “She said, ‘You know, that one?’ I said yes, and ‘Amazing Grace’ came to me — that was the song she wanted to hear. The Holy Spirit just gave it to me.”

What followed was a profound moment of connection that would stay with Obermeyer for years to come.

“As I played and sang ‘Amazing Grace,’ something remarkable happened. Her husband was covered in tattoos, and she began studying them intently — his arms, his chest, his neck — turning his arms over, taking in every detail. Years later, when my good friend who also had many tattoos was dying, I found myself doing the same thing — studying his tattoos, remembering that moment.”

The foundation’s origin story is equally compelling. Joyce Buekers, THF’s founder, discovered the healing power of the harp through her own recovery journey after a devastating car crash that left her struggling with cognitive changes.

“Every day I see evidence of how medicine and spirituality intersect,” Buekers reflects. “Doctors prescribe the harp to help them in critical situations — with patients, families, staff and volunteers.”

Today, THF’s impact extends far beyond traditional healthcare settings. The foundation’s eight-person team works with families affected by domestic violence, partners with Circle the City and other medical offices serving homeless populations, brings music education to disadvantaged schools and even plays for animals. Recent initiatives include partnerships with Native American communities through House of Jubilee and groundbreaking research with opioid-dependent infants at Banner Thunderbird.

“We took our baby harps up to the reservation,” Obermeyer shares. “We offered music classes for the children, and their parents joined in too. It was incredibly powerful — they’d never experienced anything like it before.”

The foundation’s work with memory care patients has yielded particularly remarkable results. In one instance, a seemingly nonresponsive patient suddenly became animated during a therapeutic music session. 

“I remember one time when a doctor told me, ‘That lady hasn’t spoken in two months — whatever you’re doing, keep doing it,’” Obermeyer recalls. “She had not only corrected me on all the verses to ‘Amazing Grace’ but went on to share her life story as a former English teacher. She was completely lucid in that moment.”

Such transformative experiences have inspired THF’s vision for the future. As the foundation approaches its quarter-century mark, it seeks to expand these vital services while ensuring long-term sustainability. A Legacy Fund campaign aims to raise $5 million over the next two years, creating an endowment that will allow the foundation to continue its vital work for generations to come.

“I’d love to see us expand into more major medical hospitals,” Obermeyer says. “There are many group homes in our area, and I’d especially like to increase our presence in memory care facilities. The harp is incredibly effective for dementia patients. It brings such joy, both to them and to us.”

From ancient Egypt to modern Arizona, the harp has served as a bridge between physical and spiritual realms. In THF’s work, this timeless instrument becomes a powerful catalyst for healing, creating what Obermeyer calls “the cradle of sound” for those in need. The foundation’s therapeutic musicians provide comfort during life’s most intimate transitions, transforming medical spaces into sanctuaries of healing harmonies. 

“Being invited into people’s most sacred moments is a profound privilege,” Obermeyer reflects. “These families invite us into incredibly intimate spaces during their most vulnerable times. That invitation is sacred. Instead of sending flowers, people send us. It creates memories that last forever inside them.”

therapeuticharps.org