Photo Credit: Photo taken by Christina Campbell, Director of Music Programs, Living Classrooms Foundation
A dedicated group of Johns Hopkins University medical students struck the perfect chord between their passion for music and their deep commitment to community service. Students Committed to Arts in Learning and Education (SCALE), a new volunteer organization co-founded by Noah Brookes (M2) and Alyssa Arbuiso (M2), harnesses the abundant musical talents and altruistic spirit at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to uplift children and hospital patients in Baltimore City.
Noah, an M.D./Ph.D. student, knew he wanted to bring his invaluable experiences from teaching music in Chicago and performing for hospital patients during his gap years to medicine and Baltimore. Alyssa joined him early in their medical school journey, fueled by her own extensive experience as a classically trained pianist and desire to share her skills with others.
Recognizing the underutilization of the university’s talented musicians and eager volunteers while seeking to give back to their community, Noah and Alyssa started SCALE with a two-part mission to address community needs: providing accessible music education for Baltimore youth and delivering therapeutic live performances to hospital patients.
Finding the right pathway to execute their vision proved challenging at first. How could medical students meet Baltimore youth? What places would provide the instruments, spaces and resources necessary to teach music? Would medical students be able to casually sign up and play in inpatient hospital units?
Through outreach and hard work, Noah and Alyssa soon found answers. Through help from the school of medicine’s dean’s office, they connected with the Living Classrooms Foundation, a local nonprofit focused on empowering youth through community-driven educational programs. Living Classrooms serves as an after-school hub for K–12 students, offering free programs such as dance workshops, athletic groups and graphic design sessions. Most notably, the Ascend Through Music program became a vital part of Noah and Alyssa to connecting with interested students and providing lessons on a variety of instruments. Through this collaboration and their diligent recruitment, medical students were given the opportunity to serve as one-on-one mentors for underserved children who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to learn music.
But Noah and Alyssa didn’t stop there: they wanted to bring meaningful live performances directly to the hospital setting. Understanding the demanding schedules of medical students, Noah and Alyssa organized their own initiative to make participation more flexible. And through a collaboration with Meyer 6, The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s inpatient psychiatric unit, medical student volunteers began signing up to bring comfort and joy to patients through regular performances.
For Alyssa, SCALE’s impact extends beyond imparting musical skills; it resonates in the mentorship and personal growth that accompany each lesson. She has found inspiration in her own student, a dedicated 12-year-old girl who consistently chooses to tackle challenging musical pieces rather than opting for easier alternatives. In just a few months, her student has shown remarkable growth in both piano skills and confidence. Similarly, Noah has observed profound joy and enthusiasm in young students and in hospital patients, motivating him to expand SCALE’s reach.
Founded in the fall of 2024, SCALE has already engaged approximately 15 devoted volunteers who have collectively amassed around 120 hours of teaching and 30 hours of hospital performances. Looking ahead, SCALE has grand aspirations: to expand educational collaborations with additional schools across Baltimore in order to reach a more diverse student population and amplify its overall community impact. Additionally, Alyssa and Noah hope to extend live performances beyond Meyer 6 and bring music’s therapeutic benefits to even more hospital units.
Through music, SCALE embodies a vision of health care that transcends clinical excellence alone. Music and medicine share profound parallels — both highlight the importance of compassion and understanding in healing. Each is also subject to systemic disparities that limit access to care and opportunity, but each can also empower vulnerable populations by fostering confidence and resilience.
SCALE is a testament to the fact that medicine, education and service are inseparable in the making of an outstanding physician. By blending their passion for music with their dedication to education, these Johns Hopkins medical students enrich their education while striking a powerful note in Baltimore — proving that true healing extends beyond the physical body to the symphony of the human experience.
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