Songs Across the Screen: A Day in the Life of a JoyRx Music Digital Live Specialist
What does it look like to stream live music to hospitalized children across the country — all from a laptop, a camera, and a whole lot of heart?
We went behind the scenes with our JoyRx Music Digital Live team to find out.
From Bedside to Broadband: The Origins of JoyRx Music Digital Live
When Children's Cancer Association was founded in 1995, its flagship program — JoyRx Music — was built on a simple, powerful idea: bring live music directly to children in the hospital. For decades, trained JoyRx Music Specialists visited kids bedside at local Portland hospitals, creating personalized musical moments tailored to each child's mood, energy, and interests.
Over time, the program expanded to include On Demand offerings, making exclusive artist performances and music lessons available through hospital CCTV systems and YouTube, 24 hours a day. Then, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything.
When hospital lockdowns paused in-person bedside visits, the team at Children's Cancer Association refused to let sick kids go without music. The result was JoyRx Music Digital Live — a new branch of the program built on livestream concerts and one-on-one virtual sessions. "When I started at CCA in 2017, the Digital Live program did not yet exist. Digital Live was developed in response to the need to find creative ways to continue bringing JoyRx Music into hospital and healthcare settings virtually. Initially, we thought virtual services might be a short-term solution, but the demand and enthusiasm for Digital Live continued to grow." said Elke Downer, JoyRx Music Senior Manager
Today, JoyRx Music Digital Live serves 29 healthcare facilities across 15 states and Washington, D.C. — a far cry from its pandemic-era beginnings. At some locations, Digital Live has even helped pave the way for in-person JoyRx Music programs to launch, such as in Austin and New York.
Meet the Specialists Behind the Screen
At the heart of JoyRx Music Digital Live is a team of vibrant, talented musicians who have found a way to make virtual music feel personal, warm, and alive. Each brings their own musical expertise and their own unique approach to connecting with kids across the country.
We sat down with our team of three — Gabby Toledo, Dylan Greer, and Kelsey Kirchenbauer — to see what a day in their lives really looks like.
No Two Days Look the Same
One of the most striking things about life as a Digital Live specialist? There is no such thing as a typical day.
"We have so many different locations to visit and different activities to do including SINGO, Music Trivia, song request concerts, and one-on-one bedside sessions, to name a few. In fact, one of the best parts of the job to me is adapting to each hospital and each facilitator and finding ways to provide the service that would be best for them."
— Dylan Greer, JoyRx Music Specialist, Digital Live, pictured on the screen to the left
On any given day, a specialist might start with an interactive Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) concert in Massachusetts, pivot to a virtual bedside session in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Georgia, prepare for a one-on-one instrument lesson with a child who recently discharged from the hospital in California, record a personalized song for a family, and then end the day with a multi-hospital livestream broadcast.
Digital Live serves healthcare facilities with vastly different needs, equipment, and patient populations, so the ability to flex and meet each child where they are is essential to the program's success.
The Magic of Music Through a Screen
One question that often comes up about virtual music: can it really feel as personal and impactful as in-person? The short answer, according to the specialists, is yes — just in its own way.
"I personally think the digital medium really helps kids feel more comfortable. Kids are glued to their iPads, and coming in on that form feels relatable. Also, digitally, there is less fear or confusion about what we are going to be doing, and that it isn't medical. On the iPad, they are ready for some fun!"
— Gabby Toledo, JoyRx Music Specialist, Digital Live, pictured on the screen to the left
Kids get to choose if, when, and how to participate. In the digital space, that sense of agency is built right into the experience.
Why This Work Matters
Ask any JoyRx Music Digital Live specialist why they do this work, and the answer is immediate and heartfelt.
"Being able to see firsthand how the music can completely distract the kids from what's going on, bring them a moment of joy, or sometimes a moment of rest, is by far my favorite part of this job. Working here is the perfect mix of my passions: giving kids autonomy and choice, sharing my heart through music, and getting to be a professional silly person."
— Kelsey Kirchenbauer, JoyRx Music Supervisor, Digital Live, pictured on the screen to the left
What's Next for JoyRx Music Digital Live?
For Senior Manager Elke Downer, the growth of Digital Live is a source of deep pride — and the future looks even brighter.
"My hope for the future is that Digital Live continues to expand connections with healthcare facilities and communities across the country, bringing music where it's most needed while continuing to evolve based on participant feedback, research, and collaboration with our healthcare partners." — Elke Downer, JoyRx Music Senior Manager
And if the most-requested songs are any indication — right now kids everywhere are asking for "Golden" from K-Pop Demon Hunters and "Let It Go" from Frozen — there's no shortage of joy waiting to be shared.
Whether the connection is made bedside or over broadband, the goal remains the same: to empower every child to find their joy, one song at a time.