NJPAC's MUSIC IN THE LOBBY Expands to Clara Maass Medical Center
Professional musicians will perform monthly at the Belleville facility, NJPAC's third RWJBarnabas Health site.
New Jersey Performing Arts Center and RWJBarnabas Health have announced the expansion of NJPAC’s Music in the Lobby series to Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, New Jersey. The program is part of NJPAC’s Arts & Well-Being department and brings live music performances into healthcare environments.
The first performance at Clara Maass Medical Center will take place Thursday, May 14 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will feature harpist Merynda Adams and violinist Rebecca Harris-Lee. Adams has performed Off-Broadway and serves as Harpist in Residence at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark. Harris-Lee has performed with ensembles including the NJ Festival Orchestra, Long Island Philharmonic, and Madison String Quartet.
Music in the Lobby places professional musicians in hospital lobby spaces to create what organizers describe as healing environments intended to reduce stress and support the well-being of patients, visitors, and healthcare workers. The initiative is part of the broader arts-in-health field.
Dr. Sherri-Ann Butterfield, Senior Vice President of Social Impact at NJPAC, said in a statement, “There is significant evidence that engagement with the arts benefits mental and physical well-being. Thanks to our partnership with RWJBarnabas Health, and the success of our Music in the Lobby program, we're able to expand access to the transformative power of the arts and be of service to the community.”
The Clara Maass series will continue on the second Thursday of each month with a rotating lineup of professional musicians. Future performances will include additional instrumentalists and music spanning jazz, classical, and pop genres.
The Music in the Lobby program launched in 2023 with a pilot program at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center before expanding to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in 2025. NJPAC stated that the initiative has reached more than 26,700 patients, visitors, and staff members since its launch.
Thomas M. Burke, Chief Administrative Officer of Clara Maass Medical Center, said the partnership “brings the healing power of live performance directly into Clara Maass Medical Center, creating meaningful moments of comfort, connection and joy for our patients, families, our caregivers and team members, and the broader community.”
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