In the Community

December 22, 2009

Ohio Physician’s ‘Bach to Health’ Combines Cello with Charity

Inspired by Manhattan street musicians, a Kaiser Permanente emergency room physician is using social media — and a cello — to raise money for health care-related charities and nonprofit organizations.

Eric Roter, MD, took time from his emergency room practice in Cleveland and filmed himself playing 36 movements by his favorite composer, Johannes Sebastian Bach. Recalling the generosity of passers-by when he performed as a street musician while studying music at The Juilliard School in Manhattan, he filmed 36 street scenes in New York City, and then — working in his basement — superimposed each cello movement on a separate street scene.

He uploaded his 36 videos to a YouTube channel and dedicated each to a top-rated health care charity that addresses conditions he commonly sees in emergency rooms. Each video has a virtual tip jar — actually a link to each organization’s donation page — and each video includes quick facts about each condition.

The resulting project, “Bach to Health,” immediately got the attention of print publications and TV stations in Cleveland.

“Music is the universal language and giving to charity is the noblest deed in the universe,” Dr. Roter states on his Web site, “Please visit each charity’s website and donate a dollar or two (or more if you can) to help them help others.”

Dr. Roter also created a Facebook fan page for his project. You also can follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bachtohealth.

For anyone still considering their charitable giving opportunities this holiday season, consider dropping a dollar in Dr. Roter’s virtual tip jars.