I'm always looking for new material to perform in the hospital. Usually, some of the better musical material are things right under my nose, everyday things, or songs I grew up with. It's just a matter of finding the right piece and seeing the opportunity to use it.

I've always been a fan of Curtis Mayfield. I grew up in the 70s. Curtis Mayfield was a massive influence on the sound of the music I grew up with. His first musical hits were with the group The Impressions. The Impressions started in Chattanooga, Tennessee, then moved to Chicago, where Mayfield joined them.

His music was always impactful for me. I was especially drawn to the cultural aspects he often brings up in his music. He wrote songs about civil rights, black pride, and social consciousness like "Keep on Pushing" and "People Get Ready."

In his solo career, he created socially conscious, funky popular soul music as well as the soundtrack of the movie Superfly. In 1990 he was injured when stage lighting equipment fell on him while he was being introduced at a concert in New York. After he was paralyzed, he went on to record more music. In 1996 he released an excellent album called a New World Order.

On my most recent day of healthcare clowning, I decided the play the Curtis Mayfield song "It's All Right." This song is a soul classic with strong gospel influences. The song acknowledges hard times, yet it is infused with a sense of optimism that on the other side of the struggle is a time in a place where… it will be all right. The musicality of this song is lifted straight from the gospel tradition. I grew up with this type of music in the church of my youth. My mother played the piano. I don't think she ever played a Curtis Mayfield song in church. However, she did sing songs with this exact sentiment both musically and lyrically.

In my most recent hospital visit with dr. tiny. I found a few opportunities where I thought this song would work. I would strum the familiar 1-4-5 chords in a slow, steady rhythm on my ukulele, then sing the refrain "It's all right... It's all right". Many people recognized the song. I wasn't surprised. Hearing it, they would join us and sing, sometimes following me in the call and response of It's all right….. It's all right…. Other times they would finish the phrase and sing, "It's all right, have a good time cause it's all right, whoa, it's all right. "

The sentiment was not lost on me. We are in the hospital to provide a service to the patients, families, and medical staff. Often, in doing that, I find that the experience also nurtures my soul. Sharing these moments in these rough times acknowledges the struggle and provides a since of hope.

Lyrics from "It's All Right" by Curtis Mayfield

"When you wake up early in the morning

Feelin' sad like so many of us do

Hum a little soul

Make life your goal

And surely something's got to come to you

And say it's all right

Say it's all right"

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