As a kid, Homero Oyarce dreamed of becoming a doctor. Today, he makes rounds at Stanford Medical Center -- as the nation's only official hospital troubadour.
Oyarce, 44, emigrated from Peru in 1988. These days, he spends three days a week playing guitar and singing traditional Latin American songs to hospital patients. "The music is like a key that opens them up so they can talk about their fears and hopes," he says in softly accented English. "It's been quite a beautiful experience."
Paid with donated funds, Oyarce has been playing for patients for two years. He was recruited for the job after appearing for a year in the Bing Music Series -- twice-weekly concerts held in the hospital atrium. Music, it seems, is good for your health. "We can't prove that your blood pressure is going to go down or you get to go home a day earlier," says series director Judith Fields, who hired Oyarce. "But we know it works."
