Put plainly, thereâs very little a good piece of music canât do when it comes to improving a situation. A well selected melody can be the perfect antidote for stress or angst, a soft refrain the ideal tool to put a troubled mind at ease.
Just ask Lindon Beckford, a patient transporter at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Heâs been singing since he was a boy, and for him the location isnât important, only that he can bring a bit of comfort to the world, and to himself, with his voice.
Beckfordâs been serenading for as long as he can remember, but even he couldnât have expected the reaction heâd get when he sang for the patients he was transporting.
âI was always singing at work. I was always singing as a child growing up, so it was just a natural thing. It was more for a comforting thingâŚâ said Beckford.
â⌠So I did that just to comfort myself, but all of a sudden I get to realize people was listening to me.â

Having realized that his singing was helping, Beckford began to incorporate it into his routine. Heâs been working at the same hospital for over 30 years, so heâs had the chance to perfect all manner of techniques to ease the woes of anxious patients.
He explained: âDepending on the conversation that I hear⌠is the patient in pain? What song can I sing to relieve them.
âAt the end when I get them to their procedure or back to their room they will tell me, âyou know, you make this trip from here to there so much easier because of your singingâ.â
For Beckford, itâs simply an expression of something he knows and loves. For his patients, however, it can make a world of difference.
âI remember the first time a patient journeyed with me, I was taking her to the cath lab, and she started doing harmonies for what I was singing, Iâm like âohâ, it was so amazing, Iâm like âwowâ, and ever since then that happened a few times,â Beckford said.
Itâs obvious for all to see that Beckford cares a great deal for the people he is transporting. At a time when they may be confused or worried, unsure and sometimes scared, his voice is a soothing companion that lets them know things are going to be OK. There are few things as priceless as that.
Watch the video below to hear Beckford sing:
Lindon Beckford, we salute you, sir!Â
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