Ravinia 2026 Issue 6

Right: Maria Reese, MD, medical director of Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s performing arts medicine program, evaluating a patient’s shoulder Below: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab music therapist April Hickey, LPMT, MT-BC, playing drums with a patient Far Right: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab music therapy patient Cayden performance schedule—nor does it acknowledge an artist’s love and passion for their art form—and hopes that access to on-call medical care provides peace of mind to Ravinia Festival’s performers. “Performers’ overall health is our top goal so they don’t need to worry about their medical care,” said Dr. Reese. “Instead, they can remain focused on preparing for their performance and creating a memorable experience for Ravinia Festival’s guests.” “In the fragile world of artist touring, it’s difficult to find quality health care when you are literally on the road day to day,” said Erik Soderstrom, Ravinia Festival’s senior director of program- ming. “Shirley Ryan AbilityLab provides that quality health care to Ravinia artists when they are at their most vulnera- ble—on the road, about to perform, and in need of medical attention. “Ravinia Festival is grateful for the pro-bono services provided by Shirley Ryan AbilityLab on short notice to provide a healthy response to visiting artists. The show must go on!” TheSoul MovesFirst: ThePower of Community Connection& theArts As the global leader in physical med- icine and rehabilitation, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab not only treats perform- ers via its performing arts medicine program, but it also treats adults and children recovering from the most severe, complex conditions—from trau- matic brain and spinal cord injury to stroke-, amputation-, and cancer-related impairments. As part of its approach to treat- ing the whole patient and providing excellent clinical care, one of Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s mottoes is “The Soul Moves First.” This idea recognizes that the spirit needs to move before the body can—and that physical health and emo- tional and psychological well-being are interconnected. To that end, the hospital offers sev- eral additional programs that leverage creativity, performance, and artistic expression as a powerful part of the healing process. One of those programs is Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s aphasia choir—a free community choir and music group available to individuals living with apha- sia, a communication disorder that can occur after stroke that impacts a person’s RAVINIAMAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 7 – SEPTEMBER 23 , 2026 22