Music Therapy Alum Receives Award

Story by Shaun Baer  |  Photo provided by Elizabeth Lee Digiovanni

Elizabeth Lee Digiovanni, Hugh Hodgson School of Music alumna, received the Friend of Nursing Award from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on Friday, November 3, 2023. This award is described by St. Jude as going to someone who demonstrates excellence in clinical practice and the support of the nursing profession. They exceed role expectations while working across disciplines to assist in the achievement of quality outcomes to ensure nursing excellence. 

Digiovanni studied Music Therapy at UGA and completed her music therapy internship at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta from August 2019-Feb 2020. Following her graduation with a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy in May 2020, she worked in inpatient neurologic rehabilitation for Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. In September 2021, Digiovanni started as a Music Therapist for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Digiovanni spends her day serving patients with Leukemia, Lymphoma and Hematology diagnoses, providing motor, speech, and developmental support, promoting coping, providing procedural support, supporting pain management, and end-of-life/bereavement support. “I’ve had patients as young as a couple days old to young adults who are in their mid-20s that make up my caseload,” said Digiovanni.  

While at UGA, Digiovanni studied French horn as her primary instrument while pursuing her degree in Music Therapy. This work “allowed me to have the knowledge and language to develop diaphragmatic breathing tools and instruction for my patients.” Many of Digiovanni’s patients have had respiratory failure. “Using harmonicas and singing as ways to create some sort of resistance that emulates what’s needed to increase lung function with an incentive spirometer has made breathing and respiratory function so much easier and enjoyable for my patients. Pulmonary music therapy has been an extension of my work because of my horn playing.”

Digiovanni credits the Hugh Hodgson School of Music for what she felt was a high standard of musicianship instilled in every student. Her confidence in her skills at the performance level allowed her to focus on furthering her medical knowledge and acclimating to serving on a medical team. She also continues to use repertoire she learned from her clinical practicum experiences. “‘See You Later Alligator’ is a song I learned from UGA that has become a hit among many patients and families at my job, and a highly requested song to end our sessions.”

Another UGA experience that helped prepare Digiovanni was working as an orientation leader for UGA’s New Student Orientation (NSO) during the summer of 2018. It was through this program she began to realize “how many needs and fears people can have at once. Working with NSO to navigate student-family centered support has transferred directly to developing a patient-centered mindset, yet connecting with those who support the patient.” 

The amount of support and connection Digiovanni provides in her daily work varies from patient to patient based on their needs. However, the basis of all the work starts with the music. “Music holds space uniquely, and I use songwriting, lyric discussions, active music making, and therapeutic conversation to address a variety of concerns and stressors that my patients have. Pain, body image, prognosis, isolation, separation from their home environment, adjusting to the hospital, and missed milestones (like prom, first days of school, marching band seasons, homecoming, relocation, even delaying going to college because of treatment) are some of the many things I help my patients process through.

“Shifting attention to music can reduce perception of pain, release pleasure hormones, decrease heart and respiratory rates, and overall helps our bodies to relax and to stop focusing on the pain.”

One great joy Digiovanni experiences at St. Jude includes working with patients from all over the world and connecting with them through music. “It doesn’t matter what language we converse in - music reinforces comfort and community in a unique way that allows me to work with and beyond language and cultural differences. 

“The smiles that we all share when they see me walk into a room with a guitar or ukulele - there’s an understanding that we will be doing the same thing, together, and that they are still a person in the midst of their treatment. No matter where they call home, their socio-economic level, diagnosis or age, my favorite part of my job is reinforcing that patients are still worthy of being human: especially in experiencing joy, comfort, and hope within their treatment journey.”

The healing power of music does not just apply to Digiovanni’s patients. “When listening and learning new music, or using music for others, it’s a conscious effort to redirect that back to yourself and to fulfill your own music needs. My recharge time includes sitting at the piano playing Taylor Swift by ear, playing 60s-70s hits on guitar, and keeping up with some of my music school peers and prioritizing listening to their concerts/work in the community.”