Edie Elkan’s Bedside Harp Brings Soothing Live Music to Seven Pennsylvania and New Jersey Hospitals, Giving Patients Hope at the Bedside

LANGHORNE, PA — For more than two decades, Edie Elkan has carried her harp into hospital rooms, turning gentle live music into a quiet source of comfort for patients. Her bedside performances now reach hospitals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Elkan said the work grew out of her own history with the instrument. She first learned harp in high school, then returned to it later in life when she needed its calming sound most.

A recovery story that shaped the mission

Elkan founded Bedside Harp after a deeply personal experience in 2001. She had just come home from certification training to play harp at a patient’s bedside when her husband was hospitalized.

While he was on life support, he heard her playing, and he later said the music gave him hope. After his recovery, Elkan began bringing that same sound to other area hospitals.

How the program has grown across two states

What started as one musician’s calling has become a broader effort. Elkan and other Bedside Harp musicians now visit patients in seven hospitals across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Among the facilities taking part is Jefferson Bucks Hospital, where staff say the harp program complements pet therapy and helps create more positive patient experiences.

What comes next for Bedside Harp

Elkan’s mission remains focused on meeting patients where they are, with music meant to ease stress and bring a little hope into difficult moments. The organization also directs people to its website for more information about the program.

With support from participating hospitals, Bedside Harp continues to weave live harp music into bedside care for patients across the region.

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