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Pianist tries to 'humanize' hospital experience

Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva has a nice, light-filled two-story lobby at its main entrance.

But the space, with one wall lit up, is pretty imposing, and a little cool emotionally, according to hospital volunteer Dennis Ostermann of Batavia. And the people passing through are anxious and sometimes highly emotional — whether they are patients, or visiting someone.

So from 10 a.m. to noon every Wednesday, he plays the baby grand Story and Clark piano former hospital president Tom Wright donated years ago.

“The minute you hear somebody playing piano, you have a humanizing effect,” Ostermann said.

'Wildest gig'

“This is the wildest gig,” Ostermann, who is really a French horn player. He taught band at Marquardt Middle School for 33 years. He has played in a wedding band, and with symphony orchestras. In retirement, he teaches private lessons, composes, and is working on a project involving electronic instruments and Wi-Fi.

He played piano at Delnor in 2007 and 2008, but dropped it when his work schedule changed. Plus the hospital put the piano away while it was enlarging and remodeling the building, which included building a new main entrance.

But in 2016, when he was being wheeled out of the hospital after undergoing a medical procedure, he saw it was back.

And he had the time.

“You've got to get out (of the house). This is a great opportunity to get out and do something quite different,” he said.

He has regular fans. When he sees one man, who comes for outpatient treatment, Ostermann knows he has to start playing something jazzy and upbeat, or the man will lovingly razz him.

He doesn't usually take requests. He prefers to play his own compositions, or to improvise. “I'm not a standards guy,” he said.

But one time, a woman and her adult daughter were walking by. They stopped, he greeted them, but they said nothing. He resumed playing, head bent, looking at the keys. When he looked up again, the mother was standing by his left shoulder, with tears on her face. She asked if he would play “Amazing Grace.” Of course, he did.

“You've got to be ready to interface with people at whatever level you can, at where they are at. I don't know if I succeed all the time, but I enjoy the challenge,” he said.

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