Andrew and Wendy

A New York couple bears witness to the healing power of music in Josh Aronson's documentary short about the titular pair, who walk their dogs around the Upper West Side, affectionately bickering and teasing each other. When 59-year-old professional musician Andrew Schulman receives a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, doctors recommend surgery, although they caution that it might not be entirely successful, especially if the cancer has spread. During the operation, Andrew experiences cardiovascular collapse as the result of a blood transfusion. At this point, it becomes clear that Andrew doesn't actually have cancer, but his life hangs in the balance and he's placed in a medically-induced coma. While he's unconscious, Andrew's wife, Wendy, plays his favorite Bach piece, Leonard Bernstein's 1962 version of "St. Matthew Passion," and his vital signs improve. Four days later, Andrew emerges from the coma, and he recalls that the music "gave me the will to live." After his recovery, Andrew gives thanks by returning to Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center to play classical guitar for other ICU patients and their family members, discovering in the process that playing music helps with his own rehabilitation. Because his heart stopped for two minutes, Andrew suffered brain damage and forgot music that he had memorized over the years, but playing again three times a week helps him to regain what he lost. An interesting documentary about the intersection of medicine and music, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)