Taking place on the second day of iCEE.fest (June 15 & 16), iCEE.health (June 16 ONLY) is the only event in the region in digital health, which brings together all healthcare stakeholders.
More than that, the festival brings to light extraordinary people and their truly inspirational stories.
It’s the case for Yoko K. Sen, an ambient electronic musician and the founder of Sen Sound, a social enterprise with a vision to transform the sound environment in hospitals.
- Yoko produced the album, “012906,” which was nominated for “Best Album in Electronica” by the 6th Independent Awards (2006)
- After touring North America and Europe with Dust Galaxy, a side project of Thievery Corporation, Yoko produced the album “Heaven’s Library,” and received the Washington Music Association Awards for “Best Electronica Artist” (2011, 2012).
- Yoko served as an artist-in-residence at Strathmore Music Hall, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, IDEO Cambridge, Saga Residency (Iceland), as well as a Citizen Artist Fellow at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Before presenting at the festival, we talked with Yoko about the experiences that made her interested on healthcare:
Several years ago I got sick and had to spend many hours in hospitals. I was so terrified by what I heard – the cacophony of alarms, beeps, people screaming, doors getting slammed.
Lying on the bed, I used to wonder – some people say hearing is the last sense to go when we pass away; what is the last sound I get to hear at the end of my life?
Sound is largely ignored in healthcare – even though the aesthetics of it could have a great impact on our sense of wellbeing – and a sense of dignity.
Eventually, I got better… but the question remained. I decided to explore ways to help humanize our hospital experience by transforming the sound environment – for it to be safer, more soothing, and dare I say, beautiful.
- What is the most unexpected or memorable experience since researching this space?
In healthcare, one of the extreme settings is palliative care, the end of life. At Stanford Medicine x, last year, I did a project and interviewed people with the question: what is the last sound you wish to hear at the end of your live?
And here are some stories:
- What do you think is the role of music in healthcare and/or wellbeing?
What I do is sound. Sound can include music, sound can be sound of nature, or the voice of your love ones. Sound is everywhere. In healthcare as well.
- Do you have any other plans whilst in Romania, aside enjoying iCEE.health @iCEE.fest?
I’m very excited about visiting Romania. My best friend lives in Bucharest. I think we’re going to visit Brasov, see the castles and do some hiking. I’m really excited to visit your beautiful country.
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iCEE.fest – Interactive Central and Eastern Europe Festival – takes place in Bucharest, June 15 & 16, at Grand Cinema & More, Mall Baneasa.
