By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

As a nurse, Sara Kapinos strives to make patients comfortable, help them heal, and provide whatever support she can to make their hospital stay as positive as possible.

She has a vibrant smile.

Her enthusiasm is infectious.

She has incredible drive to give 110% effort in every undertaking, whether she is working the Medical/Surgical wing, the outpatient clinic or operating room.

“I am a true float nurse,” said Sara, after listing the numerous departments she has worked in since her arrival at Bridgton Hospital in 2011. “What I like about nursing is that there are a number of things you can do, and you don’t have to do the same things every day. I haven’t done OB, although as a supervisor I have helped out in the OB world. I have six kids, so I’ve tried to avoid that.”

Just recently, Sara discovered that her lifelong love of playing violin can be the best medicine a patient might receive.

“This year, I realized I could put the two together,” Sara said. “I was asked to play at Christmas at the nurses’ luncheon. At first, I wasn’t sure about playing in front of my peers. People knew I played. I reluctantly agreed to play, and the staff loved it (she also played at Rumford Hospital).”

Sara then performed for small groups of patients in Bridgton Hospital’s quiet room. The soothing sound of the violin touched their hearts and soul, leaving some in tears and others very thankful to their “special angel,” who added a little brightness to their day.

“It was a surprise. She was incredible, overwhelming,” said Ron H., a recent patient at Bridgton Hospital. “She has this incredible spirit.”

Battling through pain and isolation of being confined to four walls of a hospital room, patients found hearing Sara’s violin as a short reprieve from their prognosis and uncertainty that may lie ahead.

“For some patients, they were on cloud nine for the rest of the day and didn’t think about their situations. It’s a good therapeutic diversion,” Sara added. “Studies after studies show how therapeutic music and painting can be as part of patient healing. We just need to incorporate it more.”

Kate Carlisle, director of communications and community affairs at Central Maine Healthcare, saw a Facebook post of Sara’s performance in Rumford, and pitched the idea to NewsCenter Maine’s “207” program to do a feature on Sara.

They did.

The feature recently aired (and can be seen on the channel’s website), and the response has totally surprised Sara.

“Since the program aired, I’ve had all kinds of people send me e-mails, contacting me, asking me if I will keep doing it? I say, ‘Of course I am. I made a promise that I would. It’s on the record. I did one today, one down. I’ve talked about doing one at the Recovery Center, and use proceeds to benefit them. Whatever helps patients,” she said. “I didn’t think it was that big a deal at all. I am still very surprised the difference it has made. It really touched the patients. There were a lot of tears and hugs. It’s so healing. I was quite surprised by the response. I don’t listen to classical music all the time either. I just like to play it.”

Sara’s love of the violin started at the age of four.

“My mom suggested piano and I did some voice, singing in a choir. There was something about the violin. Later, I learned the rich heritage of my family regarding music, and violin specifically,” she said. “Violin is difficult. I like challenging things. I love the sound. Ultimately, I was drawn to it.”

In her teen years, Sara learned that family members were bow makers, and her great-great-great-grandfather was not only an exceptional bow maker, but an exceptional violin maker.

“He had violins in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. My entire young career, I wanted to get my hands on one of those violins, but never had the opportunity until when I started to study with Julliard teachers in New York, that’s when it got serious,” she recalled. “I wanted one for posterity. I wasn’t going to play it if I didn’t like the sound. When I played it, it was absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous. I got rid of my other violins, and used it exclusively. It was stolen during one of my tours (she did tours in South America and Italy). I was lucky enough to get a second one, which doesn’t leave my sight very much.”

Sara also discovered that her great-great-great-great-grandfather (Louis IV) was a composer.

“He is well-known in the classical world, and helped critique Beethoven when he was deaf and gave him feedback regarding what the audience thought. He wanted to know what people thought,” she said.

As she became serious about playing violin, her mother suggested trying the piano.

“I wanted to give 110% to one thing. I’m an all-or-nothing type of person in everything I do. I wanted to make the violin the best thing I could do, perfecting it,” Sara said.

Violin was Sara’s focus.

She started with a local teacher. She quickly outgrew “little school groups,” and headed to the city.

“I got real serious about playing. I studied with teachers at the Portland Conservatory. Then, to USM when I was in junior high to study with instructors there. Then with a member of the Portland String Quartet, who connected me with some of the teachers at Julliard,” she said. “I practiced six to eight hours a day.”

Those long hours perfecting her skills landed Sara a dream opportunity.

“I got an incredible opportunity while in the city to travel. I met an agent, who placed me in an Italian tour. I went to all of the major cities there by train, performed with different groups. Italy is like music central, music heaven,” she said.

Later, she went to South America for a tour, which included a performance at the presidential palace in Peru. When Sara returned to the States, she embarked on another tour.

She returned home, exhausted and contemplating what career path she would follow.

“I had three kids at the time. I needed to get a real job,” she said.

Was it a tough decision to put down the violin and seek out another profession?

“Yes and no. It was practical and a necessity. Honestly, I was always into healthcare. I was the one who wanted to dissect and look at things. It was awesome. I thought I wanted to be a doctor. But, I always had a passion to be a violinist,” she said. “I always had a backup plan. I was valedictorian of my class, and a straight ‘A’ student in college. There’s only a few people in the world who can make playing violin their sole career (without teaching or doing something else).”

One day, Sara was taking her children to a doctor’s appointment in Lewiston, and she happened to drive by Central Maine Medical Center. She saw the “School of Nursing” sign, and “it clicked.”

“I decided to do it right then, and applied. Because I had good grades, I did get right in and started a couple of months later. I became a nurse, and gave 110% to nursing, like I would anything else,” she said.

The violin stayed in its case, for a while.

“I focused on the kids and school. I was very busy. I played once in a while. I did miss it. But, I started to excel in nursing. It’s a niche for me. As a performer, I made people feel happy. As a nurse, I help people feel better. They’re somewhat connected,” she said.

Thirteen years passed before Sara unexpectedly made the connection that her talent as a violinist could coincide with her work as a nurse.

“I love nursing. I don’t feel I am at work. It’s fun. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy,” she said. “This (playing violin for patients) just added another degree what I can offer people.”

New Bridgton Hospital President Peter Wright offered Sara encouraging words regarding the use of music as a tool in the healing process.

“He told me he has seen patients’ vital signs improve in places where there is ‘live’ music, which is part of therapy,” she said. “(The violin) can be soothing, unless you are listening to a bunch of third graders. One of my daughters took up the violin for a short while, and I know what it can sound like. If played beautifully, the violin has a voice and spirit.”

Music certainly is a part of Sara’s family.

Daughter Lily, a senior, is pursuing her vocal interests, deciding between Ithaca and Boston University for voice.

“She has done the rigorous audition process, which includes Italian opera to Alicia Keyes, they had to do it all. I think it is harder to get accepted for voice than violin. She blows me away. She is talented, and she’s just an amazing performer. She’s a shy girl, but when she gets on a stage, she’s alive. She is tremendous,” Sara said. “Last summer, she nearly scared me half to death, spending a couple of weeks at the Sydney Opera House performing with totally elite people. She sang at Carnegie Hall three times.”

Her 19-year-old son, Skylar, also played at Carnegie Hall three times (voice, although Sara says he is very good on piano), but isn’t going in the music direction.

“It is extremely difficult. He can get an extremely good music education at places all over the country. You don’t have to go to Julliard. Go out there, apply. I was dissuaded at times by people, instructors and mentors that would say, ‘Here, I was a big deal growing up. I was the only one playing violin competitively. I was warned that I might be the big frog in this little pond here, wait until you go out there. When I went to New York City and played with Julliard and Manhattan School of Music students, I was probably the worst, but I was there,” she said. “You can’t accept ‘no’ as an answer. You have to go for it. If you look ridiculous, at least you did everything you could to get there. It isn’t easy.”

Lily has that drive. She dances. She paints.

“She could go into art,” Sara added. “She has options.”

As Sara found out, life is full of options. It’s a matter of following one’s heart and finding one’s passion. Now, Sara is combining her two passions, and by seeing the big smiles on patients’ faces after savoring one of her performances, it’s a big win for all.