Young musician with autism volunteers hundreds of hours to bring smiles to Nashville hospital patients

 

What This Story Is About

• A young man with autism, perfect pitch and synesthesia has volunteered hundreds of hours playing music for patients at a Nashville hospital — giving them a reason to smile while building a future of his own.

Why It Matters

• Isaias is showing how music can create connection when traditional communication can be difficult. By volunteering hundreds of hours at a Nashville hospital, he’s not only giving patients a break from what they’re going through — he’s also building confidence, independence and a sense of purpose for himself.

For Context

• Synesthesia is relatively rare, affecting an estimated 2% to 4% of people, and causes senses to overlap — like hearing a musical note and seeing a specific color.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Patients at TriStar Summit Hospital sometimes get a little extra entertainment with their lunch.

Isaias Vargas, 20, volunteers at the hospital several times a week, playing music in the cafeteria for patients, families and staff.

Isaias has autism and says he sometimes has difficulty communicating with people.

Music has become an important way for him to connect with others.

His father, Jacob Vargas, says that connection became clear when Isaias was young.

At 4 years old, Jacob noticed his son could tell when his guitar was out of tune. That was the beginning of what the family learned was Isaias’ perfect pitch.

Isaias also has synesthesia, a condition that can cause someone to experience one sense through another. He says he can associate different musical notes with colors.

Over the years, Isaias taught himself to play several instruments, including the guitar, saxophone, violin, piano, trumpet, flute, bass, cello and viola.

He now knows hundreds of songs by memory and regularly takes requests from patients at the hospital.

His father says those performances have added up to hundreds of volunteer hours and that he often sees patients smile when they hear Isaias play.

For Isaias, that’s the goal.

“I just like to connect with people — make them happy, make them feel better, even if they’re dealing with a lot,” he says.

His father also says volunteering is helping Isaias become more independent, which is one of his biggest goals for his son.

For a few hours each week, Isaias brings his music to the hospital — giving patients a chance to take a break from whatever they’re going through.

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