(NewsNation) — David Victor spent his life as a professional musician, including by serving as a vocalist and guitarist for the rock band Boston. He used his music to entertain fans at massive concerts all over the country.

But in 2013, he learned he could use his musical talents for a different purpose.

That year, he was invited by a charity to perform music for kids at a children’s hospital in California. After entertaining the child patients, he had a revelation.

“I just had a moment walking out in the parking lot after that which ended up lasting for about three hours of just feeling like, oh this is what music — how it should be used,” he said.

He was taken aback by the joy and healing the kids got from hearing the music.

Several years later, Victor started Harmony & Healing, a California-based nonprofit that taps Victor and about half a dozen other musicians to do virtual music sessions for patients in healthcare facilities.

The virtual sessions, where a musician from the nonprofit performs music for a patient, vary in size and length. Sessions for one patient can be as short as five minutes, while group sessions for a number of patients can go as long as an hour.

Victor said he thinks of the sessions not as concerts, but as visits. The musicians don’t just play for the patients, they also interact with them.

He said the goal is to get the patients to interact with artists, describing a visit by a Garth Brooks tribute artist where a patient started talking with him about his love for Brooks’ music.

“So there’s this real interesting dialogue that’s going on that’s both memory-accessing and the music that brings it all home. And boy, it’s touching. It’s a moving experience,” he said.

Although Harmony & Healing doesn’t consider its visits to be formal music therapy — the musicians are not therapists — there is strong support among the medical community for using music to support people in healthcare facilities.

Music therapy has long been practiced as a way to reduce patient stress and promote cognitive health. The Cleveland Clinic notes it has been used to address a range of ailments from dementia to anxiety disorders.

Harmony & Healing adds music may reduce stress levels and aid in the healing process.

The Cleveland Clinic stresses even formal music therapy is a complementary form of therapy, meaning it’s not intended to replace medications or other forms of medical interventions.

Victor estimated they serve between 200 and 400 patients a year. He said one of the organization’s biggest challenges is building awareness of their services so they can find more patients to perform for.

But the reactions from patients offer a glimpse into the impact these visits can have.

At a recent visit, a man in his 90s named Howie was treated to a rendition of Johnny Cash music.

Afterward, his daughter texted to describe the impact of the visit on the man.

“(She said) ‘Oh my gosh, this guy is on fire. He won’t stop talking about songs that he remembers, and singing little lyrics and things like that,'” Victor said.