Hamilton doctor and Mississauga-based choir crush it on Canada’s Got Talent
Published April 7, 2022 at 11:19 am
Hamilton Health Sciences’ Dr. Smita Halder and the Voices Rock Medicine choir had the judges and the audience at Canada’s Got Talent rising to their feet after a moving rendition of Rachel Platten’s hit, Fight Song.
The episode, which aired Tuesday (Apr. 5), featured the all-female physicians’ choir and highlighted the struggles of the profession during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For months, I worked every single day for 18-hours at a time,” said one choir member. Another member spoke about waking up every morning with anxiety before going to work.
Dr. Halder and her fellow choir members say Voices Rock Medicine helps get them through this difficult time. Many of their choir practices took place virtually during the pandemic.
The judges, comedic icon Howie Mandel, WWE legend Trish Stratus, YouTube star Lilly Singh, and rapper Kardinal Offishall, all expressed how moving the choir’s performance was and unsurprisingly voted unanimously to advance Voices Rock Medicine to the next round.
Videos
The choir is based out of both Toronto and Mississauga.
“Voices Rock Medicine (VCR) is a choir of diverse women physicians who find joy, connection, and inspiration through singing,” reads the official website. “For 90 minutes you can focus on yourself, decompress, and recharge with the energy that music and a supportive community offer.”
“Additionally, VRC offers an online version of VR Medicine, a community for women physicians to connect, belong and support each other through a mutual interest in music and singing. We learn rock and pop songs, create audio recordings for some songs, host virtual open-mic nights and get to learn about each other in our online chats,” it continues.
Dr. Halder is an Associate Professor and a Gastroenterologist at McMaster University. She was born in Manchester, UK and obtained her medical degree from Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities.
Dr. Halder is also the creator of a national mentorship program for female residents and junior faculty gastroenterology.
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising