On the surface, there is no obvious connection between medicine and music. That is, until you realize that music goes with anything, or everything.

Auscultation Brass is a collection of healing artists and a group of musical physicians.

"I think there's a part in our brains that, when music hits our ears, it becomes very soothing," said Dr. Jerry Rothacker, the scheduler and main contact for Auscultation Brass. "For years, when I did surgery, I didn't allow music in the operating room. I didn't want it to be a distraction. But at one point, I told my staff, 'I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to play classical music.' What I found was that it wasn't a distraction; it helped people concentrate.

"What I was listening to wasn't what my staff was listening to when they were driving home," he added. "That's the beauty of music."

Auscultation Brass is a Lancaster-based band made up of medical professionals - nurses and mostly doctors. Medicine is their profession, and music is their interest, but they are passionate about both.

"Auscultation means to listen," said Rothacker, a retired orthopedic surgeon and a tuba-playing resident of East Hempfield. "It's like a doctor listening to your lungs and heart with a stethoscope. That's Auscultation. We had a little discussion when the band was first formed. Someone came up with Auscultation, and we said, 'That's it.'"

Auscultation Brass is directed by Dr. Bob Belser, an ear, nose and throat man, while Dr. Michael Chambers, a maxillofacial surgeon, plays the trombone and serves as the group's musical librarian. Chambers is joined on the trombone by Dr. Marguerite Duane, a family doctor. Dr. Tom Andersen, a retired family physician, plays the tuba.

Trumpet players include Dr. Dan Diehl, a retired family doctor; Dr. Andy Lutzkanin, a family physician; and Dr. Bill Roberts, a retired family doctor. Intensive Care Unit nurse Kirby Strohmaier plays the French horn, as does Dr. Bill Lovett, a practicing family doctor.

Those health professionals have practiced medicine in local hospitals like Lancaster General, performed as specialists at places like Orthopedic Associates of Lancaster or been on their own in private practices.

"I think some of the attraction is the discipline it takes to learn to play an instrument," said Rothacker. "You don't just pick it up. You've got to work at it every day. As you get older, it becomes a mental challenge."

Auscultation Brass specializes in the genres of classical, light classical, pop, marches and movie-themed music. Over the last four decades, the members have grown as musicians, the group has evolved as a band and Auscultation Brass' library has ballooned to more than 300 pieces of music.

"We try to practice once a week," said Rothacker. "It's been Sunday evenings for 40 years. At one time, that was the night that was the calmest, with medical emergencies and young kids. The thing I'm most proud of is that we've been able to evolve. When we first started, it was fairly basic stuff. We're on to some more difficult music, and we've been able to add members."

Established in 1985, Auscultation Brass now plays about 12 venues each year, mostly at churches, retirement homes, medical events and festivals.

"When we first started, we had patients who would come to our performances," said Rothacker. "It was kind of like, 'Hey, this guy has a life outside of medicine.' But the story is music. You can be a musician, enjoy music and not necessarily make it your field. The members in our band are really good musicians and really good doctors."

For additional information, go to http://www.auscultationbrass.com.