Rheumatologist Spends Time Playing, Recording Music

Dr. Jerry Goldberg in his studio.

Over the years, his band has performed at multiple events, including the Marshfield Clinic’s Christmas party, and an annual masquerade party and outdoor street party, both fundraisers for the local arts center.

Looking back, he says there are two main differences between his early and current performances. Since he always schleps his own equipment to each gig, he now focuses on the weight of his equipment rather than its quality. The other is … well … bedtime.

“In the old days, we started playing about 9 p.m. and quit at 2 in the morning,” he says. “Now we want to start playing about 6:30 and by 9, everybody in the band is tired. We’re old. There are lots of changes, but we adapt.”

Still, that’s a small price to pay for what music offers in return: living in the moment. He says physicians have incredibly responsible jobs, often focusing on the past and anticipating the future.

“The only time I feel free of this responsibility is when I play music,” says Dr. Goldberg. “That was always the catch. That was always the pull. That was always the hook for me. You’re right in that moment.”

Carol Patton, a freelance writer based in Las Vegas, Nev., writes the Rheum after 5 column for The Rheumatologist.