‘Who’s got the beat?’ See NFL legend Steve Young join Sacramento kids for music therapy

Legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young came to Sacramento on Wednesday for a jam session with pediatric patients at Sutter Medical Center in midtown.

“Music is powerful. We all get that as human beings,” said Young. “The thing that I’m amazed at whenever I come here is the healing that takes place. Nothing else can heal the brain and heal the heart like music can.”

The session was held at Sophie’s Place, a music therapy space in the hospital opened in 2016 with the help of the Hall of Famer’s Forever Young Foundation. It was the second such facility in the country the foundation helped create in memory of singer-songwriter Sophie Barton, a friend of Young’s family. There are now 14 locations.

Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons performed at the 2016 opening in Sacramento. Wednesday was Young’s first visit since the pandemic.

Young’s former team takes on the Green Bay Packers on Saturday in an NFL divisional playoff game.