Balancing a violin and bow in one hand, Concetta Previte whipped her wheelchair through a Bronx nursing home, heading for a composing workshop at the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function.

Ms. Previte, 72, who is chronically ill, writes lyrics. She scribbles the words on the back of nursing home menus, mostly songs about love lost or love found.

For two weeks, she joined six other residents at Beth Abraham Health Services in a collaboration with seven chamber music players from Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, whose Musical Connections program aims to bring music to a wider audience, in healthcare settings, prisons, homeless shelters and senior service organizations.