Meet Betsy Bergman, our featured volunteer from Nashville!
Get to know our volunteers!
Do you volunteer at a specific hospital? Yes, the Critical Care floors at Vanderbilt Hospital.
How long have you been volunteering with Musicians On Call? 3+ years
Are you a Volunteer Guide or Volunteer Musician? Guide
What is your occupation outside of MOC? Google Fiber, Strategic Partner Manager
Do you have any hidden talents? I can design and plant a spectacular container for your porch or patio! Just remember the spiller, thriller, filler rule!
What is your story? What connects you with music and why do you volunteer with MOC? I do not have a musical bone in my body as a performer but have had many times in my life where a song helped me through. As soon as I learned of MOC, I applied to be a Guide and waited eagerly by my laptop for an opening. Six months later they reached out and I started my MOC journey. At the time, my job involved dealing with complaints all day every day. I cherished my nights at Vanderbilt helping people who had real problems and also personally receiving the benefit of the amazing music shared in each room. I have seen big, fun families laugh and sing along and sad, Comfort Care rooms request hymns and sing along. Every experience changes all of us in the room for the better.
What makes MOC different from your other volunteer experiences? I love meeting and interacting with the patients, hearing their stories and watching them physically change during a song. I can see them relax, forget where they are and start tapping their toe. The music really changes their world, even if for only a minute or two.
Has your life changed because of your experience with MOC? Yes, without a doubt!
What is your favorite #MOCmoment? I have witnessed so many powerful moments, but one evening Craig Morrison and I were on the MICU floor and our last room of the night was a somber young woman. Her mother was in the room, told us she had been through many surgeries and there was nothing more the doctors could do. Craig picked a fabulous song for the situation. The change in the patient was amazing. She perked up, giggled and swooned as Craig sang to her. She was so happy and begged for another song. Being our last room and that we were at the end of the hall, we stayed for a few more songs and hated to leave. That experience, filled with love, light, and music, may have been one of her last and was so powerful. I can still picture her enthusiasm and joy.
