Monday Moments

14May

Lou Tedesco’s Soulful S

Lou Tedesco has carried a love of music with him from growing up in a musical family to performing in New York’s All-State Jazz Band in high school and marching, pep, concert and jazz bands at the University of Maryland. A trumpet player himself since third grade, Lou has felt the powerful connection music creates for everyone. “Music is fundamentally a universal language. People feel it in their bones, in their hearts,” says Lou, “When you can provide an intangible tangible that’s so innate to a human being that’s going through a trying physical and mental experience, music implicitly draws out something that reminds people of their intrinsic humanity.” For more than 10 years, Lou has been helping Musicians On Call deliver the healing power of music in healthcare facilities. […]

23Dec

MOC Board Member And Volu

MOC National Board Member and Volunteer musician, Kevin O’Toole, has continued to beat the odds with his cancer battle. We have been so proud of his resilience and dedication to the healing power of music, so we decided to surprise him with his first-ever visit from the patient’s side. During what Kevin thought was a National Board meeting, America’s Got Talent alum Bonavega hopped on a video call to surprise him with a Virtual Bedside Performance Program! Watch a performance highlight and see the two artists talk shop below. We’re grateful for the chance to thank Kevin for being an inspiration to us all by sharing the healing power of music with him.

17Dec

Musicians On Call celebra

On December 16 we had the pleasure of chatting with pop music icon and dedicated Musicians On Call supporter Kelly Clarkson as she celebrated the holidays on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Joined by country music favorite Brett Eldredge, she spoke with Pete about all the ways Musicians On Call has delivered the healing power of music in hospitals during the pandemic. Pete also shared the exciting details about MOC’s Hope for the Holidays Presented by Citi virtual concert. We had a surprise of our own for Kelly as well, watch it below!

24Jun

Best Moments from Healing

Throughout the Musicians On Call & Hyundai Hope On Wheels Present Healing Through Music series, we surprised patients and caregivers in children’s hospitals across the nation with once-in-a-lifetime virtual performances from celebrity artists. We delivered the healing power of music to over 4,400 people! Here’s a recap of some of our favorite moments: Jason Derulo gets a dance party started with Rainey, a heart transplant patient Rainey has listened to Jason Derulo’s music for over a decade and she got to sing along with him and learn about his favorite Marvel movie, while she awaits a heart transplant. Sia surprises Tucker on his last day of cancer treatment On his last day of cancer treatment Tucker rang the bell and celebrated the occasion with a private performance from one […]

12Feb

Volunteer Musician Greg M

Greg McMorrow, Volunteer Musician for Musicians On Call in San Jose, has been so inspired by his experiences delivering the healing power of music that he put his words to a song of its own! Written from the perspective of a fictional patient, Greg used the stories shared and experienced during the Bedside Performance Program to capture the impact one song can make. “I wanted to write a song that captures the patient’s view of the MOC Guide & Artist stopping by their hospital room to play some music. We walk in as strangers, leave as friends; and the feeling lasts forever.” Greg became a Champion for San Jose to help pilot and launch the program. With the help of his support, we have been bringing live music to […]

19Dec

One Year After Diagnosis,

As a Board member and Volunteer Musician for Musicians On Call, Kevin O’Toole has witnessed music heal on a regular basis. Since he joined the National Board of Directors in 2013, he has transformed hospital rooms in New York and Nashville into one-on-one concerts through the Bedside Performance Program. In late 2018, Kevin was given a cancer diagnosis that would change everything. One year after beginning treatment, we are pleased to hear that his treatment is going well! After receiving the initial news, Musicians On Call was quick to start a Music Pharmacy at Froedtert Hospital, the hospital where he was being treated. Though we didn’t yet have programs in Wisconson, these Music Pharmacies help bring music to patients on their own time. Each Music Pharmacy package contains noise-canceling headphones, […]

18Feb

Music Pharmacy Helps Brig

UPDATE 12/10/2019: Musicians On Call is proud to announce Milwaukee now has Bedside Performance Programs at Froedtert Hospital, the very facility where Kevin O’Toole being treated. We continue to root for Kevin as he battles cancer and we are grateful for the opportunity to deliver the healing power of music to more patients in his honor. Original article presented below As a Board member and Volunteer Musician for Musicians On Call, Kevin O’Toole has witnessed music heal on a regular basis. Since he joined the National Board of Directors in 2013, he has transformed hospital rooms in New York and Nashville into one-on-one concerts through the Bedside Performance Program. Then, with his recent diagnosis of cancer, it became his turn to receive the healing power of music. We couldn’t help […]

19Mar

Paying It Forward With Th

After spending her own time in the hospital, Katy has found a way to bring joy to patients not too unlike herself. A little over 2 years ago, Katy was recovering from spinal surgery after suffering from scoliosis. Though it did aid in adjusting the shape of her spine, she still spends much of her time in physical therapy and in recovery. In a recent blog, her mother claims music has provided the most healing for her condition. It is her heart and her soul. It is better than any drug we could ever give her. For the last few years she has tried to figure out the best way to use her voice. She then found out Musicians On Call has regular programs near her, and immediately applied so […]

20Feb

Love Is An Open Door for

After five years of delivering the healing power of music to Los Angeles, Musicians On Call has seen its fair share of moments that are a joy to even witness. Watching Volunteer Musician Juliet Piper play Frozen classic, “Love Is An Open Door,” for the patient at Mattel Children’s Hospital is a perfect example of those special moments. Special thanks to the patient’s mother, Cheri Niemiec, for sharing this moment with us! Featured in the video is Volunteer Guide Jean Clark, who has volunteered with Musicians On Call since programs began in Los Angeles in 2013. We will be honoring Clark along with Volunteer Musician Beau Wammack at our 5th Anniversary Celebration on February 28th. Do you have a story about the healing power of music? Tell us all about it!

30Nov

Rachel Platten Brings Joy

Volunteer and friend of Musicians On Call, Rachel Platten, took some time out of promoting her latest album Waves to spread some cheer to patients at NYU-Langone Medical Center who would not be home for the holidays. The chart-topping artist volunteered regularly with Musicians On Call for over 12 years, delivering the healing power of music to the bedsides of patients all over New York City and beyond. In 2015, Platten was even named a Musicians On Call Music Heals honoree. This visit, however, she built a bond with one special patient and talked about the visit on her instagram! My other #wcw today goes to the beautiful Ilayda who i had the immense honor of singing for today at NYU-Langone hospital. She will be here for thanksgiving but she radiates […]