Meet Brooke Long, Our Featured Volunteer from Nashville!
Get to know our volunteers!
Do you volunteer at a specific hospital? I volunteer at Alive Hospice
How long have you been volunteering with Musicians On Call? 5 years
Are you a volunteer guide or musician? Guide
What is your story? What connects you with music and why do you volunteer with MOC? When I moved to Nashville almost 6 years ago, I wanted a way to get involved with the community. I’ve always had a love for music and how one song can take you back to different parts of your life. When I was told about MOC shortly after moving to the city, I knew I wanted to be involved in such a powerful experience.
What makes MOC different from your other volunteer experiences? MOC is unlike any of my other volunteer experiences as you get to see first hand how something like music can have such an impact on patients and family members alike.
Has you live changed because of your experience with Musicians On Call? Absolutely. I volunteer once a month at Alive Hospice and many patients/family members are faced with difficult situations. It’s amazing how sometimes one song can brighten their day and I’m grateful to be a part of that small experience.
What is your favorite #MOCmoment? IThere have been several great moments over the years I’ve been volunteering but one in particular, I’ll never forget. There was one family that was conflicted on whether to have the MOC come into the room or now. I was told by the nurse that the patient was active (only have a few hrs remaining). I told the family members we would continue to visit the other patients and come back at the end of the evening to see if they had come to a decision. Once finishing up, the musician and I re-visited the patients room and a bit reluctantly the family allowed us to enter and played one song for the patient/family members. The musician selected a random song and began to play. As soon as he began to play, the wife of the patient began to cry. At the conclusion of the song, the wife told us that of all the songs selected, the musician had chosen the song that was playing on her and her husbands very first date. It was a pretty incredible moment, especially to know that very well could have been the first and last song they would hear together. The experiences like this one are what keep me volunteering year after year!
