Meet Charles Absher, Our Featured Volunteer from Atlanta!
Get to know our volunteers!
Do you volunteer at a specific hospital? I volunteer at The Atlanta VA Hospital – Eagles Nest Community Living Center
How long have you been volunteering with Musicians On Call? I think it has been about two years since I started volunteering.
Are you a volunteer guide or musician? Musician
What is your favorite song to play for patients? Proud Mary
Have you ever been part of an impromptu jam session with patients or family in a hospital room? There is one resident who has a guitar in his room. He sometimes picks it up and plays along with me.
Do you perform anywhere else besides with MOC? Yes, here and there as a solo act, with a band named the 4 Man String Band, and at Budd Terrace Rehab Center, Wesley Woods Senior Living, and at Childrens Health Care Hospital.
What is your occupation outside of MOC? I am a Civil Engineer.
Do you have any hidden talents? I guess you might say I can sing harmony with anyone in just about any key.
What is your story? What connects you with music and why do you volunteer with MOC? Music to me is a creative release. I enjoy writing and performing music and I enjoy being able to connect with people musically. I volunteer with MOC because it allows me to give musically of myself to folks. And I think they enjoy it, they seem to anyway. I like being able to trigger a happy memory or occasion for folks. Music has the unique characteristic of fixing a memory in place. The song is like a marker that points to a special time in someones life. The song can bring all that back for a moment; the song triggers a remembrance of that moment’s emotion. I am sure other art forms can do that, but music does it for me, and many others.
What makes MOC different from your other volunteer experiences? Musicians On Call is focused in bringing a little cheer to folks who sometimes don’t have an abundant supply.
Has your life changed because of your experience with Musicians On Call? I feel good being part of MOC. It is also a good way to practice music!
What is your favorite #MOCmoment? I don’t think I can name just one. There have been many that have meant a lot to me. I think the best times are when folks sing along, or do some percussion, or simply get a look in their face that tells me they are enjoying it.
