Meet Greg “Mick” McMorrow, Our Featured Volunteer from San Jose!
Get to know our volunteers!
Do you volunteer at a specific hospital? I perform for patients at Good Samaritan & Valley Medical Center
How long have you been volunteering with Musicians On Call? I have been with MOC since September 2017
Are you a volunteer guide or musician? Musician
What is your favorite song to play for patients? Brand New by Ben Rector
Do you perform anywhere else besides with MOC? I perform as a soloist and with band members at local wineries, tap rooms, and cool venues
What is your occupation outside of MOC? My wife Jackie and I operate a small business (healthcare)
Do you have any hidden talents? I’ve published a novel, love to cook, and write songs.
What is your story? What connects you with music and why do you volunteer with MOC? We’ve always supported healthcare related charities. I was ready for a new one and tried to sign up at the San Jose MOC chapter only to find there wasn’t one. So the first year I was an “MOC Champion” working to bring the local support necessary to open one. Was told it was the first time MOC ever started two hospitals in one city and it has been great.
What makes MOC different from your other volunteer experiences? I have a very close relationship with these hospitals because of our business, but also because we have many family members that have been patients. I know first hand that a whole lot of living goes on between those hospital walls, some of it miraculous, some of it difficult, but all of it part of life.
Has your life changed because of your experience at MOC? I never expected to do bedside performances, thought I would crash and burn. Now after every session, I leave the hospital feeling blessed, that I have received so much more than I have given. When one has a talent, it takes almost no effort to use it for good. I call it the “least thing I can do” and my wish is that we get everyone, together, to do “the least thing” they can do to bring the healing power of music to those that really need it.
What is your favorite #MOCmoment? There are so many. But one of my first performances has stayed with me. A Young woman maybe mid 30’s, obviously with a lot on her troubled mind. Older Mom & Dad with her, looking just as worried and even more worn out. It seemed that she may have gotten past one phase her trouble but clearly had a long climb ahead. I chose Blake Shelton’s “Austin” because it tells a story; it gives people a break from what’s on their mind, and it’s love song with a twist at the end. Half way through the song, the woman began to sob. I worried that I had screwed up but kept playing. Soon they were sharing smiles and dabbing their tears. I finished the song, and she said: “I guess you knew, we’re from Austin and we are going back home in the morning. Your song really made me realize how much I miss it, and can’t wait to get back home
And no, I didn’t know they were from Austin!”
