Meet Sam Baker, Our Featured Volunteer from Dallas!
Get to know our volunteers!
Do you volunteer at a specific hospital?UT Southwest and Children’s Hospital
How long have you been volunteering with Musicians On Call? Approximately 1 year
Are you a Volunteer Guide or Volunteer Musician? Musician
What is your favorite song to play for patients? “For the children “Wheels on the bus” is a favorite… For the Adults it varies quite a bit. Being in Dallas drives a lot of country/western genre sections but for the Septuagenarians and Octogenarians … “Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square” can really hit home.
Have you ever been part of an impromptu jam session with patients or family in a hospital room? “Well, some patients do singalong. A couple of the kids had keyboards in their room that they play on.”
Do you perform anywhere else besides with MOC? Full-time Musician
What is your story? What connects you with music and why do you volunteer with MOC? “Well, I have seen first-hand residents in many facilities respond to music. It is very fulfilling to know that you are connecting with them. For the patients, it is very fulfilling to see them smile, have a brief escape from their infirmity. For some, they may re-live a memory, for others just the departure from the tedium of being patient and for some the surprise of entertainment in an otherwise monotonous day.”
Has your life changed because of your experience with MOC? “It has only been enriched further through MOC.”
What is your favorite #MOCmoment? “Well, as i mentioned NightingGale… has proven to be an interesting song. It is really a WW2 British ballad, although many artists have done it. Several times patients and family have said to me that they met in England when that song was playing and/or remember that song from their early years. At Children’s hospital… Wheels on the Bus never fails to get the patients involved with the pantomime implicit in the Lyrics… It gets HUGE smiles !!! “
