Musicians On Call And The Grand Ole Opry Spread Holiday Cheer With Special Concert For Veterans In Murfreesboro
Musicians On Call partnered with the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, December 14 to bring holiday cheer to Veterans, their families and caregivers at the Alvin C. York Campus of the VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro. MOC’s Opry Circle Throwdown featured live performances by multi-platinum entertainer and Opry member Chris Young, Grammy-nominated, Platinum-certified singer/songwriter Cassadee Pope and singer/songwriter and star of CMT’s NASHVILLE Charles Esten.
“At Musicians On Call we believe that every day should be Veterans Day, which is why we regularly serve our country’s servicemen and women by sharing the healing power of music at their bedsides at VA Hospitals around the country. We were thrilled to partner with the Grand Ole Opry to show our gratitude this holiday season with a special concert just for them,” said Musicians On Call President & CEO Pete Griffin. “Chris Young, Cassadee Pope and Charles Esten have all been wonderful supporters of our mission over the years. They did an incredible job bringing the joy of the season both in their shows and at the bedsides of our Veterans.”
Prior to the concert Young, Pope and Esten visited patients throughout the hospital as part of Musicians On Call’s Bedside Performance Program. All three artists shared laughs and songs at the patients’ bedsides, bringing a welcome relief to the day. Up-and-coming artists Liv Charette and Alexis Wilkins also performed for Veterans in their rooms. Both Charette and Wilkins serve as Volunteer Musicians for Musicians On Call, regularly visiting patients in Nashville-area hospitals. They have performed for more than 1,000 patients combined.
“We are so thankful to Musicians on Call and the Grand Ole Opry for bringing this special concert to our Veteran patients and residents at the Murfreesboro campus. Many of our Veterans are unable to travel and would never have the opportunity to go the Grand Ole Opry and this brought the Opry to them!” said Tom Gallagher, Chief of Voluntary Services for VA TN Valley Healthcare Services. “The concert exemplified the mission of Musicians on Call to bring the healing power of music to our hospitalized Veterans, their families and caregivers and we greatly appreciate all the support we receive from MOC not only during the holiday season but throughout the year.
With the Opry Circle Throwdown Musicians On Call brings the magic of the Grand Ole Opry to the Veterans through impromptu performances with Opry artists and a replica of the famed six-foot Opry Circle of wood symbolizing the oak center stage at the Opry House. Prior to the celebration, the VA was presented with a Music Pharmacy thanks to Amazon, who donated dozens of Fire HD 8 tablets. Musicians On Call’s Music Pharmacy provides hospitals across the country with access to digital streaming music through tablets equipped with specialized playlists designed to promote positivity and healing for the hospital environment.
The event was made possible thanks to the support of Mary and Wilson Howes, Gil Willson, the Grand Ole Opry, Dollar General, Onsite, Southwest®, Rick Whetsel and G7 Entertainment Marketing, BRANTLEY, and Bongo Java.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Musicians On Call bringing live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities. To date, more than 170,000 individuals in Middle Tennessee have experienced the healing power of music. MOC volunteers have played for nearly 20,000 Veterans at the VA Medical Centers in Nashville and Murfreesboro.
Musicians On Call began with its first Bedside Performance Program in New York and has since expanded across the country with programs in 20 major markets. The organization’s Volunteer Musicians have performed for more than 775,000 individuals nationwide.
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