Meet Ryan Mooney, Our Featured Volunteer from Denver!
Get to know our volunteers!
Do you volunteer at a specific hospital? Children’s Hospital Colorado
How long have you been volunteering with Musicians On Call? 1 year
Are you a Volunteer Guide or Volunteer Musician? Guide
What is your occupation outside of MOC? “Physician Assistant in Pediatric Orthopedics“
What is your story? What connects you with music and why do you volunteer with MOC? “I’ve always connected with music’s storytelling ability – how a great songwriter can talk about a difficult topic, discuss and draw out emotions in people, or create pure joy thru their music. My earliest musical memories are of listening to Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A album on cassette in my dad’s car as a young kid.”
I volunteer with MOC to do what I can to help spread the power of music. A patient’s and their families’ time in the hospital can be monotonous. There is so much down time where their thoughts can swirl, and the MOC musicians are able to provide some reprieve. Whether it’s a song to laugh at, cry with, or sing along to I truly believe it helps them heal. ”
Has your life changed because of your experience with MOC? “Yes. It has been so refreshing to interact with patients in a setting where neither one of us is burdened by the task of making a medical decision. It’s a more personal connection. ”
What is your favorite #MOCmoment? “After going through a short list of songs that he had prepared, the teenage girl our musician was playing for asked if she could request a song. It turns out she was due to audition for her high school’s production of Grease a week later and she was missing out on a lot of practice available at her high school due to being the hospital. Even though he had never played the song before, the musician didn’t hesitate and made his way through the song twice while the teenager sang along, getting some of the practice in that she would have had if she weren’t in the hospital. “
