Volunteer hospital musicians reach their one millionth patient
Musicians On Call, which brings live music to hospital patients' bedsides, reached its one millionth person served. To mark it, Garth Brooks performed by video for an 87-year-old patient at Staten Island University Hospital who was recovering from a fall.
In 1999 an idea to bring music straight into hospital rooms became Musicians On Call. Volunteers play for patients at their bedside, in person or by video, in one-on-one sessions or hospital-wide concerts. More than 800 volunteers and hundreds of recording artists have taken part.
The organisation has celebrated reaching one million people across the United States. Its one millionth was Marianna Mishik, an 87-year-old Staten Island native recovering from a fall at Staten Island University Hospital. A lifelong country fan, she was given a surprise video visit from Garth Brooks. The two talked about their military ties and favourite classic country songs, and Brooks sang a couple of his hits for her and her daughter. When Mishik mentioned her love of dancing, he offered to take her dancing in Nashville once she was better.
"Music helps you put your mind somewhere else, especially country music, it gets down into your bones, and I'm hoping it will heal my mother's bones!" said her daughter, Audrey Parente.
"Thanks to the commitment of our volunteers and our partnerships with healthcare facilities, we've been able to use the healing power of music to improve the lives of so many people," said Pete Griffin, president and chief executive of Musicians On Call.
The organisation says live music can help patients manage stress and pain and lift their mood, and gives tired caregivers a moment of relief.
A song at the bedside can make one of the hardest days in hospital a little easier, and volunteers have now done it a million times.
Source: Garth Brooks Joins Musicians On Call in Celebrating One Million People Served Nationwide (Musicians On Call).
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