The Healing Power of Music – Musicians on Call is October’s 12for12k Charity

Along with love, music is universal. It can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of race, colour, religion and creed. It has the power to give us goosebumps as well as raise our spirits when down. It can affect a single person; it can affect a crowd. That’s why we’re delighted to be supporting Musicians on Call throughout October.

With chapters in New York, Philadelphia, Nashville and Miami, Musicians on Call bring live and recorded music to the bedsides of healthcare facilities. This helps complement the healing process for patients, families and caregivers. This is provided in a number of ways.

Bedside Performance Program

Volunteer artists give live performances in-room for patients that are too ill to leave their beds. To date, Musicians on Call have played for more than 150,000 individuals and their families. They also have 32 regular scheduled weekly performances at 27 facilities throughout the four cities they currently cover.

CD Pharmacy Program

Musicians on Call also provide hospitals with complete CD libraries, as well as personal CD players for the patients to use – all free of charge. Thanks to this, there are currently 310 CD Pharmacies throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and Dublin in Ireland.

Project Playback Program

As well as the volunteer artists who help Musicians on Call achieve their aim, the charity also has a program that gives patients the chance to have their own music recorded and produced. By using special software, patients can compose their own songs and work with volunteer professionals – artists, producers and more – and get help in the writing an recording process.

How Can WE Help?

Now in its tenth year, Musicians on Call has recently launched their One Song campaign. For just $10, Musicians on Call can bring one song to the bedside of those the charity benefits the most. Our donations will mean the following:

• $10 brings one song to the bedside of a patient in a healthcare facility

• $50 brings 5 songs to the bedsides of patients in a healthcare facility

• $150 brings music to 15 patients through MOC’s Bedside Performance Program

• $250 buys 20 “Discmen” for a CD Pharmacy so patients can listen to music in their beds

• $500 brings the Performance Program for three weeks to a healthcare facility

• $1000 brings the Performance Program for six weeks to a healthcare facility

• $2500 creates a CD Pharmacy in your name or in honour of someone

• $5000 brings the Performance Program for six months to a healthcare facility

• $10000 brings the Bedside Performance Program to a healthcare facility for one year

It’s clear to see that Musicians on Call offer an important and much-needed service. With $10,000 providing enough to maintain a whole facility for a year, it’s easy to see the difference we can make with our support. You’ve continuously shown how much you care throughout 2009 – let’s show Musicians on Call and the people it helps how much we care as well.