HOPE Week: Musicians On Call

The New York Yankees celebrated Musicians on Call today in their latest edition of HOPE Week at Yankee Stadium. Musicians on Call performs concerts for hospital patients and were helped out by Carlos Beltran, Brett Gardner, Vidal Nuno, Adam Warren, Chase Whitley, and the legend Bernie Williams. The players and performers then performed a room by room visits to the patients who were unable to attend the concert. AWESOME gesture by the Yankees, as usual.

Here's the Yankees.com write up for Musicians on Call:

It’s hardly common to associate an upbeat mood, laughter or a friendly face with a hospital stay, but that’s exactly what Musicians on Call hopes to provide for the patients it visits.

In 1999, Michael Solomon and Vivek Tiwary sponsored a concert for patients at a Manhattan hospital. Upon witnessing the joy that the event brought patients, Musicians on Call was born. Since its inception 15 years ago, the organization has seen hundreds of volunteer musicians perform for over 400,000 individuals, with a focus on reaching patients who are confined to their rooms and afforded very little interaction with others due to their illnesses. Based in New York City, the organization has grown greatly over the last 15 years, expanding to include locations in Philadelphia, Nashville, Miami, Los Angeles, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

One of Musicians on Call’s volunteers is Jeremy Bar-Illan, who joined the organization in January 2011, and has since volunteered on a weekly basis.

“Music is the bridge to a moment of tranquility for patients and their families,” Bar-Illan said. “There is very little in a hospital that brings peace and comfort to patients. Most of the time it comes in the form of pharmaceutical painkillers. Music creates a moment for everyone to step out of the reality of illness. After I complete a hospital program, or support a non-profit, I feel like the richest man in the world on so many levels. To me, my experience with music as a bridge — a source of healing — is priceless.”

Pete Griffin, President of Musicians on Call, echoes Bar-Illan’s sentiment.

“Whether it’s to reduce anxiety or stress before a big game, or to elevate our moods and ease recovery while in a hospital, music is the universal language of healing,” says Griffin. “It’s an honor to work with the wonderful caregivers at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital at NewYork-Presbyterian, the New York Yankees and our amazing volunteers to deliver the healing power of music to the bedsides of patients.”