Project Playback Celebrates Music with a Message

There’s lots to celebrate throughout June, so Musicians On Call teamed up with volunteers and artist partners to create three new songs through Project Playback programs.

“This Hero’s Life of Mine”

GRAMMY Award winner Dom Flemons collaborated with Veterans at the Phoenix VA Medical Center during a virtual songwriting session in honor of Black Music Appreciation Month.

In speaking with the Veterans about their experiences during and after their years of active duty, Dom composed “This Hero’s Life of Mine,” capturing what a hero’s life means and what the Veterans would like people to know about their lives in the service. A group of Veterans whose military service spans decades in the Air Force, Army and Navy, serving during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, talked about seeing different parts of the country and the world, experiencing different cultures, learning discipline and standing up for what’s right and returning home a changed person.

Known as The American Songster®, Dom is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, actor, slam poet, music scholar, historian, and record collector whose repertoire of music covers over 100 years of early American popular music. Co-founder of GRAMMY Award winning folk band The Carolina Chocolate Drops, he is considered an expert player on the banjo, guitar, harmonica, jug, percussion, quills, fife and rhythm bones.

Read more about this program in American Songwriter magazine.

“Got No Choice” But To Love Me

BBR Music Group recording artist Brooke Eden met virtually with two aspiring songwriters from Pride For Youth in Long Island, NY to collaborate on reimagined lyrics for her song “Got No Choice” that address self-love and identity.

Brooke talked about the inspiration for her song and her journey towards self-love and finding acceptance of her relationship while pursuing her career in country music. The youth shared their experiences embracing their identities by pursuing their passions, finding community and living life with no boundaries, just being themselves.

Brooke Eden has shared stages with some of country music’s biggest stars including Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Sam Hunt, Dan + Shay and many more. She’s toured the country with her anthems of love and acceptance, recently coming out and proudly sharing her identity as a queer woman. Brooke has also volunteered with Musicians On Call in the past, performing at patients’ bedsides in Nashville as part of MOC’s Bedside Performance Program.

“Music Heals”

Musicians On Call composed and released an original song on June 21, 2021 called “Music Heals” in honor of World Music Day. The song features MOC’s Volunteer Musicians and Volunteer Guides performing together and holding up signs reading “Music Heals” in various languages, including English, Spanish, French, American Sign Language, German and Hebrew. The lyrics of the song were inspired by patient testimonials sent to MOC following bedside and virtual programs.

“Music Heals” was written and mixed by Musicians On Call’s own Senior Program Manager Kelli Bruno. World Music Day is an annual celebration of all forms of music and their impact on people around the world.