Meet Ann Gebert, our featured volunteer from Atlanta!
Get to know our volunteers!
Do you volunteer at a specific hospital? I volunteer at the Atlanta VA Hospital
How long have you been volunteering with Musicians On Call? 2 years
Are you a Volunteer Guide or Volunteer Musician? Guide
What is your occupation outside of MOC? Retired Pediatric Registered Nurse
Do you have any hidden talents? Don’t think so. What you see is what you get.
What is your story? What connects you with music and why do you volunteer with MOC? I’ve always loved music. There was always music playing in my house as a child. Sometimes it was my parents listening to their folk music and show tunes others, it was my older brothers listening to Led Zeppelin or Crosby, Stills, and Nash albums. I would play my records over and over, or listen to my transistor radio in my room. I played piano and flute through my school years and played in the marching band in high school.
Music has always been a source of joy for me and at times, a source of comfort. Music connects me to so many happy memories. A song can instantly take me back to a specific time and place in my life.
Music has the power to do that for anyone and I love that MOC allows me to help bring it to people who’s spirits really need a lift. I see it time and time again in the patient’s rooms. The smile, the slight toe tap, the singing or clapping along, even the occasional tear that the music brings to the patient’s eye, makes me want to continue this doing this as long as I can.
What makes MOC different from your other volunteer experiences? The personal connection we are able to make with the patients makes this a unique volunteer experience. Even though we may only be in the patient’s room for a brief conversation and one song, it can be a very intimate experience.
Has your life changed because of your experience with MOC? Volunteering with MOC has reinforced my belief that music has the power to brighten someone’s life, even if just for a few moments.
What is your favorite #MOCmoment? There is one patient who is very soft spoken. I always have to lean in and strain to hear him speak. Yet when a musician plays a song he knows, he joins in with beautiful harmony. It brings tears to my eyes every time.