Meet Donald Phillips, Our Featured Volunteer from Nashville!
Get to know our volunteers!
Do you volunteer at a specific hospital? I volunteer at Tristar Centennial Medical Center
How long have you been volunteering with Musicians On Call? I have been volunteering for 1.5 years
Are you a volunteer guide or musician? Guide
What is your occupation outside of MOC? I’m a Pharmacy Consultant
Do you have any hidden talents? If I told you, it wouldn’t be so hidden anymore. 🙂
What is your story? What connects you with music and why do you volunteer with MOC? As a resident of Nashville, music (of all genres) is all around us. With a strong passion for serving others, working with various non profits, and having immersed myself in to the music culture, I stumbled upon MOC a little over 3 years ago via an ad on social media. After some research, I knew this was an organization I wanted to be a part of. It was the perfect fusion of providing a unique style of direct patient care through music, getting me back in the hospital setting after my career went in a different direction, and getting to see how a single bedside performance can uplift someones spirits and allow them to escape for 3-5 mins. I am a firm believer that the healing power of music can change the dynamic of a patients recovery.
What makes MOC different from your other volunteer experiences? Being a volunteer guide, I believe it is instant gratification. In other volunteer experiences, sometimes one works behind the scenes or raises awareness for a cause with fundraising or big events. Although these efforts are much needed and help to achieve annual organizational goals, with Musicians On Call, on the day of your program visit, you get to be a part of the care team and ‘saving a life’ with every room you enter. The impact and impression you and the artist leave on each patient (et al) is immediate. It is up to us to ensure that the engagement we have in their rooms is one they will cherish and can look back on with a smile for the duration of their stay.
Has your life changed because of your experience with Musicians On Call? Absolutely. It has allowed me to stay focused on what’s important; that we are all in this together. And every day to go out of my way to make someone else’s day better. You can’t win them all, but you can win one!
What is your favorite #MOCmoment? I had a patient write in with a testimonial which she describes how she was feeling ‘down in the dumps’. As she was about to decline my offer for us to come in, it was my smile that changed her mind. I invited the musician in, and after a couple minutes, she became teary eyed because of the ballad. She went on to say how beautiful the experience was, how we lifted her spirits, and even told many others about that evening. As we rounded the floor, she even chased us down later expressing how thankful she was and filled with gratitude. And with that, it confirmed a mission accomplished and what it means when we say #musicheals.