Musicians On Call: 'Healing Songs' for Tough Times

For Drew Dixon, a Nashville singer-songwriter who specializes in a gritty, gothic brand of Delta blues, that's a soulful take with acoustic guitar on the classic Etta James torch song “At Last."

"It catches people off guard because they're used to hearing it in its original, iconic form. I enjoy putting my own spin on it and seeing how people respond,” says Dixon, a Musicians On Call volunteer since 2015. “I've had people tell me it was their wedding song, that it's ‘their song’ with their significant other. One even attempted to play ‘air trumpet’ along with me."

Many of the musicians call their selections “healing songs,” a term Griffin says reflects both their own experience and research showing that listening to music can have positive health outcomes, including lower blood pressure and reduced stress.

"One of the reasons that hospitals really want our program is because they don't just see it as a nice thing to do. They actually see it as part of the 360-degree healing process for patients,” he says. “Our musicians see that firsthand."

Thy Nguyen, a vocalist, composer and multi-instrumentalist in Boston who joined Musicians On Call in December, gave #MOCHeals an ethereal version of “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” from the 1950 Walt Disney movie Cinderella. “I usually sing it as a lullaby when patients, their families or their health care providers request a soothing song,” she says.

Nguyen, who is set to start medical school in the fall, cites a favorite line: “Have faith in your dreams and someday your rainbow will come smiling through.” “As people all around the world are collectively going through such unprecedented challenges, those words hold even more meaning for me now,” she says.

Motown and Toy Story

Other performers lean into the boomer soundtrack (Elvis, Motown, the Beatles) and songs that have become pop bywords for affirmation, optimism and solidarity in tough times, such as “Stand by Me,” “What a Wonderful World” and Bob Marley's “Three Little Birds.”

Matthew Gordon and Sarah Napolitan, mainstays of the Philadelphia folk-rock scene and Musicians On Call's program in the region, augment Marley's lilting rhythm with some tasty slide guitar (and perform it on social-distancing-appropriate split screen).

"When we thought of songs for the #MOCHeals playlist, this one came immediately to mind for both of us,” Gordon says. “It seems to always bring a smile to everybody within earshot."

Jeiris Cook, a singer and songwriter in Jefferson, N.J., chose another popular paean to facing challenges together: the Toy Story theme song “You've Got a Friend in Me.”

"My goal really is to develop a friendship with audiences, especially when I'm volunteering with Musicians On Call,” says Cook, who works on the group's virtual programs. “I want people to walk away feeling better than they did when we started, and this song fits the bill perfectly."

Cook's clip reflects the vintage soul men he cites as key influences, like Otis Redding and Donny Hathaway — and the new reality of parents everywhere thrust into working from home, thanks to some impromptu scene-stealing by his 4-year-old son Kaeden.

"I figured I'd jump on and quickly record the video before he knew where I went,” Cook says, “but he heard me singing and the rest is history."