Wrapping Up another great year

                                    
                                                      Wrapping Another Great Year ! 
See What I did there?!
                                                            

Sometimes it is difficult to process the fact that we have continued this outreach and ministry for six years now [est. 1999] including those challenging covid visits singing and smiling from behind mandated masks.

             Blessings and thanks to everyone as we meet the challenges that 2026 has in store.

                       The Nashville Music Medics closed out our 2025 with three visits in December.

December 5 2025:
Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt & Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center.
Due to a Christmas event for the children and families in and around the Ryan Seacrest Studio area we almost got lovingly bumped from our customary monthly appearance on the Studio Stage. We couldn’t imagine missing this date so we negotiated a time change with the staff and were able to keep both the Monroe Carell and the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center on the calendar. 

                        


As Lady Luck was with us we were able to present our program for the patients in the Seacrest Studio area as well as in the VICC waiting area lobby; AND then join the employees during their Holiday luncheon upstairs, under the escort of Julie Bulgar, and with a warm “welcome and thanks” from the Department Heads in attendance and Dr. Ben Park, the Director of VICC. 

We presented an abbreviated Christmas program along with our signature song, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “The Name Song”.   
Yes, there was a buffet served in TO GO containers; and yes, many of us took a container and went 
    
     
               
December 10, 2025:
Tri-Star Centennial Childrens Hospital & Alive Hospice
Upon arrival we found an opportunity to make lemonade!
We discovered a scheduling SNAFU and we had no staff to escort us to the patient floors! Lemons!

Here comes the lemonade part.

 We made our way to the Atrium common area!  No escorts needed. We were thrilled to have been able to present an impromptu concert of our Christmas package in addition to some of the repertoire for the kiddos.  Well received with energetic smiles!       
Now, to Alive Hospice but first we’ll stop by the Emergency Department which is conveniently on our way out.  We never know if there are patients who just might benefit from a song or two from these old men in scrubs.  YES!!  More lemonade! 
We were able to help with some nervousness and relief from the unknown for a few minutes.  Four pediatric patients and families!

                                                               
And now we’ll complete our journey with patients and staff a few blocks away at Alive Hospice.

December 19, 2025:
We finished our December and 2025 with our quarterly visit to the Veterans Admin Hospital Residence Unit in Murfreesboro, TN.  This visit has special meaning to many of Nashville Music Medics because within our ranks are veterans representing the NAVY (Naval Academy), USAF, USARMY and USMC.

Adorned in our blue scrubs and “Santa” hats as our UOD (“uniform of the day”), we presented our Christmas package (including “Christmas Chopstix”) to this wonderful group of veterans and caregivers.  AND we found another opportunity to present our “Name Song” to a caregiver ON HER BIRTHDAY!  We rarely get an opportunity to sing “The Angelica Song”.  We sang to Angelica today.

                                        

As we were greeting our veteran friends and staff we learned from our host, Linsey Wampler, Recreation Therapist, that she was transferring to the Veterans Admin Hospital in Nashville.  She will miss us but “will there be an additional location for our outreach?” 

                “Making a small but positive difference in troubled lives is a task worth repeating”
                     It’s great to be a Nashville Music, changing the world one smile at a time.

                                                         

By Sam English, on behalf of Nashville Music Medics
Webmaster, NashvilleMusicMedics.org