Volunteer musicians provide live music to hospitalized veterans

Volunteer musicians from Musicians On Call perform live music for patients at the Veterans Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Dante Ciolfi and other volunteers visit the hospice wing to play instruments and sing for veterans. These volunteers work with the non-profit organization Musicians On Call, which provides live music to hospital patients across the United States. The volunteers follow specific hospital protocols and move from room to room to offer bedside performances or virtual sessions via Zoom.

The music serves as a restorative treatment for patients dealing with emotional and physical trauma. Music therapist Nicolette Rubin says the performances help patients recover and cope with their conditions. During the visits, veterans react in various ways, such as tapping their hearts to the beat or mouthing lyrics to familiar songs. Musicians On Call has performed for more than a million patients since the organization began in 1999.

Volunteers typically visit hospitals three to four times a month to provide these performances. The musicians focus on the connection created through the music rather than the specific medical details of the patients.