Nashville’s Musicians On Call (MOC) was pleased to bring GRAMMY® Award-winning group Jars of Clay to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt on Tuesday, December 18th to celebrate the holiday season. Jars of Clay members Dan Haseltine, Charlie Lowell, Steve Mason and Matt Odmark led the children in a sing-a-long with classics such as Rudolph, the Red Nose Reindeer and Let It Snow, encouraged the kids’ involvement by providing several musical instruments and read to them from Haseltine’s new children’s book, Mighty Magnificent Me.

4-year-old Robbie Novack, a patient at the hospital, enjoying the music. Photos Courtesy of Zach Boehm

“Our time spent at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital was incredible,” said Mason. “Music has the power to heal and it was our honour to play music for the children. We hope that this becomes a trend, as we live in Music City, that more artists will involve themselves in such a sweet and life-giving opportunity.”

Since launching onto the music scene in 1995 with their universal hit Flood, three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning band Jars of Clay have earned five Gold, two Platinum and one Double Platinum albums, an American Music Award nod, 17 No. 1 radio hits and numerous film credits and BMI honours. Christmas Songs is the first holiday release from the band in their 12-year career and will be the first release on their new label, Gray Matters, under the Nettwerk Music Group umbrella.

Musicians On Call (MOC) is a nonprofit organization that brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities. Unlike some organizations that only work with specific illnesses, MOC facilitates healing from all types of sickness through the power of music. Originating in New York, Musicians On Call opened its first national chapter in Nashville in April 2007 and has partnered with the Department of Cultural Enrichment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Local musicians are encouraged to get involved by visiting www.MusiciansOnCall.org.

“Music Days” is a weekly interactive music program that incorporates music therapy approaches to healing such as group songwriting, instrument playing, social concepts as well as fun sing-alongs. Led by music therapist Jenny Plume, “Music Days” reaches not only the children and families at the Children’s Hospital stage area, but also patients in their rooms via CCTV channel 35.

For more information on Jars of Clay, check out their YMZ artist page.