WXPN Launches Musicians On Call Program at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children with Special Visit from John Flynn Program brings live music to the bedsides of patients

Details

Created on Thursday, 20 January 2011 12:33

A launch event featured remarks by WXPN, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and Musicians On Call representatives as well as a special visit from singer-songwriter and Pennsylvania native, John Flynn. After the event, Flynn performed live for hospital patients at their bedsides. The program will continue with weekly live performances by local volunteer musicians each Tuesday evening. In addition, Flynn will be on the WXPN Midday Show with Helen Leicht at noon on Thursday, January 20.

“Music’s ability to heal is real and powerful, and the Musicians On Call program makes a positive impact on so many people’s lives,” said Helen Leicht, WXPN Midday Show host and spokesperson for WXPN Musicians On Call. “We are thrilled to bring this unique and powerful program to the patients at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.”

WXPN Musicians On Call is a non-profit initiative that brings musicians to local hospitals to perform at patients’ bedsides. Since 2004, the program has touched the lives of more than 30,000 patients and their families in healthcare facilities throughout the Philadelphia region. Over the past six years, 135 volunteer musicians and 38 volunteer guides have regularly participated in the program by providing weekly performances for patients at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. In addition to live music, the program also provides local hospitals with CD Pharmacies featuring a CD listening library and CD players for patients’ use.

“We are excited to team up with WXPN Musicians On Call,” says Candy Nyce, director of St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children’s child life department. “For children and their parents, hospital visits can be filled with anxiety. The music provided by the WXPN Musicians On Call program will bring comfort and smiles to our patients and their families.”

WXPN Musicians On Call is made possible through the efforts of volunteers, supporting organizations, and individuals including Carter Rowe Charitable Trust, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Farber Family Foundation, Centocor Ortho Biotech, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, The Barra Foundation, The Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, The Elaine and Vincent Bell Foundation and World Cafe Live.

Anyone who would like to support WXPN Musicians On Call can make a donation online at anytime at xpn.org/moc. For more information, contact Kim Winnick, WXPN Marketing Director, 215.573.3339 or visit xpn.org/moc.

RELATED LINKS

• WXPN Musicians On Call
• St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children
• Musicians On Call
• John Flynn

ABOUT WXPN

WXPN, the nationally recognized leader in Triple A radio and the premier guide for discovering new and significant artists in rock, blues, roots and folk, is the non-commercial, member-supported radio service of the University of Pennsylvania. WXPN produces World Cafe®, public radio’s most popular program of popular music hosted by David Dye and syndicated by NPR, and the Peabody Award winning Kids Corner hosted by Kathy O’Connell. WXPN also produces the alternative rock service, Y-Rock On XPN (yrockonxpn.org) as its secondary radio channel in HD. WXPN serves the greater Philadelphia area at 88.5 FM, the Lehigh Valley at 104.9, Worton/Baltimore at 90.5 FM, Lancaster/York at 88.7 FM, Harrisburg at 99.7 FM and the world via online streaming at XPN.org.