Musicians On Call perform for Tennessee Veterans

Tennessee Veterans and staff were treated to an exclusive Veterans Day concert hosted by Musicians On Call and Wrangler at Alvin C. York VA in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Rising country stars Tyler Braden, Drew Parker and Air Force Veteran Austin Snell performed their new songs for inpatient Veterans residing at the Murfreesboro campus. The special performance was coordinated by the Center for Development and Civic Engagement team at Tennessee Valley VA.

“I’m so excited to be here. It’s awesome to be able to give back to people who give you the opportunity to travel the country. It’s a way for me to say thank you for the sacrifices you gave to fight for our freedoms,” Parker said.

Performer a former VA employee

Prior to embarking on his music career, Parker (photo above) worked in the radiology department in Murfreesboro and escorted Veterans to their appointments. Snell served in the Air Force and Braden worked as a firefighter before pursing music as a career.

Performing artists and VA staff

“Music makes me feel good. It makes me happy,” one Army Veteran said. “I enjoyed the concert immensely.”

Musicians On Call is a nonprofit group that arranges bedside musical performances for hospital inpatients. They partner with artists like Katy Perry, Charles Esten, Blake Shelton and Dolly Parton. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Musicians On Call regularly visited and enriched the lives of inpatients at Tennessee Valley VA’s Nashville and Murfreesboro campuses.

“Playing for my own community.”

“We haven’t had a concert in almost two years,” said Tom Gallagher, chief of center for development and civic engagement. “It was really nice to have live music back on our campus and seeing the Veterans’ excitement and reaction.”

After the exclusive concert, the country stars greeted each patient and expressed their gratitude on the Veterans Day holiday. Associate Director Edward Payton recognized the artists and Musicians On Call staff with a director’s coin for volunteering their time to perform.

“I served in the Air Force for four years and felt like I was playing for my own community,” Snell said. “I’m honored to be able to do this, and it’s a privilege to be here.”