Healing the Healers: Carlton Fields Pro Bono Client Launches Uplifting Musical “Soul-a-Grams” for Frontline Health Care Workers
Songs for the Soul Partners with Singer-Songwriters to Deliver Communities’ Messages of Gratitude Amid COVID-19 Crisis
The nonprofit organization Songs for the Soul is pleased to announce the launch of Soul-a-Grams, a program that helps communities uplift frontline health care workers with the gift of a song. Through a unique partnership with singer-songwriters, Songs for the Soul allows donors to provide individual health care workers or hospital systems with a personal song that channels the energy of the community’s support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In a crisis, there’s very little time for health care providers to reflect on the emotional strain they are experiencing on the job,” Songs for the Soul founder Dr. Carolyn S. Phillips said. “A musical message of strength, support, love, and gratitude from the community is a meaningful way to lift the spirits of our professional caregivers.”
Donors to the Soul-a-Grams program have the opportunity to nominate a health care worker who may be a family member, friend, or neighbor, or a local hospital to receive a short song expressing the community’s gratitude. A singer-songwriter who has partnered with Songs for the Soul will then write an uplifting song for the nominee and record a video of the performance. Health care teams can play their song over the hospital intercom system or listen to it privately whenever they need additional support.
As part of Songs for the Soul’s dual mission, the singer-songwriters are paid for their work, a crucial boost during a time when entertainment venues are closed. Soul-a-Grams have already been delivered to health care workers in cities across the U.S., including Boston, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, New York, and St. Louis.
Soul-a-Grams are a natural extension of Songs for the Soul’s mission. Before social distancing orders went into effect, the nonprofit connected professional caregivers with singer-songwriters to set personal stories to music during in-person and online workshops. Songs for the Soul was born from Dr. Phillips’ experience as an oncology nurse and her deep understanding of professional grief, a topic she studies as a post-doctoral research fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.
A Carlton Fields team of attorneys led by Atlanta Shareholder Gail Podolsky has provided pro bono legal services to support Songs for the Soul since its launch in 2016, including counseling the nonprofit on organizational structure, contracts, and intellectual property.
About Songs for the Soul: Songs for the Soul, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Austin, Texas, that is dedicated to offering programs, information, and support to the professional caregivers of society who are in need of healing. Songs for the Soul is funded entirely through donations and external grants. In addition to offering Soul-a-Grams, the nonprofit is currently partnering with nurses around the country to create a Nurse’s Fight Song, and a call-and-response song and video offering advice to nurses graduating from the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, who are headed to the front lines during the COVID-19 crisis. For additional information or to donate, visit www.song-soul.org.
