Ryan Seacrest Foundation to Provide Intimate Virtual Concert Series for Patients and Families Across the Country
NASHVILLE, TN (OCTOBER 20, 2020) – The Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF), a non-profit dedicated to inspiring youth through entertainment and education-focused initiatives, has teamed up with their Seacrest Studio at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to bring a special virtual concert series to patients and families across the country.
The project, titled The Nashville Sessions, will showcase artists performing a mix of hits and covers all produced exclusively for Seacrest Studios, state-of-the-art radio/television studios located in children’s hospitals nationwide.
“COVID-19 has shifted the way we bring special experiences to patients and families,” said Meredith Seacrest, Executive Director and COO of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. “Even though in-person experiences are limited, we are fortunate that our studios can continue to broadcast programming via a closed-circuit network. This broadcast capability enables us to provide fun and engaging content, from the safety of a patient’s room.”
During the summer Mamie Shepherd and Cayce Long, who run the Seacrest Studio at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, had a vision of bringing special performances to patients. Currently all 10 hospitals that house Seacrest Studios cannot have outside visitors, which has meant less opportunity for the musical performances that so many patients enjoy.
“The entertainment and music industries' unwavering support for our patients and families has been as strong as ever during these unprecedented times of learning to live amid a pandemic. Through the creativity, innovation and commitment of our Seacrest Studios team, with support from the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, our patients and families have continued to enjoy the healing power of music through virtual experiences brought directly to their hospital rooms. We are thankful for the artists who gave their time to these uplifting performances to bring smiles and a fun distraction to our children and families. We are especially excited to share with other Seacrest Studios through the unique connectivity of this program to support hospitalized children,” said Meg Rush, MD, MMHC, President of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Four artists participated in the first round of The Nashville Sessions: Jordan Davis (RSF Celebrity Ambassador), Kylie Morgan, Stephanie Quayle and Ben Fuller. Their performances will be packaged together and distributed to all 11 studios later this month for patients to watch. All four artists have visited Seacrest Studios in person and/or virtually over the last year and have been wonderful supporters of RSF’s mission.
“I really love working with Seacrest Studios, so when they approached me about this virtual concert opportunity it was a no brainer,” said Jordan Davis. “I know this time has been really difficult for a lot of families so hopefully some live music can give them a brief escape from everything going on.”
The Nashville studio team worked closely with the RSF team to execute filming in an outdoor, sanitized and socially distanced environment, with safety being a key priority.
About the Ryan Seacrest Foundation
The Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF) is a non-profit dedicated to inspiring today’s youth through entertainment and education-focused initiatives. RSF’s mission is to build broadcast media centers — Seacrest Studios — within pediatric hospitals for patients to explore the creative realms of radio, television and new media. Founded in 2009, RSF currently has ten Seacrest Studios at hospitals in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Nashville, Orange County, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. An 11th studio is scheduled to open in Orlando soon. For more information, visit www.ryanseacrestfoundation.org.
About Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is one of the nation's leading children's hospitals, treating and helping to prevent a full range of pediatric health issues from colds and broken bones to complex heart diseases and cancer. Achieving 10 out of 10 nationally ranked pediatric specialties in 2020, Children’s Hospital was again named among the nation’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” for the 14th consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report.
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, a nonprofit organization, opened in 2004, expanded its physical space in 2012, and recently added four new floors encompassing 160,000 total sq. ft. The new expansion helps to advance the size and scope of the hospital's mission. For more about Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt: ChildrensHospitalVanderbilt.org.