Sing for Hope

ManorCare Staff, Co-Founder Monica Yunus, Laurel Beatty, and Artist Partners Andrew Dewey & Veronica Lopez

Artist Partners following performance

Bronwyn Haggerty performing for patients at ManorCare

Laurel Beatty with Artist Partners Shoshana Klein, Bronwyn Haggerty, and Ben Tisherman

Artist Partners performing for patients at ManorCare

Sing for Hope is a non-profit organization based in New York City that transforms lives by using the power of the arts to create a better world. Sing For Hope’s arts outreach programs bring hope and inspiration to under-resourced schools, hospitals, hospices, veterans' centers, refugee sites, transit hubs, and disability networks. Since 2006, Sing for Hope has partnered with over 250 nonprofit organizations, involved over 3,500 artists in creative volunteerism, and placed over 450 artist-created Sing for Hope Pianos in public spaces for everyone to play — a symbol and celebration of art for all.

When Sing For Hope decided to launch pilots in other cities to evaluate feasibility of expanding the organization’s reach beyond its New York City flagship location, co-founder Monica Yunus asked if I would be willing to be the Project Leader for the Pittsburgh pilot based on my knowledge and experience. I was thrilled to join in on the opportunity to expand Sing For Hope’s impact in Pittsburgh.

I recruited over 30 musicians from Pittsburgh to participate, then coordinated with staff members in New York City to facilitate Artist Partner orientations. We partnered with ManorCare, a skilled nursing facility, and brought groups to perform. After learning from the experience of running the pilot for almost a year, I adapted the Project Leader Handbook and other tools for more effective use in future program expansion in Pittsburgh and hopefully many other major cities.