SONNY PUGAR MEMORIAL
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  • Home
  • About
  • Music Smiles
  • CODA
  • Rhythms of Life
  • Donate
  • Contributors
  • Sonny's Bio
  • Contact Us
  • BUY TICKETS

"MUSIC SMILES" PROGRAM

 Few things are more powerful to make us feel energized, happy and hopeful than live music.
But for Pittsburgh folks confined to any length of hospital stay, the journey to live music is impossible, and the empowering and uplifting emotions that music generates for the rest of us are out of reach for some of our friends and neighbors. 
"Music Smiles" brings the music and the hope back to their lives.  We pay local musicians for live music visits to area hospitals and other caring places, and the artists create a healing environment for patients, their families, visitors, and staff.  Channeling for this vulnerable population the live music that so many of us take for granted, artists are also served by performing at places where their music makes an overwhelming, therapeutic  impact and makes smiles happen wherever it is heard.
As we connect music to hospitals on a scale not done before in our region, we also create  new performance opportunities for local professional musicians and build a new market for their talent--ultimately strengthening the fabric of the Pittsburgh region's social and cultural economy.
"Music Smiles" has been supported in part with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania), both made possible by the ​Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council .

Music Smiles to date

Currently, we have worked with 270 musicians and produced 925 live music visits since January 2010.  The Pittsburgh area health facilities we have served include Allegheny General, Children’s Hospital, Children’s Institute, Family Hospice, Family House, Forbes, Jefferson, Kane, Magee, McKeesport, Mercy, Montefiore, Mon Valley, Presbyterian, The Residence at Hilltop, Shadyside, and Western Psych.

Family of Musicians
Jimmy Adler, Howie Alexander, Kim Alexander, Ben Alper, Lee Alverson, Scott Anderson, Vicky Andreis, Bill Ali, Ian Arthurs, Artistree (vocals--Darrell Jefferson, Frank Hodge, Venny Booth, Mark McCrommon, Twan Moore; band--Gary Davis, Calvin Murphy, Larry Estes), Karl Bailey, Bob Banerjee, Charlie Barath, Yolanda Barber, Matt Barranti, Matt Barranti Band (Matt Barranti, Fred Delu, Keith Gamble, Greg McIltrot) Bastard Bearded Irishmen, Tim Baurle, Vinni Belfiore, Benny Benack Jr. & Jeff Bell, Brad Bendis, Kay Bey w/ Joy Brown, Ublai Bey, Carla Bianco w/ Gary Kalinosky, Andrew Bicsey, Jon Bindley, Black Cat Moan (George Byrich & TK Mundok), Blake & Dean (Brandon Blake, Evan Dean, Ed Kowalski), Kenny Blake, Jared Blake, Lisa Bleil w/ John Burgh, Jason Born, Joe Bray, Breadline Preachers (Chuck Beatty & Stan Mikolajek), Tom Breiding, Maureen Budway w/ Daniel May, David Busch, Don Cameron, Giuseppe Capolupo, Nate Catanzarite, Anne Celedonia, Gabe Ceyrolles, Clinton Clegg, Chris Colditz, Bryan Cole, Jerry Coleman, Etta Cox w/ Ron Bickel, David Crisci, Tas Cru w/ Dick Erickson, Frank Cunimondo, Gina D. (D’Alessandro), Tammi Dahl w/ Mark DeWalt, Tina Daniels, Evan Dean, Eric DeFade, Steve Delach, Fred Delu, Bernadette DeVault, Dr Zoot (Clint Bliel, Justin Brown, John Oscar Menosky, Ben Tryc, John Ventura, Sal Ventura), Shirley Dragovich w/ George Harris and Bobby Martin, The Dream Machine (Frank Piscopo, Gretchen Steinmetz, Scotty Wilson), Shelley Duff,  Henry Edwardo, Derrick Edwards, Paul Eisert, Gene Ellsworth, Larry Estes, Eugene and the Junkman (Eugene Morgan and John Burgh), Richard Everett, Mark Ferrari & Todd Myrah, Mark Ferrari Trio (Mark Ferrari, Brian DeLallo, Gary Reese) Judi Figel w/ Greg Morris, Jon Fish, Lou (Luigi Franconi) Franceschini,  Franchise Band members Francis Hodge and PJ Mack, Dennis Garner, Joe Garuccio, Bob Giacometti, James Graff, David Granati, Joey Granati, Hermie Granati & Harry Levicky, Hollis Greathouse, Donna & Mark Groom, Chris Hannigan, Sarah Harrison, John Hasinger, Cherylann Hawk, Ross Heastings, Pete Hewlett, The Hobbs Sisters (Lauren and Hannah), Don Hollowood, Evan Isaac, Jimbo Jackson, Tony Janflone, Jr. w/ Curtis Swift, Jeff Jimerson w/ Herb Schweitzer, Tracy Joun (Jumblat), Joy School of Dance, Justin Kalcevic, Denny Karl,  Jason Kendall, Craig King, Jennifer Kowaleski, Jeff Lashway, David Lawrence, Max Leake, Brandon Lehman, Joel Lindsey, Jesse Lowry, Jesse Lowry Trio w/ Sam Bojarski & Fox Smith, Mark Lucas, Billy Mancini, Antoinette Manganas, Dallas Marks, Jeff Marks, Dan McElroy, Doug McIltrot, Greg McIltrot, Bubs McKeg, Bill Miller, Leslie Miller, Kevin Milliken, Monkey Goddess (Leslie Miller & Nick Sirio), Kevin Moore, Twan Moore, John Mulkerin, Joe Munroe, Garrett Mudrick, Rob Nace, Byron Nash, Donna O. (Occhipinti), David Oleniacz/Mark Oleniacz, Albert Park, Andrea Pearl w/ Mark Strickland, Anthony Pecora, Nolan Petote, John Pia, Drew Pinchotti, Joe Pinchotti, Frank Piscopo, Mark Pollera, Power of Two (Dawn Reinhart & Greg Priano), Gary Prisby, The Project Band members (Frank Piscopo, Gretchen Steinmetz, David Roman), Ed Provident, Jr. & Scott Stine, Rick Purcell, RML Jazz (Cathy Laus, Gene Laus, Rick Laus, Glenn Utsch, Andy Yalch), Dan Rach, Danny Rectenwald, Leanne Regalla, Gina Rendina w/ Jim Talarico, Shari Richards, Bob Ridgeway, Cheryl Rinovato, Rising Regina, Lou Ross, Royce, Nina Sainato, John Sarkis, Nick Scanga, Scott Schmitt, Jimmy Sapienza w/ Keith Stebler, Samantha Sears, Katie Simone, JP Soars and The Red Hots (Charles Gasper, Steve Laudicina, Chris Peet), Ron Soltis, Sputzy and Jeremy  (Jim Sparacino and Jeremy Olsen), Squirrel Hillbillies (Jenny Bain & Gary Crouth), Miss Freddye Stover w/ Bob DiCola & Mike Huston & Ray Sherman & Sawyer Stepp & Jeff Conner, Submerge (Bob Giacometti, Ryan Luko, Shannon Watson), Eric Susoeff, Arte Tedesco, Drew Tepe,  Bill Toms w/ Phil Brontz & Bernie Herr, Tony (TJ) Thomas, Matt Tichon, Michael Todd (Creely), Steve Tori, Steve Trettel, Ben Tryc, Steve Vance, Erika Vasquez, Juan Vasquez, John Vento w/ Tim Hadley-George Lisac-Phil Vento, John Ventura, Carlo Volhl, Kevin Ward, Ronni Weiss w/ Tom Boyce, Stevee Wellons w/ Kevin McMahon, Haley Welsh, Jane West, George White, Luke Williams, Scott Wilson, Trinity Wiseman, Sharon Wolf, Tom Yakopin, Brad Yoder, Craig Zinger
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