Artists get started in music for myriad reasons. For Alexis Wilkins, her goal has always been to help people and make a difference. At just six years old, she heard about the mining fires in Pennsylvania and asked her mom how she could help. Her mom explained that people often do something they love to raise funds for something they care about. Wilkins wrote a song and helped to raise money, which started her journey as an artist and philanthropist.
Now that she’s made music her career, she decided to donate the proceeds of her first single “Holdin’ On” to Musicians on Call, an organization where she’s been volunteering since 2015. Musicians on Call brings joy to people in hospitals by inviting artists to visit patients and play music for them. Wilkins wanted to get involved because she loves their mission. She explained, “Any time you’ve spent time in hospitals, you kinda know what it’s like. It’s not always the happiest place. For me, the fact that there was an organization that had the infrastructure to bring something so transformative into these places.was just like a no-brainer.”
Wilkins said that she can see the difference in people after performing. No matter how they were feeling when she arrived, it seemed like the majority of the time, they were in better spirits after sharing songs with them. She said, “You can watch the difference happen and you can see them liven up. And you leave the room different from when you got there.”
In addition to this program, Wilkins also visits VA hospitals and plays music for veterans. “I’ve always been a huge supporter of the military,” she said. “It’s a very small way that I can do something that gives back to them all that they’ve given to us.”
One of the songs she sings to people is called “Who You Are” and she said that it’s a great icebreaker for people to share their stories. Often after she plays it, patients talk about their family and their experiences in the military.
COVID-19 changed the dynamic of the programs, since everyone needs to stay at home. Musicians on Call modified its delivery model to provide video chats and streaming for the hospitals with those capabilities. The team also created a playlist that patients can listen to. When Wilkins heard about this new initiative, she decided to release her first single, “Holdin’ On” early so that she could help. On-demand music also helps for the patients who are unavailable or too tired when the musicians offer to play music for them.
“Holdin’ On”
“Holdin’ On” came along at just the right time, as it’s exactly what we need right now. It’s a heartwarming song about what is really important in life, like the people you care about. “People can use this song right now as a reminder to hold to each other – even if we can’t physically hold on to each other, hold on to our values, and hold on to the things that are important.”
Alexis Wilkins plans to release more music, but has not set a date for it yet. Until then, you can find her performing in online shows, like Whiskey Jam, or doing a social media takeover. For more information, visit https://www.alexiswilkins.com/.