Music on a Mission utilizes the power of music to enrich the lives of individuals with different needs. Photograph provided by Music on a Mission

By Cynthia Schuster Eakin
Music always sounds better when it is being played for a good cause.
Music on a Mission utilizes the power of music to enrich the lives of individuals with different needs.
“We believe that music heals,” Marilyn Zeidner, Music on a Mission founder and executive director said. “The connection between music, body and soul improves physical and mental health.”
“I started Music on a Mission in 2006, while I was the director of Genesis House, a Lorain County domestic violence shelter. When residents came into the shelter, we would give them a Walkman and let them choose CDs, relaxing music or whatever they wanted,” she said. “I was also booking bands at Savannah in Westlake, a local blues club. So, we would have fundraisers for the shelter there. That combined music with social service. Genesis House was also the first shelter to work with people with disabilities and abuse. I began to think that we could use music for any cause.”
“Music on a Mission programs started with Kids in Tune. We had music instructors come to Genesis House, Neighborhood House and Blessing House to do music intervention with the children. We then took that to schools. This past year, we had four teachers conduct 30 classes a month in eight school systems for music intervention with kids with disabilities,” Zeidner noted. “We also have two instructors who teach dance and movement to adults with disabilities at Murray Ridge and Gathering Hope House.”
“We have a band that plays music from the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s for residents in senior living facilities and memory care units. The band went to the Veterans Administration Hospital at Wade Park for 13 years prior to COVID. We also conduct a drum circle for senior living facilities and memory care units,” she added.
“Project DREW (Delivering Restorative Energy to our Warriors) began in 2017. It consists of a day-and-a-half workshop offering veterans a unique way to tell their stories,” Zeidner said. “Veterans are paired one on one privately with a songwriter who elicits their words, images and stories. The songwriter then crafts a song conveying those stories. It really is a tribute to the veterans’ service and place in history. The songs are recorded and may be shared through CDs, concerts and social media, which also helps to build awareness in the community of the challenges faced by our returning service members. The program is named after a dear friend and supporter of Music on a Mission, Capt. Drew Ferguson, who died by suicide after serving as a Green Beret officer, army ranger and special operative. Project DREW is a very special, personal experience in a safe and private setting. You can check out our DREW website at www.projectdrew.org to hear the songs.”
The Music on a Mission programs are supported in part by musical performances at The Barn, also known as Barnegie Hall. “Barnegie Hall is a 127-year-old barn on my property that was renovated into a music venue entirely by volunteers. It was completed and we had our first show in 2009. It really was a community project with lots of people working on it. We got a lot of materials donated or greatly reduced, chairs and curtains donated by a school, and lights donated by a former venue,” she said. “We have approximately 20 shows a year, of all genres. We ask for a donation, which first pays the band since supporting live music is also part of our mission. Then 100 percent of the rest of the proceeds go to Music on a Mission.”
“I am not a musician. I started going to hear live music as a way to balance my days at Genesis House. I would go to listen to music and after awhile, made suggestions and finally took over booking bands at Savannah. Since I already knew a lot of the musicians in the area, and my husband Jim Miraldi is a musician, we reached out to the acts when booking The Barn. Since we don’t have that many shows, the slots get filled up pretty fast. The Barn has become somewhat known in Nashville for singers and songwriters since it is a listening room.”
Upcoming concerts at The Barn include crowd favorite Teeny Tucker on Aug. 24, and professional songwriter, traveling troubadour and solo performer Verlon Thompson on Sept. 14. A $20 donation is requested to reserve seats for the 7 p.m. concerts. The Barn is at 31950 Krebs Rd. in Avon Lake. Visit www.musicmissioninc.com to learn more about the programs and to purchase concert tickets.