Celebrities are joining forces to honor nurse heroes with an all-star concert on Thanksgiving Day. Among the many people taking part in this important initiative are musicians from the University of Miami Frost School of Music, and Dean Shelly Berg will be the music director.
“I am working closely with Emilio Estefan, who is helping produce the show. As musical director, I have helped create arrangements that are being sung by a variety of stars that include Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, and even Gloria Estefan,” said Berg.
The “Nurse Heroes Live!” concert will also include performances by Emily Estefan, David Foster, Katharine McPhee Foster, Carole King, Maluma, and Pitbull. The benefit concert, which will be livestreamed and hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, will raise funds for the Nurse Heroes Foundation, which is an initiative working to support and honor nurses. Money raised from the concert will go to programs including those that provide scholarships for nurses and their children.
“I’m very proud to be associated with everybody who is part of this good cause,” Berg said. “I always feel fortunate to have these opportunities to work with icons. But in this case, the fact that it’s going to be raising a lot of money for nurses at a time when it is much needed, supersedes every other thing that makes me feel good.”
Berg explained that Frost’s Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra also had an opportunity to collaborate on this project.
“The Mancini Orchestra recorded a variety of arrangements for the concert; and personally as a dean, there is nothing that makes you prouder,” he shared. “One of the things we do at Frost is we cross-train musicians to give them real work experiences so that they step off into the world and they know how to do a variety of skills at a high level.”
He recounted how special it was to see Frost students so excited to be part of the concert. “The delight and the thrill were in the air. It was a priceless moment to see them recording arrangements along with stars like Stevie Wonder,” explained Berg. “We want these students to know that this is the kind of career they can pursue once they graduate.”
The event will also highlight a performance by a choir of 50 nurses. Berg said the concert is an embodiment of the power of music.
“When you see all these stars singing along with these nurses and offering hope through music, it truly is so powerful,” said Berg. “Music is so uplifting, and I’m looking forward to seeing how each and every audience member experiences this unique concert.”
The concert will air at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26. To tune in, visit https://live.nurseheroes.org/
