Sharing Notes

It’s Music Makes It Better Monday! 🎶

Today, we’re celebrating Sharing Notes’ partnership with Advocate Christ Medical Center Advocate Health Care and our feature on the cover of the hospital’s CMC Happenings newsletter!

Sharing Notes Program Director and professional harpist Lauren Hayes recently filled the hospital’s main lobby with live harp music, creating moments of comfort, joy, and connection for patients, families, visitors, and team members. 🪉

These performances are made possible through the generous support of the Glenn J. Oskvarek Foundation Mary Fran Kasper-Oskvarek, in partnership with the Advocate Charitable Foundation. We are so grateful for their support as we continue sharing the healing power of music throughout the Advocate Christ community! 💙

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📣 Please join us in welcoming our new Sharing Notes intern, Kevin Thien Truong!

Thien is an emerging international visual and music artist and a student at Roosevelt University, eager to contribute to Chicago’s vibrant music community.

Through his artistry and musicianship, Thien is passionate about fostering connection and creating a positive, welcoming environment. He brings experience from his work as a Marketing Intern at The Auditorium and as a Social Media Ambassador for Roosevelt University’s Office of Career Services.

Thien is beyond excited to connect with our Sharing Notes community through music, and we’re so excited to have him on the team! 💙🎵

Welcome to Sharing Notes, Thien!

What a year for Sharing Notes 🎉

As we close out our fiscal year today, we’re celebrating the incredible impact made possible by our musicians, partners, supporters, and community.

Behind every number is a moment. A favorite song, a smile, a conversation, a memory, or simply a little more comfort during a difficult day.

We’re especially proud that this growth has happened while staying focused on what matters most: meaningful partnerships, high-quality programming, and an incredible community of volunteer musicians who continue to graciously share their time and talents.

With gratitude to all of our partner hospitals, facilities, and community organizations ❤️Northwestern Medicine La Rabida Children's Hospital Gilda's Club Chicago Advocate Health Care Benedictine Sisters of Chicago Lurie Cancer Center Ascension Illinois Plymouth Place Mary Fran Kasper-Oskvarek Music | Art | Events | Chicago | Dixon | Lake Forest | Illinois Old St. Patrick's Church Continental Nursing and Rehabilitation, Hartwell Place, Sunrise of Lincoln Park, and Clarendale Six Corners.

Thank you for helping us share the healing power of music. Here’s to everything we’ll create together in FY2027! 🎵

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Yesterday was an exciting day for Sharing Notes at Advocate Christ Medical Center! Advocate Health Care

We visited the hospital to connect with the team as we continue building our newest partnership. It was also our second Sharing Notes music visit at Advocate Christ, with Program Director Lauren Hayes spending an hour performing harp in the main entrance lobby for patients, families, staff, and visitors. 🎵

We’re grateful for the warm welcome and excited to see this partnership grow—bringing connection, comfort, and joy through live music to Chicago-area healthcare spaces. ✨

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Join us on Thursday, August 13th for a truly enchanting evening with Nuala Kennedy & Eamon O’Leary, two of the finest contemporary traditional Irish musicians and songwriters in the world. 🌎 🙌

With an engaging stage presence and understated virtuosity, the duo presents a timeless selection of songs and instrumentals that range from the ancient Irish tradition to reflections on the present day.

Event will take place at a private house in Evanston - address will be sent individually upon RSVP: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/93Ze8A?fbclid=IwY2xjawTpYMtwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6zgrsy6FRUOU50G8KNcwDgA6LbcNgRtDf9DRL00B8SQD3ZtBkbvKlX0qvBzA_aem_1mIj-2PcfmPOVu_U8tk1cQ&vid=1rsr1e

Things we think are kinda chic ✨ Sharing Notes edition 🎶

🎶 Sharing Notes is proud to announce the launch of a new program at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, expanding our mission of bringing live, interactive music to patients, families, and healthcare staff.

The program officially launched yesterday, July 23rd, with an inaugural visit featuring longtime Sharing Notes musician Bing Jing Yu, a violinist with the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra. Through personalized, interactive performances, our musicians provide moments of comfort, connection, and healing for patients, their loved ones, and the dedicated healthcare professionals who care for them.

This new partnership is made possible through the generous support of the Glenn J. Oskvarek Memorial Foundation Mary Fran Kasper-Oskvarek, whose sponsorship helps bring the transformative power of live music to the hospital community.

We are deeply grateful to Advocate Christ Medical Center and the Glenn J. Oskvarek Memorial Foundation for making this partnership possible, and we look forward to sharing many meaningful musical moments in the years ahead. 💙

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🚨LAST MINUTE HOUSE CONCERT ALERT🚨☘️

Join us on Wednesday, July 15th for a chance to hear one of Ireland’s finest folk singers and multi-instrumentalists, Ger O Donnell in an intimate, private outdoor setting.

Ger exploded onto the folk scene in recent years with several number one hits, social media virality and many international tours. He is a renowned guitarist, double bassist and player of many other weird and wonderful instruments.

Event will take place at a private house in Evanston - address will be sent individually upon RSVP.

Doors/drinks/hors d’oeuvres begin at 6:45 PM.

Show starts at 7:30 PM.

Suggested artist donation at the door: $20.

RSVP Here: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/c6vsOg?vid=1rbow9 🤘

🎶 It’s Music Makes it Better Monday! At the end of June, Sharing Notes was thrilled to partner with the to bring a special musical experience to 2nd Annual Summer Camp!

A huge thank you to Dawning and Mason, who led an inspiring graphic score workshop that invited campers to discover that they are all composers, artists, and musicians. Through creativity, collaboration, and imagination, each child had the opportunity to create their own musical ideas and hear them brought to life.

The workshop was a beautiful reminder that every voice matters—and that every child deserves the chance to express themselves, be heard, and create something uniquely their own. 💙

We’re so grateful to partner with organizations like the Empowered Creatives Project to bring meaningful, creative experiences to the children, families, and communities we serve.

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A huge thank you to everyone who braved last week’s stormy weather to join us at Sharing Notes’ Irish Fest on the Patio! ☘️

We were truly blown away by the positive energy, enthusiasm, and generosity you brought with you. Seeing so many people come together to support the healing power of live music was incredibly meaningful.

We are delighted to share that we raised just under $30,000 net of expenses—nearly double our original goal. Every dollar raised will go directly toward supporting our year-round programming, bringing live music to hospitals and senior living communities throughout the Chicagoland area. These funds will also help us increase financial stipends for our professional and pre-professional musicians as we prepare for our 2026–2027 season.

To everyone who attended, donated, volunteered, performed, bid in the auction, or cheered us on from afar—thank you. Your support makes this work possible, and we’re so grateful to have you as part of the Sharing Notes community. ❤️🎶

Another major thank you to our event sponsors: Chief O’Neill’s Pub and Restaurant, West Nelson Dartsmen, The Cliff Dwellers, Impactful Partners Studio, The Irish American Heritage Center, and Hardt, Stern & Kayne. Your generosity and partnership helped make this incredible evening possible, and we’re deeply grateful for your support of Sharing Notes’ mission.

📸 Credit: Another big thank you to Sharing Notes musicians and for the beautiful photos!

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