Country stars Darius Rucker ("Wagon Wheel") and Randy Houser ("How Country Feels") have both started the new year off with successful music releases, but they are also being recognized for their volunteer work with Musicians On Call (MOC), a non-profit organization that brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities.  NBC’s Lester Holt recently traveled to Nashville, Tenn. to join Rucker and Houser as they performed and visited with patients at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt through the MOC Nashville branch.  The visit, recently highlighted in Country Weekly magazine, will be the focus of the “Making a Difference” segment of NBC Nightly News this Saturday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 CT plus a "Web Extra" on the Nightly News tab of NBCNews.com featuring an extended interview with Rucker.

The two artists shared with Holt their experiences over the years performing for patients in healthcare facilities and the influence it has on them personally to witness the visible affect music has on these patients.  Weighing in on the advantages of having Musicians On Call in their hospital was Dr. Elisabeth M. Dykens, Professor of Psychology and Human Development and Director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, who can personally attest to the patient benefits achieved through music.  

Everyone could see the impact of music on the patients, their families and hospital staff when Darius Rucker and Randy Houser entered the hospital rooms to play a song just for them,” shares Musicians On Call Executive Director,  Dr. Leslie Faerstein.  “Musicians On Call goes to the bedsides of patients 41 times a week in six cities and delivers the healing power of music to those who need it most.”

Rucker will be releasing Capitol Nashville's True Believers in the early summer while Houser's just-released Stoney Creek Records album How Country Feels debuted in the Roughstock Country Chart's Top 5 its week of release.