In a few months, Music is Medicine will be launching the Donate a Song project! The Donate a Song project invites celebrity musicians to write and record an original song of inspiration for a seriously-ill child. The song will then be sold worldwide to raise awareness and funds for the patient’s cause. The first celebrity to participate in the program will be Drew Seeley – Emmy-nominated songwriter for his work in High School Musical, co-star of Selena Gomez in ABC Family’s Another Cinderella Story, and star of the Hallmark Channel’s Freshman Father. He’s also released two solo albums, starred as Eric in Broadway’s rendition of The Little Mermaid, and toured with the High School Musical cast. And, he’s also 13 year-old Brooke Shockley’s favorite celebrity.

In late-July, Drew Skyped with Brooke, who suffers from osteosarcoma-bone cancer, at Johns Hopkins’ pediatric oncology unit. In the coming weeks, he will write and record a song of inspiration in her honor, and we hope to release the song in the fall. Still, Brooke’s words ring in my head. “That was the best 9 minutes and 44 seconds of my life,” she told me, as I smiled back at her. I wonder if she knows that she had made that the best day of my life, too. I told her that was just the beginning. “Just wait,” I said, “he didn’t even write your song yet.”

But none of it would be possible without Drew’s generosity and support. “This is a great thing you guys are doing,” Drew said during his Skype session with Brooke. “This whole idea, as soon as I heard about it. It’s awesome.” Music isn’t just a hobby, it has the power to change lives and to better the world. We’re so grateful to Drew for believing in our cause and for donating his time and talents to our program!

Go to musicismed.org for more information about our program, and drewseeley.com to check out the other awesome work Drew’s been up to.