Med. student organizes benefit concert

Wearing a red shirt reading '215' in large print, Jared Greenberg's music filled Dunlop Auditorium with classic rock-inspired music on Saturday night for an inspired cause -- the New York City based organization Musicians on Call.

In his eighth year at Penn, Greenberg is a third year medical student with a degree from the College already in hand. But he is also a singer, songwriter and performer who decided to organize a benefit performance to celebrate the expansion of the music-based charity Musicians on Call to Philadelphia.

"Feel free to dance, sing along, do whatever you need to do, it's all for a good cause," he told his audience Saturday.

Musicians on Call -- the focus of Greenberg's efforts -- was founded in 1999 with the help of 1996 College and Wharton alumnus Vivek Tiwary. The organization aims to bring music to medical patients with in-room concerts, instrument loan programs and hospital CD libraries.

Participating musicians range from John Mayer to The Who, Ozzy Osbourne and Dido.

And now, Greenburg.

"It's actually pretty rare for someone outside of New York to want to do something like this and pull it all together," Musicians on Call Administrative Assistant Lauren Moore said. She added that New Yorkers have set up karaoke nights and other similar fundraisers, but nothing to the extent of Greenberg's performance.

While the cause is a new one, Greenberg in fact is a veteran of charitable work. In his senior year as an undergraduate he helped organize a benefit concert for the Leukemia Society of America.

"We were able to raise a couple thousand dollars for leukemia," he said. "I was able to leave my senior year on a good note."

Saturday's concert also aimed to raise upwards of one thousand dollars and included around 20 songs with both covers and Greenberg's own original pieces.

A self described blend of Dave Matthews Band and Billy Joel, Greenberg played uplifting pieces with titles like "Euphoria," "Great Escape," "Forever a Fantasy" and "Living for Today."

At multiple points throughout the set Greenberg was accompanied by vocalist Rena Desai, also a third year medical student.

"She's the biggest diva in the smallest body," Greenberg told his audience.

The show also included an older piece that Greenberg -- who had his sights set on medical school at a young age -- wrote in his early teens.

"I tempered it down a bit because there were test tubes in it," he laughed.

The audience included many who were familiar with Greenberg either from his other performances or from classes.

Fellow third year medical student Tamu Brown attended the performance and complimented both Greenberg's motive and method.

"I've heard him before, but when I heard what cause it was for, I thought 'sure I'll come,'" Brown said. "I haven't listened to his CD in awhile, but now I have to go home and listen to it."

"The way he finds time to do his music in the midst of medical school is amazing," she added.

Julie Goldberg attended the performance with her fiance and also offered high praise for Greenberg.

"He was amazing, as always," she enthused, calling Musicians on Call a "very intelligent idea that somebody finally came up with."

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