“They’ve been very kind and indulge me by playing some of my original music,” he says, adding that he has performed with the band for seven years. “We play almost 10 shows a year. Because of everyone’s busy schedule, we intensely practice just before the time of the shows.”
Click here to listen to Dr. Grayson talk more about the importance of music.
He says the band generally includes up to 14 members (including guitarist and NIH Director Francis Collins, MD, PhD) who play a wide variety of instruments, including guitar, violin, horns and mandolins. Every year, the band performs at the Friends of Patients at the NIH, various science conferences and Camp Fantastic, a weeklong camp for children with cancer.
When physicians attending medical conferences learn that a band comprising physicians will be performing, he says many sigh, believing the band will be terrible. However, after the show, some typically approach him and other band members, telling them they were “pretty good,” says Dr. Grayson. “That’s the kind of sweet spot we hope for.”
Every now and then, Dr. Grayson and other band members get together for dinner at each other’s homes and then play for hours for fun.
“Performing has definitely enriched my life,” he says. “I’ve even noticed that when work heats up, I read a lot of literature and try to chase new ideas and discoveries. That’s also the time when I write the most songs. I just feel like it revs up my creativity.”
Carol Patton, a freelance writer based in Las Vegas, writes the Rheum After 5 column for The Rheumatologist.
Affordable Rock ‘n’ Roll Act & Friends
Click here to listen to this song performed by Dr. Grayson and his band.
I’m not sure about it, I’m not so sure
Pass these songs around, well-worn hand-me-downs
Spent our summers home before we learned to roam
When we settled down, we filled our homes with sound.
—Excerpt from a song by Peter Grayson, MD
———————————————————————————
