Songs at the Center

Artists: "Music and Healing," one of two special episodes exploring the power of music, featuring David Tolley, Celeste Friedman, Megan Palmer, and Eric Gnezda. Artist Bio: Megan Palmer, an Ohio native who explored New York City's music scene before venturing to Nashville, where she's made a stunningly honest and adeptly produced album entitled, What She's Got To Give. Produced by Patrick Damphier at Nashville's Club Roar Studio, and recorded in six days of mostly live tracking, this album features the stellar contributions of Jon Radford, Tony Scherr, Larry Cook, Tim Easton, and Amy Speace. Megan is a cancer survivor, making her first musical performance since emerging from treatment. She performs "Ann's Boots." Artists: David Tolley, of Powell, Ohio, is a two-time Grammy Award nominee. He lost his wife to cancer at a young age. Currently working on his ninth musical, David has composed music for Disneyland theme parks in Paris and Tokyo. In a moment of historic serendipity, he was plucked out of The Tonight Show audience by Johnny Carson and performed "Memory" from the musical Cats, earning an immediate national following, and recently eight million YouTube views. He has also performed for four U.S. Presidents. David plays "Bells of Peace. " Artist Bio: Celeste Friedman, of Newark, Ohio, is Grammy Award nominee and author, who claims that the healing power of music is the reason for her own survival with arthritis. As a composer for film, television and stage, she has scored the music for a Pulitzer Prize-nominated play, a cable TV mystery series, The Food Network and Nickelodeon; and her work was featured in a short film, showcased in Festival des Cannes in 2008. Celeste's music has garnered global airplay, reaching #1 on music charts in France, Italy, Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands, Argentina and Australia. She sings "Sobreviva." Artist Bio: Eric Gnezda writes songs that embrace expansive subjects and tones, from inspiring anthems to humor. Eric grew up as a caregiver, as his father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when Eric was three days old. Eric is the recipient of the Ohioana Citation for Music composition, and earned an Emmy nomination as a television journalist. He is a regular Writers Night performer at Nashville's iconic venue for songwriters The Bluebird Cafe. He performs "Blossoms of Hope."