An Unexpected Honor — and the People Who Were Standing There With Me
- acoustichealingmus
- May 26
- 2 min read
On May 19, I attended the Arts Council of Monterey County Grantee Reception with one thing on my mind — gratitude. What I did not fully expect was what it would feel like to hear my name called as one of only two recipients of the Established Artist Grant.
I was not alone in that room. Anne, my wife and the steady, quiet backbone of everything I do, was beside me. So was Nicolette. The three of us stood together at that reception, and I thought — this is exactly right. This is exactly how it should be.
The Arts Council of Monterey County awards this grant to established artists who regularly share their work with the community and demonstrate meaningful social impact. To be recognized in that way — for work that is still in the process of being born — was a gift I did not see coming.
One hundred percent of this award goes directly toward our founding studio recording sessions — every dollar, straight into the work. These sessions are where Acoustic Healing Music is being made: intentional, professionally recorded healing music, created exclusively by certified therapeutic musicians whose years of bedside experience inform every note they play.
Acoustic Healing Music provides intentional healing music in hospital settings, delivered exclusively by certified music practitioners whose bedside experience is the foundation of every session.
The validation I felt in that room is hard to put into words. When you spend years building something you believe in, you carry a quiet question with you. Does the world understand what you are doing? Does it matter?
On May 19, I got an answer.
More to come very soon. 💜
David E Villareal, RPh, CCM
🎸 www.acoustichealing.music
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