Helen Cho '10 and Christopher Lim '10 jointly lead MIHNUET, a student organization that combines music with service. On February 16th at 8:00 pm in the Kirkland JCR, MIHNUET will be having its annual Black Tie Benefit Concert, with Tuesday Magazine as its official media sponsor.

So, first things first: what is MIHNUET?

Helen: MIHNUET is an organization that brings live music to the nursing homes and hospitals of Boston and Cambridge twice each week. We're part of PSN [Harvard's Public Service Network].

And the acronym?

Helen: Music in Hospitals and Nursing Homes Using Entertainment as Therapy.

Excellent. Does anyone ever bug you about that "H"?

Chris: Well, it's kind of necessary. I mean—hospitals.

H: It's a bit hard...

C: We didn't come up with the acronym. We actually thought of changing it, but—

H: The organization is too well-established under its current name.

C: Oh, and it's M-I-H-N, not M-I-N-H. Everyone always gets confused with the N and the H.

What does an average day of volunteering with MIHNUET look like?

H: One of the board members in charge of trips will plan the trip out, contact the site we plan to visit, and ask them if we can perform on a certain day. Once that's set up, members sign up on our website or over the phone for spots on the trip—we always go out on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. MIHNUET provides transportation to the site, so all members have to bring is their music. We go over to the hospital or nursing home, introduce ourselves, perform for an hour, and then talk to the residents for 15 or 20 minutes. A lot of them don't have many visitors. They like to talk to young people, to college people.

Sounds great.

C: And it's really easy for new volunteers to join and try it out. There's no comp—you just find out about us, get on our mailing list, and we will send you the information about our weekly trips. Just sign up online and then show up.

H: It's a low commitment.

C: Of course, you can make it more of one if you want.

H: No skill or experience level is necessary. Residents love to hear anyone; we've had people just come in and improv on the piano. Many people are reluctant about volunteering with us because they feel like they need to have a certain skill level or be great at a certain instrument. It's not true.

C: Even for those who are serious musicians, it's a nice change of environment from the strict or competitive concert scene.

H: It's also a good way to break out of Harvard.

C: You know you'll be appreciated, and it's a no-pressure performance.

And now MIHNUET is collaborating with Tuesday.

H: We were so excited when Leila [Perkins, Tuesday Magazine business board director] approached us about working together.

C: Yeah...the collaboration is great. It will generate excellent publicity for both groups.

Like the event that's coming up?

C: Yes; it's the annual fundraiser we call our Black Tie Benefit Concert. This is our tenth-annual black tie, so it's going to be kind of a big deal. The organization was founded in 1995, and we've been running continuously since then.

H: The benefit is held annually in the Kirkland JCR—it's classy. Everyone dresses up.

C: (laughs) Yes, formal attire is encouraged.

So, what will the evening feature? Why should I go?

C: Well, first off, it's a fundraiser for our organization, which is definitely a good cause; we're a not-for-profit volunteer group. The evening will feature some really great musical performances, too. Some students—like Helen

H: —also like Chris—

C: (chuckles) ...are really fantastic performers. We have members from the Holden Choirs, the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, the University Choir, Collegium Musicum...

H: Pretty much every major musical organization on campus.

C: Bach Society Orchestra...the list goes on. I won't bore you. We'll also be presenting a variety of musical styles.

Oh? What kinds?

H: Everything from classical to jazz to—

C: Musical theatre...

H: Yes. The Crimson Crooners, our vocal group, is the only one on campus that does volunteer work. They sing oldies, classic favorites, things like that.

C: And all the people performing at the Black Tie Benefit are members of MIHNUET, so they're regular participants in the program. All of them have a connection to service.

H: During the evening, we'll be presenting awards to members who have attended more than six performances. We'll be giving them a certificate and flowers, just to say thank-you to the volunteers.

(They whisper briefly for a moment.)

C: Oh! And our intermission will feature some...interesting facts—

H: —innovations, really—

C: —about MIHNUET. And of course, Tuesday Magazine will also have a table.

Do you see MIHNUET collaborating with Tuesday on any more interesting events in the future?

C: We'll definitely be at Tuesday's spring gala, and Tuesday is providing media coverage for a few of our trips. It's great not just for publicity, but also to encourage people to join. We're a really great organization.

Anything else I should know?

C: Our organization is awesome; people should really consider trying it out. It's a great chance to see what life is like in a hospital or nursing home—you can really help people out in a concrete way and bring happiness to their lives.

H: You're interacting with elderly patients...it's a good opportunity for any pre-meds out there to see what being in a hospital is like. (laughs)

C: Ooooh. We have a lot of pre-meds.

H: But it's not required!

C: No! No, not at all.

H: We're really open to the public. It's not all musicians or pre-meds who join.

C: We have this one girl who used to play flute with us, and she would go on trips with the Crimson Crooners. One day, she just decided to join them. The Crooners have regular rehearsals, but anyone is welcome to attend. That's just an example of the open feeling of the group.

H: It's family-like.

C: Once you get to know us, we're a very close—

H: Community.

C: Organization. Community.

Well, thanks so much for your time! Keep up the good work.