Violinist Volunteers His Talents To Soothe Injured Dogs

When violinist Martin Agee first volunteered at the ASPCA two years ago, he thought he would just be doing normal volunteer duties. He never imagined that playing violin for dogs would be his role. However, after performing at some of the most well-known music venues, such as Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House, he found a more calming and heartwarming audience. He quickly learned that playing classical music for the dogs at the ASPCA in New York City was his new favorite gig.

The Start of His Volunteer Experience

Agee originally started volunteering for the ASPCA in order to reconnect with dogs. When his rescued Greyhound, Melody, passed away, he was devastated. After about two years of missing her, he decided that it was time to interact with dogs again. So, he decided to apply for an adoption coordinator position at the New York shelter.

“On my application to become a volunteer, I sort of joking wrote, ‘maybe I’ll play the violin for dogs.’ I had no idea that there was a program that would lend itself to that,” said Agee.

The ASPCA already had a storyteller program in place. It is a program where volunteers read books to dogs to help calm them down and meet new people. It also helps them to learn that new people can bring good things. Agee’s music fell in a similar category, so he soon joined this storyteller program as well. However, he told stories to dogs with music instead of books. He had been playing violin for over 30 years, but this was certainly a new experience for him.

His Successful Performances

The staff at the ASPCA gladly supported Agee’s idea of seeing how the dogs would react to music. He plays his violin at the shelter’s Animal Recovery Center. Therefore, the dogs that he plays for are usually coping with medical or behavioral issues that are often related to neglect or abuse. Some of these dogs can be very timid or scared, so the volunteers in the storytelling program help relax these dogs and hopefully better socialize them as they wait to be adopted.

So far, Agee’s music has been proven to be a great success. At first, some dogs bark and jump when he arrives, but once he starts playing his classical music, the dogs usually become much more relaxed.

Music doesn’t work for every animal. Agee admits that his own cat even gets scared even at the sight of his violin. However, some animals find it very beneficial. Luckily, most of the dogs at the ASPCA truly enjoy the music that he plays for them.

Agee says that he gets sad when some of the dogs get adopted since he can no longer play for them. He truly bonds with them simply by playing music. However, he is grateful that they are each able to find their forever home in the long run.

Always performing in front of a large crowd of people can be a stressful experience. However, Agee learned that it is much more rewarding to play in front of an audience that wag their tails. Sometimes, it’s the little things that benefit shelter dogs the most.