KC Beauregard and Kayleigh Brennan are recent CUA alums who took their talents on the road this summer for a good cause.
KC and Kayleigh, graduates of the class of 2014, met freshman year and began singing together immediately. During their time at Catholic they could be heard playing outside of Regan, at CUA on Tap, and at open mic nights around D.C.. However, they officially became a duo when preparing for their summer 2015 road trip.
Throughout the month of August, Kayleigh & KC drove from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles stopping at hospitals across the country to bring music, encouragement, and empowerment to the patients.
Her Campus reached out to the talented duo to learn more about their road trip.
HC: What inspired you to take this trip?
KC: Beyond going on a road trip, we wanted to do something that mattered and that was bigger than just us. I think both of us had our own reasons for choosing to perform at hospitals. The music aspect just made sense. Singing is something we have always enjoyed doing together. Personally, I was interning at an adult rehab hospital when we were discussing all of this and I felt strongly that patients in hospitals deserved music and entertainment.
Kayleigh: In March during one of her breaks from grad school, [KC] came to visit me in the city and we sat in a coffee shop for roughly 3.5 hours and plotted out exactly which cities we should look for hospitals in.
HC: Where did you go?
Kayleigh: Basically we drove form coast to coast with a fairly unique route. Quick recap: Delaware, DC, Nashville, St. Louis, Iowa, South Dakota, Denver, Utah, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Grand Canyon, Dallas, New Orleans, South Carolina, DC, Home!
HC: How did you fund your trip?
KC: The money went towards gas, hotels/hostels, and food. It also covered the cost of the little bits of equipment we needed. We raised around $2,500 from about 50 wonderful humans who donated to our trip.
HC: How many hospitals did you go to?
KC: We performed at 8 hospitals, but we had 9 performances. The first one asked us to come back at the end of our trip (Sibley Hospital in DC).
HC: Which hospitals were your favorites to perform at?
KC: Every hospital had at least one moment that has stuck with me. Roper was especially special for me because it is the hospital that my grandmother was at after both of her strokes. She and my grandfather came with us to the hospital and she was a celebrity there.
Kayleigh: I loved performing everywhere we went. Everyone was super receptive and appreciative of what we were doing. Two of the best experiences for me were Denver Health and Roper Rehab Hospital in Charleston. At Denver Health we got to actually go into rooms and have one on one experiences with patients. There was one little boy who spoke mostly Spanish, but he know Old McDonald and he saaaaaang it out with us!
HC: What songs did you sing?
KC: Lots of Frozen, pop songs, and children’s songs for the kids. For adults, we aimed for a lot of 60s songs – Beatles, Bill Withers, etc. “Fight Song” was a pretty consistent hit, as was “Lean On Me” and, obviously, “Let It Go.”
Kayleigh: I literally never want to sing “Let It Go” ever again…just kidding…but I definitely needed a break from that one! Our setlist really changed from place to place depending on our audience.
HC: Did you stop at any fun places in between gigs? Which ones were your favorites?
KC: SO MANY. We went to Nashville, Vegas, LA, The Grand Canyon, and New Orleans, to name a few! We had awesome hosts (family of friends from CT) who played music with us and taught us how to pan for gold. Also, I loved the Grand Canyon. It was absolutely breath-taking.
Kayleigh: Probably my most favorite between gigs adventure was New Orleans. We really had the time of our lives there and were super fortunate that another CUA alum offered us housing! We sang karaoke, walked down Bourbon Street, and had some really delicious food!
HC: Did you get to see any friends or family along the way?
KC: We saw almost all of our graduating musical theater class spread across DC, Tennessee, and Iowa. We also stayed with Sam Wagner, a fellow alum of Redline A Cappella (Class of ’12) in Iowa and saw another Redline alum, Grace Birkita MacMillan (Class of ’12), in Los Angeles. While we were in LA, we also caught up with Tom Pederson, the head of the musical theater department and he set us up with Patrick Cragin (another CUA alum). Patrick helped us find a great place to stay in New Orleans. Moral of the story is that CUA alums were everywhere and helped us along our journey.
Kayleigh: CUA Alumni are everywhere. And they are awesome.
HC: What was your favorite part of the whole trip?
KC: The excitement. Every time we were going to a new place, we were so excited. Even if we were absolutely exhausted from driving, we made the most out of every part of the trip. Also, seeing the joy that we were bringing to patients and staff in the hospitals.
Kayleigh: Traveling across America and getting to see so much of this beautiful country while bringing joy and comfort to the people who need it most was everything I could have wanted and more. We got to see new things, meet new people and to have that once in a lifetime experience with your best friend by your side? That is one of the most incredible feelings in the world. I’m eternally grateful for everyone who helped us achieve this trip. It was so inspiring. And truly, it was life changing.
Kayleigh and KC reached hundreds of patients, families, and staff members who were so grateful for the joy and excitement the pair brought to the hospitals. They were touched to receive many thank you letters from patients and parents. One woman from the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles wrote, “Today I was moved to tears when I found out these gals fundraised in order to tour hospitals and play their incredible music. What a gift!! I’m so glad I was able to be blessed by their music today. Wish I could’ve stayed longer to hear more!! My son and I were visiting the hospital for a scheduled check-up with his neurologist. The hospital is a tough place to be, and I’m always given a shot of gratitude and perspective when we visit. Today I was grateful for these two amazing women! Thank you, Kaleigh and KC!!”
“Your music touched my soul. Thank you so much.”
Since their road trip, the girls have gone back to their day jobs. KC is a graduate student at Lesley University in Boston pursuing a Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Music Therapy. Kayleigh is in New York City auditioning for shows, going to dance class, and working on a Cabaret Series.
They still perform when they are able to get together, and document their adventures on their Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Photo Credit: KC Beauregard