The Singing Patient
Carla Ulbrich is a medical musical comedian, keynote speaker, and author currently living in New Jersey. (Insert your own "New Jersey" punchline here). Her songs, keynotes, and book are all based on her humorous take of the life of a patient with several chronic and sometimes catastrophic illnesses. She performs for conventions and other gatherings of patients, caregivers, nurses, and other medical professionals.
Carla has a love of wordplay and a keen observational eye. Before becoming the Singing Patient, she was primarily known for her humorous songs about such topics as wedgies, Waffle House, Klingons, and how rich she would be if she had the copyright on the 'F' Word. Something of a mix between Phoebe and Jeff Foxworthy, she cited her biggest musical influences as Sesame Street, camp songs, and cat food commercials.
Since 1997, Carla has been singing her humorous songs all over the US and England. She has appeared on Sirius XM Radio, USA TV, the BBC, Dr. Demento, and The Bob and Sherrie Show and venues such as the Falcon Ridge and Kerrville Folk Festivals, Club Med, and the famed Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. In 2002, Carla's touring was interrupted when she fell very ill with kidney failure and a stroke. As part of her recovery, she wrote a bunch of humorous medical songs lampooning her frustrating experience with the US health care system, resulting in the CD "Sick Humor."
2011 saw the release of Carla's book of humorous essays about those same medical adventures, entitled "How Can You NOT Laugh at a Time Like This?" (pub: Tell Me Press). This book was awarded the Lupus Foundation of America's Seal of Approval. Carla is back to touring all over the place, and her performance calendar now includes gatherings for patients, caregivers, and healthcare workers. She brings hope, lightness, and humor to audiences who could really use a laugh.
Some places Carla has played:
NC Lupus Foundation Annual Summit
Ottawa Medical Devices Summit
Myositis Annual Convention
Nursing in Practice (UK)
Medicaid Convention Marquette General Hospital (Retired Physicians' Gala)
Central Louisiana Arts and Healthcare
Hospital Volunteer Appreciation Banquet (Nash Health Care System)
Society for Arts in Healthcare Conference
Alaska Palliative Care Conference
Assoc. for Applied and Therapeutic Humor
Dance for the Cure
Gluten Intolerance Group
Multiple Sclerosis Support Group
Toastmasters District 83 Convention
Blue Horizons Holistic Health Network
UU Cluster (South Carolina)
UU Aiken
UU Clemson
SUUSI
Club Med
Kerrville Folk Festival
Wildflower Arts and Music Festival
Falcon Ridge Folk Festival
Musikfest
Florida Folk Festival
Avalon Music Fest
The Forest Arts Centre (UK)
The Tower Arts Centre (UK)
Corner Comedy Club, Clermont, FL
Bitter End, New York City
Eddie's Attic, Atlanta
Kulak's Woodshed, Hollywood, CA
various corporate holiday parties
League of Women Voters (SC)
Doctor Radio (Sirius XM Radio)
Eddie's Attic
The Bluebird Cafe (Nashville)
Radio and Press:
Sunday Night with Rabbi Bulka
WLRN Miami
KXCI
WSBF
AOL News
NJ Star Ledger
Live Well Nebraska
Workwise
Anderson Independent
Sirius XM's Doctor Radio
Touch of Grey radio
Personal Best with Kristen Tews WKRS
Dr. Demento
Seven Second Delay with Andy Breckman
The Mind, Body, and Spirit Network (blogtalkradio)
It's Your Health Network (KMBH)
WCTC
KJFC
KKUP
TV spots:
"Charlotte Today" (WCNC)
"Good Morning Arkansas"
"Triad Today" (Winston-Salem, NC)
"Community Corner" Somerset, NJ
"The Other Side" with Ken Mottet, Chicago Access Network
"Phil Phun Show," Sarasota, FL
"The John Show," ACTV, Gettysburg, PA
"Homegrown Music Concerts," WVIA, Scranton, PA
"Up All Night," USA network
"Lorrainne Entertains," PAX TV
"The Naked Truth," Charlotte, NC
AWARDS:
2011 Toastmasters Division C Table Topics Winner
2011 Toastmasters Area 33 Humorous Speech Contest Winner
2006 Just Plain Folks, Novelty Song of the Year
2004 Dr. Demento's #8 and #10 Most Requested Songs of the Year
2004 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Most-Wanted Emerging Artist
2004 Kerrville NewFolk Finalist
2004 Just Plain Folks Novelty Album, 2nd Place
2000 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, 1st place, Open category
1999 South Florida Folk Fest Songwriting Competition Winner: Best Upbeat Song and Best Overall
1998 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, Open category, 1st place