10 Incredible Things that YOU Made Happen: Number 9

Giving the "Gift of Music" 

As Children's Music Fund continues with its annual campaign, we want to reflect on the past year and say "Thank You!" Without your continued support of CMF, we wouldn't be able to serve chronically ill children in and out of the hospital. We will be sharing "10 incredible things..." with a new story each week throughout the campaign, please comment and share!

Number 9: Instrument Donation

This year you were able to bring the healing power of music to children by gifting musical instruments to children with life altering illnesses and chronic conditions. 

Below are some of the instruments that you have gifted to children in need: 

A keyboard went to a 6 year old boy with SMARD (Spinal Muscular Atrophy with Respiratory Distress)  and Charcot-Marie Tooth disease (a peripheral nervous system disorder affecting both his hands and his feet) in Los Angeles. He is using his keyboard to help regulate his breathing, and work on fine motor function in his hands. 

A violin went to a brain cancer survivor in Bakersfield. This 9 year old girl is using the violin to help connect the neurons in her brain to aide her recovery. She is excelling in school and making tremendous progress with music. Her mom writes,

"We are very thankful for Children's Music Fund, we are experiencing a wonderful journey. Esmerelda is greatly motivated and music is now a great part of her development. She is a straight A student and receiving school awards! Children's Music Fund, you guys are amazing!" 

Together we are doing great things!

Click HERE to participate in this year's Annual Fund!

10 Incredible Things that You Made Happen!

Children's Hospital Orange County

As the Children's Music Fund kicks off its annual campaign, we want to reflect on the past year and say "Thank You!" Without your continued support of CMF, we wouldn't be able to serve chronically ill children in and out of the hospital. We will be sharing "10 incredible things..." with a new story each week throughout the campaign, please comment and share!

Number 10:

One area that we have been able to make tremendous progress is in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit at Children's Hospital Orange County (CHOC)

Here's what CHOC, has to say about CMF!

I would love to share why we are so grateful for the Children's Music Fund.
The impact of music therapy on our NICU has been immeasurable!  Thanks to this incredible gift we are able to create both stimulating and relaxing moments, both of which help our tiny babies heal.  This new intervention also educates our medical staff on the value and impacts of therapeutic supports for premature patients.  The staff also benefit from not only knowing their patients are being cared for in such a special manner, but also by feeling the difference music makes on their professional day.

Stephanie DeMello, MS, CCLS
Child Life Manager
CHOC Children's Hospital

Together we are doing great things!

Click HERE to participate in this year's Annual Fund!

Cancer Care Network Foundation Presents Grant Children's Music Fund

From left to right: Lesley Holmes, Executive Director at CMF
Karine Bagdasarian President and Co-Founder at CCNF, Hilda
Avanessianm, IrmaAcemian, Ari David, Host, and Dr Raffi
Tachdjian, President and Founder of CMF

Children's Music Fund receives Grant to help kids with Cancer

LOS ANGELES, CA (October 2nd, 2015)–On Thursday October 1, 2015, the Children’s Music Fund (http://thecmf.org/) (CMF) held its 7th annual Laughter is Medicine charity event at Improv in Los Angeles, California. The event featured a pre-show reception and included a line up with Sam Tripoli, Thai Rivera, Steve Byrne, and was hosted by Ari David.

The Laughter is Medicine event is one of the primary fundraisers for the CMF, which was established in 2002 by Dr. Raffi Tachdjian, an allergist and pediatric pain specialist. 

“Laughing, like music therapy, releases endorphins, which make us feel good, and relieves pain,” says Raffi Tachdjian, MD, MPH, President and Founder of CMF.  “

During the program, Cancer Care Network Foundation (CCNF) co founder Karine Bagdasarian presented Dr. Raffi Tachdjian,  with a grant for $5000 to provide music therapy to children suffering from various forms of cancer to ease their pain, anxiety and to offer distraction from something other than their illness. 

  

“Research shows that music therapy can have a big impact on children who are hospitalized or suffering from serious illnesses like cancer, Tachdijian added. “It helps them build the confidence and positive attitude they need to get them through their difficult struggle. If you were in the hospital and facing painful procedure, wouldn't it be nice to have a music therapist and your own musical instrument to help you overcome the fear, the pain and the anxiety?" 

About the Children’s Music Fund: 

The Children’s Music Fund (CMF) is a national charity with a mission to provide music therapy and musical instruments to children and young adults with chronic or life-altering illnesses, and to support research on the effects of music therapy.   

About Cancer Care Foundation: The Cancer Care Network Foundation's primary mission is to provide advocacy and resources to eliminate barriers to quality care for patients affected by cancer.  Funds raised will provide financial assistance, complementary support for patients and families currently fighting cancer, as well as support for projects and organizations that provide charitable services to our community in the field of cancer care, education and prevention.

Shop at Ralph's? You can help CMF every time you shop!

Easy way to raise money for CMF! 

September 1st, 20115

Shopping for groceries can now help bring the healing power of music to children with life-altering illnesses and chronic conditions. Simply shop at Ralphs and scan your linked Ralphs Rewards Card and Children's Music Fund will benefit. 

How can you help you ask?  It's easy - Simply continue to do what you already do.... Shop at Ralphs.

Simply take the attached Scanned letter to Ralph's next time you shop and link it to your Ralph's card account - that's it...easy as pie.

Ralph's Community Support Program gives away $2 million dollars every 12 months - All we have to shop at Ralph's. By linking your Ralph's card to Children's Music Fund,  CMF will receive quarterly disbursements based on the number of people supporting our cause.  So tell your family, tell your friends, there is no cost to link you card, and all you have to do is to continue do your regular grocery shopping.

Thank you for your continued support as we aim to bring the healing power of music to over 2000 kids this year!

Together we are doing great things!

New community support cycle starts September 1st and requires a sign up every year. 

Children's Music Fund Donates Instruments to Miller Children's and Women's Hospital in Long Beach

Children's Music Fund brings More Music to Hospitals!

Laurel Terreri, MA, MT-BC
 with Lesley Holmes, Executive Director, CMF
and Rita Goshert, MA CCLS Clinical Operations manager
at Miller CHildren's and Women's Hospital 

July 24th, 2015, Long Beach California -
More healing through music will happen in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Miller Children's and Women's Hospital thanks to a recent donation of instruments from The Children's Music Fund (CMF) on Friday July 24th, 2015.

CMF donated a REMO RBL Kit which includes a Lullaby Ocean Disc Drum and a Gato Box. The drum emulates the intrauterine sound environment (womb sounds) which promotes sleep in premature babies. This drum was developed by Remo for use in the "First Sounds: Rhythm Breath and Lullaby" Program.*

CMF provides 4 hours of music therapy a week to Miller Children's and Women's Hospital by a board certified Music Therapist with specific NICU certification.

Children's Music Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides musical instruments and music therapy for children with life altering illnesses and chronic conditions and supports research on the effects of music therapy.

For more information or to make a tax deductible donation please visit www.thecmf.org.

Laurel Terreri, MA, MT-BC,  Rita Goshert, MA CCLS Clinical Operations manager
and CMF music therapist Brooke Tittinger MT-BC, at Miller CHildren's and Women's Hospital 

* First Sounds: Rhythm, Breath and Lullaby is a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Music Therapy training being developed internationally. The program is founded on evidence-based research led by an integrative team of doctors, nurses and music therapists in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The program was developed by Joanne Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC at Beth Israel Medical Center

Children's Music Fund Expands Services in Children's Hospital Orange County

Orange, CA (June 2015) – Children’s Music Fund (CMF) expanded music therapy services into another hospital this month (Children’s Hospital Orange County) in order to serve the tiniest of patients in need of the healing power of music.  For two hours a week, a CMF Board Certified Music Therapist with specialty certification in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), will provide music therapy to infants to help with their healing needs.

Two of the instruments used in the NICU are the REMO Ocean Disc, meant to replicate the whooshing sounds of the uterus, and the Gato Box, which the therapist can play to provide rhythm to mimic and regulate the infants’ breathing or heart rate.  CMF Chairman of the Board, Ara Oghoorian, CFA, CFP® adds, “As these little warriors fight for their lives, music will give them a peaceful space to fight on.”

“Premature babies respond amazingly well to positive stimuli. These include a parent’s voice, rhythmic and soft melodic music, and human touch. These are all things music therapy can provide,” says CMF founder and President Dr. Raffi Tachdjian. “At CMF, we help bring music into the hospital.”

About Children’s Music Fund
CMF is a Los Angeles based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide musical instruments and music therapy to infants, children, adolescents, and young adults with chronic conditions and life-altering illnesses and to support research on the medical benefits of music therapy. CMF was established in 2002 by Dr. Raffi Tachdjian, an allergist and former director of the pediatric pain clinic at David Geffen School of medicine at UCLA. Research shows that music therapy can help lesson the burden of pain, sadness, anxiety and loneliness, and create opportunities for self-expression and social communication. CMF currently provides music therapy in eight hospitals, and in 2015 has provided services and instruments to over 750 children.

Contact: Lesley Holmes, Executive Director

(310) 428-0589 www.thecmf.org Lesley@thecmf.org                                

     

What Exactly is Music Therapy?

According to the American Music Therapy Association, "Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program"1

What Music Therapy Is...and Is Not

The more music the better, bring it on!

"But clinical MUSIC THERAPY is the only professional research-based discipline that actively applies supportive science to the creative, emotional, and energizing experiences of music for health treatment goals."1

Music Therapy is: 

• Music Therapists must have a bachelor's degree or higher in music therapy

• Music Therapists have completed 1200 hours of clinical training.

• Music Therapists Must hold a MT-BC credential, issued through Certification Board for Music  Therapists, which protects the public by ensuring competent practice and requiring continuing education.

• Music Therapy is an evidence based health profession with a strong research foundation.

• Music therapy degrees require knowledge in psychology, medicine and music.

Music Therapy is Not:

• A person with dementia listening to his favorite songs on an iPod with headphones.

• Celebrities performing at hospitals or schools.

• A piano player in a hospital

• Nurses playing background music for patients

• A choir singing on the pediatric floor of a hospital

"Music Therapy can make the difference between withdrawal and awareness, between isolation and interaction, between chronic pain and comfort - between demoralization and dignity" - Barbara Crowe (past president of National Association for Music Therapy) 

 At CMF our Board Certified Music Therapists:

• Work with children with brain injuries or brain trauma to help reconnect neurons and increase brain activity.

• Work with children to reduce asthma episodes

• Work with children in the hospital to reduce pain

• Work with children who have autism to improve communication capabilities and decrease stress and anxiety

• Work with pre-mature infants to improve sleep patterns and increase weight gain.

"Music is universal but it is also highly individual and empowering."2 

Music therapy is so individualized that "going forward doctors may actually be prescribing a 'course' of musical numbers"3

 Imagine getting a prescription for your very own "mixed tape" from your doctor!

Children's Music Fund is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization  committed to provide music therapy and bring the healing power of music to children with life altering and chronic conditions.  For more information or to make a donation please visit our website:  www.thecmf.org 

1. American Music Therapy Association http://www.musictherapy.org

2. Music As Medicine: A Historical Perspective and Review of Select Clinical Applications, Alternative and Complementary Therapies, October 2013 Talin Babikian, Lonnie Zeltzer, Vartan Tachdjian, Lindsay Henry, Elan Javanfard, Lara Tucci, Mary Goodarzi , Raffi Tachdjian 

3. Music is medicine to the brain..!! Dr. NK Venkataramanaa BGS Global Institute of Neurosciences

Laugh Factory Hosts 6th Annual Laughter is Medicine for Children's Music Fund

 

The Laugh Factory Hosts 6th Annual ‘Laughter is Medicine’ Comedy Night Supporting Children’s Music Fund

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 10, 2015)–On March 12, 2015, the Children’s Music Fund (http://thecmf.org/) (CMF) will hold its 6th annual Laughter is Medicine benefit event at The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, California. The event will include a line up with Dom Irrera, America’s Got Talent runner up Taylor Williamson, Moshe Kasher, Dan Adhoot and hosted by Sunda Croonquist.

The Laughter is Medicine event is one of the primary fundraisers for the CMF, which was established in 2002 by Dr. Raffi Tachdjian, an allergist and pediatric pain specialist.  

“Laughing, like music therapy,  releases  endorphins, which make us feel good, and relieve pain,” says Raffi Tachdjian, MD, MPH, President and Founder of CMF.  “Research shows that music therapy can have a big impact on children who are hospitalized or suffering from serious illnesses.  It helps them build the confidence and positive attitude they need to get them through their difficult struggle. If you were in the hospital and facing painful procedure, wouldn't it be nice to have a music therapist and your own musical instrument to help you overcome the fear, the pain and the anxiety?"

Music therapy has a big impact on children who are hospitalized, it's simple, it works and it's a great complementary and alternative form of medicine 

- Raffi Tachdjian, MD, MPH 

“During our yearly ‘Laughter is Medicine’ event at the Laugh Factory, the average attendee spends 2 hours laughing away, attendees help CMF provide laughter, joy and melody to a child or young adult with a chronic illness.  It's simple, it works, it's a great complementary and alternative form of medicine,” adds Tachdjian.

Individual tickets to the Laughter is Medicine event are $50 for General Admission or $100 for Priority Admission and can be purchased by visiting http://www.laughfactory.com/clubs/hollywood/date/2015-03-12  Please contact Lesley on 310-428-0589 or lesley@thecmf.org for more information

About the Children’s Music Fund:

The Children’s Music Fund (CMF) is a national charity with a mission to provide music therapy and musical instruments to children and young adults with chronic or life-altering illnesses, and to support research on the effects of music therapy.   

###

What happens to the Body During Music Therapy?

Music’s therapeutic qualities are impressive and far reaching.  In pain management, music provides distraction and cognitive imagery to aide relaxation.  It also reduces pain perception by blocking pain impulses to the brain at the spinal cord and releasing endorphins, which make us feel good.  Therapeutic music can also help restore lost abilities, such as memory deficits in dementia, or speech and motor deficits following a brain injury or stroke.  One of the fastest growing clinical applications of music therapy is with children with autism spectrum or other developmental disorders, helping improve self-expression, as well as social and shared communication, and perhaps reaching even less measurable goals such as improving self-esteem and quality of life.  

At Children's Music Fund (CMF), we ask parents of children we serve to monitor many different aspects of their child’s functioning and their presenting symptoms before and after a 16-session cycle of CMF funded music therapy.  Parents have told us that after their work with our music therapists, they have noticed improvements in their child’s communication skills, an increase in their general happiness and life satisfaction, an improvement (decrease in) loneliness and boredom, and a decrease in symptoms of pain and anxiety.   

Seeing is believing... Joesph and CMF music therapist Melinda - show us huge smiles after their session.

If you know of a child with a chronic condition or life-altering illness, applications for individual can be found on our website: www.thecmf.org

for more information contact 310-428-0589 or email info@thecmf.org

What is it like to be a Music Therapist?

What's it like to be a Music Therapist with Children's Music Fund?

Children's Music Fund provides individual music therapy for 16 week cycles for children with life altering and chronic conditions. We asked one of our board certified music therapists to give us her thoughts on one of her most recent clients. 

“I’m obviously really good at this.” Jared told me rather matter-of-factly as he finished playing “The Ants Go Marching” on the piano. It took quite a bit of effort not to laugh but to agree with this serious, almost 8 year old.  Jared had begun piano lessons while hospitalized for 6 months fighting Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  I was sent by The Children’s Music Fund to provide Music Therapy and to continue the piano once Jared was discharged.  

When I met Jared's family, they were readjusting to “normalcy” and putting the illness behind them.  Although Jared remained the center of attention, the focus and furor at the illness had changed.  Jared was struggling to cope.

Jared is a bright, articulate, perceptive, and musical child. Every week we began with drumming, helping to release and redirect anger.  We explored and improvised on a different instrument every week: ukuleles, glockenspiel, pan flutes, tone chimes, melodica, kalimba, autoharp, as well as numerous percussion instruments.   Being both creative and inquisitive, Jared was delighted to experiment and to create his own music on each instrument.  Time at the piano was also structured and unstructured, allowing for self-expression.  We ended our sessions by singing / reading a book.  At the beginning I sang a page, Jared read a page. However, as weeks passed, Jared began to sing his page happily.  Together we sang and played our “Goodbye” song.

Jared finished the 16 weeks of music therapy confirming that he is a very talented and gifted person.  With increased self-confidence, he learned the importance of expressing himself through music. At only 8 years old, he has developed a deeper appreciation of music and how it makes him feel. No doubt that music will always be an important aspect in his life.  

What a great job I have!

Cathy O'Neil, MT-BC 

CMF Music Therapist

(Name of the client has been changed for privacy purposes.)

Music Heals! What people are saying about Children's Music Fund.

“We are experiencing a wonderful journey”

At 6 months old, Esmerelda was diagnosed Acute Myelogenous Luekemia. At a time when her brain was undergoing crucial and fragile development, Esmerelda was having central nervous system chemotherapy and umbilical cord stem cell transplants.

Esmerelda, now 8, has always had a dream to play the violin. Children’s Music Fund, provides instruments to children with life altering conditions and was happy to provide a violin for Esmerelda to learn to play.  

“We are very thankful for Children's Music Fund, we are experiencing a wonderful journey.  Esmeralda is greatly motivated and music is now a great part of her life. Music is now a great part of her development. She is a straight A student and receiving school awards! ! Thank You so much for all your support without it our Princess wouldn't be achieving one of her heart's desire, which is to play music.  Do to our low income we wouldn't be able to help my Princess.  Children's Music Fund; you guys are amazing! !”

Children’s Music Fund provides Music Therapy that helps the entire family.

Nolan Coats, age 4, and his mom Jennifer

Children’s Music Fund provides Music Therapy that helps the entire family.

Encino, CA - January 20, 2014

Music Therapy is a type of healing art whose therapeutic benefits reach far beyond the individual patient. Not only does music therapy benefit the patient, but family members consistently report its many positive outcomes as well.

Music is one of the oldest, significant healing tools in medicine. In the area of pain management, music provides distraction and cognitive imagery to aid in relaxation. Therapeutic music can also help to restore lost abilities such as speech, and expression

Just before his 2nd birthday, Nolan was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. “In addition, when he was young, he had fluid in both of his middle ears and we decided not to get them drained because the doctor said his muscles would be strong enough to push the fluid by the time he was two.”

Nolan was very antisocial, wouldn't respond to his name, was overwhelmed by too many people and would play by himself.  His parents didn't know if Nolan couldn’t hear because of the fluid, “but when we had his ears checked and they were clear, his behaviors stayed the same.”

Nolan’s dad, Scotty Coats, produces music, when Scotty would work on a remix, from the very start of the song, Nolan would stop what he was doing and run to whatever source it was playing out of.  He only responded to music.  

Nolan was non-verbal until about 3 1/2 years old. Scotty and Nolan’s Mom, Jen started using the PECS system (Picture Exchange Communication System) as well as teaching Nolan sign language and it was working. They knew Nolan had the cognitive to communicate.

Jen and Scotty then reached out to Children’s Music Fund (CMF) after hearing about the program from Miller’s Children’s and Women’s Hospital where CMF provides music therapy 4 hours a week to inpatient children. CMF matched Nolan to one of their Board Certified Music Therapist, Stacie. And from there, the work began.

Like any other form of therapy, music therapy is an active and creative partnership between a skilled musician/clinician who can facilitate responsive therapy to meet certain goals, whether they are physiological, emotional or psychological.  

Since the brain is very complex, the verbal centers are located in different part of the brain from the singing centers, when music is performed and listen to, such as in music therapy, and not just in music listening, almost all of the brain regions are lit up or active.

Stacie worked with Nolan on using his voice as an instrument and making sounds, which eventually turned into words.  Scotty says, “I really feel she had a HUGE impact on his speech because of the repetition and melody.  Now when he speaks, his sentences are like little songs with melody and dynamics.”

Because of his music therapy work over the year, Nolan is able to verbalize his wants and needs, and actually communicate with his family.

“I truly feel that Stacie helped with Nolan’s anxiety of wanting to communicate but not being able to get the words out.  Music is the universal language and we are truly thankful for all CMF has done for our family.  I will never forget the first time I came home from work and he looked at me and said, DADA!!”

This winter, at the CMF’s biggest fundraising gala, Nolan and his music therapist, performed two of Nolan’s favorite songs, “The Car Song” and “Rockin’ Robin”, in front of over 200 supporters. This sold-out event gala was held at the Pacific Palisades home on Don and Sarah Griffin, long-time CMF supporters. Mr. Griffin is the founder of West LA Music, and former president of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM).

The Children’s Music Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to provide musical instruments and music therapy to children, adolescents, and young adults with chronic conditions and life-altering illnesses, and to support research on the effects of music therapy.

For more information please visit: www.thecmf.org

Photo Credit: Cynthia Lum