Music Therapy Tools for Mental Healthcare

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Patti & Greg

Delivered Friday, deployed immediately.

FIFTEEN brand new FLEA ukuleles ($3,300 retail value) bolster music therapy at Cincinnati Children’s College Hill campus. Superior quality, durability and vibrant colors make them ideal instruments for groups as well as individual therapy sessions.

Dale Rabiner, owner of DHR Guitar Experience in Oakley, generously sponsored this ukulele set and dedicated use.

Jenn Seley, MA, MT-BC, CCLS is holding a concert FLEA ukulele with Aloha Plum designer finish. Jenn transitioned from the hospital’s Main campus to College Hill site several years ago. Her role is fully dedicated to psychiatric patient care.

Why devote a large set of premium grade instruments to this specific campus?

• College Hill campus serves nearly 2,100 patients annually. A 3-story expansion began in 2015 with the new wing alone able to serve 10 in-patients (7-8 day average stay) plus 30 residential patients (120 day average stay) at a time. It made the hospital’s College Hill campus the largest pediatric psychiatric treatment center in the country.

• The campus doubled up on music therapy last summer with the addition of therapist Anthony Borzi, MA, MT-BC. Cincinnati Children’s now has seven full-time music therapists – plus interns – serving patients at Main, College Hill and StarShine hospice.

• Shortly after starting this role, Jenn told me that playing a colorful premium ukulele in this setting sends an extra esteem-building message to patients: I’m worth it.

Please consider making a contribution to our ongoing “Ukuleles for Hospital Music Therapy” campaign on GoFundMe. Steady growth beyond the base goal brings more holistic music therapy to those in critical care settings.

https://www.gofundme.com/ukuleleshospitalMT

Filed under: FUN STRUMS Outreach, TJA News & Promos | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Gifted Music Therapists and Their New Instruments

Posted on January 11, 2018 by Patti & Greg

Good things start with a warm cup of coffee.

In this case, meeting up with Brian Schreck, MA, MT-BC and Kathryn Bruno, MT-BC on Monday at Rookwood Commons Starbucks. Cold morning, icy streets. Kathryn walked over in between sessions at Eating Recovery Center Cincinnati. Brian braved a drive from Louisville, where he now serves adult patients at Norton Cancer Institute (NCI).

Brian Schreck, Kathryn Bruno - Rookwood Starbucks - 2018 01 08

We’ve met up routinely over the past decade. Usually to equip them with more FLEA ukuleles for music therapy at Cincinnati Children’s. And I always learn something new about the realm of music therapy (non-confidential info only!). Helps me help them.

FIFTEEN instruments were presented. Six were honorary donations to these gifted music therapists for personal and professional use. The remaining nine fulfill a special order funded by NCI’s new “Cancer Beats” program. Kathryn is posing with a Mango soprano FLEA ukulele. Brian is holding his new Rainsong graphite A/E guitar thanks to the generosity of Rainsong Graphite Guitars in Woodinville, Washington.

But beyond coffee, conversation and poses, the best is yet to come. Instruments of this caliber – in the hands of gifted music therapists – summon expression, hope and even joy despite a life threatening illness or condition.

The warmth of that coffee moment keeps pouring into the hearts of hundreds of patients, their family members, friends and caregivers.

Filed under: FUN STRUMS Outreach, TJA News & Promos | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

THANK YOU Dale Rabiner of DHR Guitar Experience

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Patti & Greg

THANK YOU to Dale Rabiner, owner of DHR Guitar Experience in Oakley. His sponsor gift supplies a large FLEA ukulele set to mental health applications of music therapy. And it enables the “Ukulele Art” fundraiser to zip past the base goal (not a finish line)!

Please meet Dale in this video. Discover what his special guitar shop in the heart of Oakley is all about. If you love guitars, pay him a visit, don’t miss out.

I personally can testify to the DHR Guitar Experience. Delivers everything promised in the video. You experience the depth of Dale’s knowledge and passion for fine guitars. The shop is quaint, comfortable and amply stocked with well-displayed variety. Especially if left-handed and want to play naturally vs. told just play right-handed (by right-handed staffers at other stores). Paul McCartney never settled for that.

Browsing and play opportunities are guided without pressure. Easily extend the experience via: exceptional accessories and supplies, lessons to start or build talents, hosted events with outstanding musicians. And letting that “healthy guitar contagion” stimulate repeat visits to discover and set your sights on your next dream guitar!

Remember those SAT analogies? Dale and DHR Guitar Experience is to Guitar Enthusiasts as Music Therapy is to Patients. The parallels are striking. It’s all about customizing live musicianship with quality instruments to create joy in life, no matter what obstacles stand in the way.

I am proud to have Dale join me in dedicating this ukulele set to the College Hill campus of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Devoted to PSYCHIATRY. Two music therapists serve individuals and groups – complementing their many other life saving and stabilizing interventions. PLEASE watch this video. We all can work together to shatter the stigma of talking, learning about and seeking Mental Health treatment.

Please consider making a contribution to our ongoing “Ukuleles for Hospital Music Therapy” campaign on GoFundMe. Steady growth beyond the base goal brings more holistic music therapy to those in critical care settings.

https://www.gofundme.com/ukuleleshospitalMT

Filed under: FUN STRUMS Outreach, Musicianship Inspirations, Ukulele Inspirations | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

THANK YOU to The Magic Fluke Company

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Patti & Greg

THANK YOU to Phyllis and Dale Webb, plus all of the terrific folks at The Magic Fluke Company, for donating a FIREFLY tenor banjo-ukulele and custom TKL case.

This is a gift to Brian Schreck, MA, MT-BC, honoring how he touches hundreds of patient and family member lives with heartfelt music therapy.

Music therapy does not get any more HEARTFELT than actually incorporating patient HEARTBEATS in the process. Brian’s innovation has been featured by media big and small over the past few years. Adoption by other music therapists is growing. This May 2014 feature at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital shares the heart of it:

What is a FIREFLY banjo-ukulele? One of many creations of The Magic Fluke Co.

The FIREFLY is much like a traditional open-back banjo. Packs distinctive “banjo twang” and “driving rhythm”, yet is strung with nylon strings. Plays with ease and fun of a ukulele. Lighter, easier to hold than a traditional banjo. We donated several SOPRANO size versions of the FIREFLY to hospitals and they are a huge hit. The TENOR size has a longer 17″ scale with 8″ Remo banjo head, steel tone ring, beautiful maple.

The Magic Fluke Company – Sheffield, Massachusetts USA

USA innovation spirit and premium craftsmanship doesn’t get any better than instruments handmade by The Magic Fluke! This family run business in Sheffield, Massachusetts melds creativity, ingenuity and fine workmanship into an expanding line of superb acoustic instruments. CLICK HERE or photo above for an inside glimpse.

Their novel FLEA ukuleles are the heart and soul of True Joy Acoustics. Perfect for players of any ability. Ideal “tools” for supporting music therapy in critical healthcare settings where each one helps hundreds of patients.

Please consider making a contribution to our “Ukuleles for Hospital Music Therapy” campaign on GoFundMe. Soaring past the goal will bring more holistic music therapy to those in critical care settings.

https://www.gofundme.com/ukuleleshospitalMT

Filed under: FUN STRUMS Outreach, Ukulele Inspirations | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

THANK YOU Kathryn Bruno, MT-BC for brightening lives!

Posted on November 26, 2017 by Patti & Greg

Two brand new FLEA ukuleles with cases are being donated to Kathryn Bruno, MT-BC in honor of her music therapy impact at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and her present role at Eating Recovery Center Cincinnati.

Our direct instrument donations (supported by sales proceeds) are not traditionally “counted” toward GoFundMe and sponsorship goals. However, we’re stretching beyond limits to recognize Kathryn’s special impact and collaborative relationship.

Seeing is believing. In this video (May 2011), young Milosh is in ICU awaiting a heart transplant at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. He responds to a music therapy session led by Kathryn, who engages a guitar-strumming nurse and musical mom in the process.

Fast forward 2 years (August 2013), beyond the heart procedure. Milosh is home, enjoying a FLEA ukulele gifted to him in honor of his beaming smile and spirit.

Beyond asserting positive impact on patients and families, Kathryn has a skill of sharing what Music Therapy is all about with the general public. CLICK our prior post where she visits Cincinnati’s local NBC studio to explain her pediatric hospital role. Along with music therapist Mimi Sinclair, Kathryn enages the host in a lively demo.

Since April 2016, Kathryn expanded beyond pediatrics to lead the music therapy program at Eating Recovery Center in Cincinnati. ERC is the nation’s largest network for treating eating disorders; they also treat mood and anxiety disorders.

Emotional coping is involved with any life-threatening disease or physical impairment. Mental health can also pose a “front and center” challenge. Music therapy adds to other interventions to create successful outcomes. Please CLICK and read a blog co-authored by Kathryn, telling how music therapy responds to this mindset:

‘I’m hopeless,’ I sobbed to my therapist, ‘I’m never going to get better’ … I was convinced that nothing was going to change.

Talking openly, becoming aware and seeking helpful interventions for mental health is often blocked by stigma in our culture. We hope this post and Kathryn’s continued music therapy successes help chip away that stigma.

Please consider making a contribution to our “Ukuleles for Hospital Music Therapy” campaign on GoFundMe. Soaring past the goal will bring more holistic music therapy to those in critical care settings.

https://www.gofundme.com/ukuleleshospitalMT

Filed under: FUN STRUMS Outreach, Ukulele Inspirations | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

THANK YOU Rainsong Graphite Guitars

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Patti & Greg

THANK YOU to Rainsong Graphite Guitars for donating their newest model (CH-OM), fully equipped with LR Baggs electronics and hard shell case.

Special thanks to Dave who viewed and shared the innovative music therapy role of Brian Schreck, MA, MT-BC within Rainsong. He secured fast, special case agreement to donate this guitar to Brian and his work at Norton Cancer Institute in Louisville – shipping it cross country with my latest guitar adventure. Love Rainsong guitars!

Rainsong is an innovative USA designer and manufacturer of carbon fiber guitars. Located in Woodinville, WA (Seattle area) which has logging roots, densely wooded neighborhoods, sweeping winery grounds. But not a speck of wood in their guitars!

What is “carbon fiber”? How is it formed into superior acoustic instruments?

Carbon fiber is composed mostly of carbon atoms bonded together at high temperature (up to 2,800°C). Lightweight yet extremely strong, chemically resistant and woven into fabrics. Rainsong blends and layers these fabrics with ingenuity – creating a guitar with stunning tonal properties, classy appearance and lightness. Very comfortable to play. Resilient to swings in temperature and humidity. Musical notes form and flow freely from the guitar’s soundboard and smooth interior since no bracing is required.

In other words: take a premium wood acoustic guitar. Design IN the visual elegance, articulation, tonal balance and sustain of a concert hall piano. Design OUT natural instabilities of glued wood construction (swells, contractions, warps, looseness). Now CROSS IT with the lightweight sleekness of an Indy race car. Voilà!

Why is this guitar well suited for Music Therapy? If you play all day, every day and subject a guitar to rigorous sanitization protocols, the advantages listed above are obvious. A not-so-obvious benefit is a Rainsong guitar’s superb tuning stability since the instrument is not expanding/contracting with changes in room conditions (which causes tuning to drift). Time is spent making live music, not tuning and retuning.

What’s special here is this guitar’s matchup with an innovative Music Therapist. The pioneering work of Brian Schreck is featured in this preview of a heart stirring documentary entitled “The Beat of the Heart”:

 

For more information about Rainsong Graphite Guitars, please visit: www.rainsong.com. You can also see an exceptional review of Rainsong’s CH-OM guitar by Teja Gerken of www.pegheadnation.com:

Play guitar. Play ukulele. And please consider making a contribution to our “Ukuleles for Hospital Music Therapy” campaign on GoFundMe. Reaching and soaring past the goal will bring more holistic music therapy to those in critical care settings.

https://www.gofundme.com/ukuleleshospitalMT

 

Filed under: FUN STRUMS Outreach, Ukulele Inspirations | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Dayton Children’s Hospital – Music Therapy In Action

Posted on November 14, 2017 by Patti & Greg

It was an honor last week to connect area sponsors and support Lindsey Steinbrunner, MT-BC with versatile instruments at Dayton Children’s Hospital. Lindsey is a board certified music therapist and graduate of University of Dayton’s program.

The five donated instruments are ideal “tools” for music therapy. They would not be possible without the generosity of Dayton area sponsors: Together We Fight and Hauer Music. Please click on their names to see, share and support their missions.

Together We Fight provides newly diagnosed cancer patients with colorful totes packed with care items. Hauer Music helps everyone bring music into the world –– offering virtually any musical instrument, accessory and lesson you would want plus a stage.

Dayton Children’s captured the event on their website, along with area news stations:

Lindsey and instrument sponsors also shared their programs via live studio appearance on “Living Dayton” at WDTN (NBC affiliate) – CLICK on photo to watch:

Please consider joining this heartfelt cause. Making a contribution to our “Ukuleles for Hospital Music Therapy” campaign on GoFundMe will bring more holistic care to those in critical care settings:

https://www.gofundme.com/ukuleleshospitalMT

Filed under: FUN STRUMS Outreach, Ukulele Inspirations | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital – Music Therapy In Action

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Patti & Greg

Last May, a Sapphire Blue FLEA ukulele was donated to Maya Charlton, MA, MT-BC and her music therapy team at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. Made possible by generous GoFundMe sponsors. While “basic” ukuleles are used, Maya wanted to try out a FLEA ukulele in her intensive care work given its special features.

Her response below shares what this innovative ukulele can achieve.

“We are so very grateful for your very generous donation of the beautiful ukulele. It has had constant use since it arrived and has brought so much joy and relaxation to patients, families and staff.

I’m attaching pictures of a young patient of ours who was in both intensive care and rehabilitation. In the ICU the ukulele brought him great joy and relaxation in my work with him. His mood was very low, pain management was a big issue.

When he moved to rehabilitation our music therapist, John Mulcahy, MT-BC, continued use with the ukulele to help strengthen his motor skills, motivate him in meeting his physical therapy goals and give him success-based experiences. Today he finally gets to go home, having met all his rehabilitation goals. Thank you again for all you do and having such a positive impact on so many!”

– Maya Charlton, MA, MT-BC, July 2017

Watch and hear the power of this program. Not just described by Maya, but many testimonials from MD’s, RN’s and PT’s. Kathryn Garcia-Rivera sums it up well at 4:20: “When I see kids participating in music therapy, I see them come out of their shell, they lose their fear, and it’s replaced by joy”.

Maya would love to have a larger set of FLEA ukuleles to reach more patients from Oakland, San Francisco and broader California region. Each instrument lasts for years, reaching hundreds of patients. Contact me directly (info@truejoyacoustics.com) or visit GoFundMe page below if you or your organization would like to help.

https://www.gofundme.com/ukuleleshospitalMT

Filed under: FUN STRUMS Outreach, Ukulele Inspirations | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

THANK YOU “Together We Fight” in Dayton, OH

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Patti & Greg

THANK YOU to Together We Fight for sponsoring a colorful set of THREE concert FLEA ukuleles for the new music therapy program at Dayton Children’s Hospital.

Together We Fight is a Dayton based foundation started by the families of Ally Barnett and Caulin Booher. Both children successfully battled leukemia at Dayton Children’s.

What’s it like to be a child receiving a cancer diagnosis and life saving interventions? How does it feel as their parents or sibling? Caulin Booher and his family provide an inspirational glimpse in the hospital website’s Patient Story and video:

Together We Fight supports kids diagnosed with cancer via gift bags packed with ample supplies: pillow pets, gas cards, parking tokens, gift cards, games, other items for a long hospital stay. They send a powerful message: you’re not alone, we’re in this together. Follow on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TogetherWeFightCancer/) to see and help their fundraising.

We share a similar mission of togetherness. FLEA ukuleles donated via True Joy Acoustics weave a heartfelt MUSICAL connection among patients, families, therapists, purchasers, sponsors and broader community.

Music therapy started May 2017 at Dayton Children’s main campus. Lindsey Steinbrunner, MT-BC packs a 3-day schedule serving up to 15 patients (going basis) in their rooms using a basic instrument set. FLEA ukuleles will boost the hospital’s music therapy capability and joy.

Each FLEA ukulele can reach hundreds of patients in the years ahead given their ease of play, durability, resilience to sanitization procedures. They are central to our hospital donation concept (i.e., instruments well suited for Music Therapy sessions AND loaning to patients for 24/7 therapeutic play) at leading pediatric hospitals since 2009.

Please consider joining this heartfelt cause. Making a contribution to our “Ukuleles for Hospital Music Therapy” campaign on GoFundMe will bring more holistic care to those in critical care settings:

https://www.gofundme.com/ukuleleshospitalMT

Filed under: FUN STRUMS Outreach, Ukulele Inspirations | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

THANK YOU Hauer Music in Centerville, OH

Posted on October 14, 2017 by Patti & Greg

THANK YOU to Jim Hauer of HAUER MUSIC for donating a premium Little Martin guitar and case to the new music therapy program at Dayton Children’s Hospital. Not the standard model: Martin’s beautiful Hawaiian KOA pattern!

True Joy Acoustics originated its hospital donation concept (i.e., instruments well suited for Music Therapy sessions AND loaning to patients for 24/7 therapeutic play) at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 2009 with a Little Martin guitar. Instant patient thrills, versatile music therapy “tool”.

When I discovered the recent startup of music therapy at Dayton Children’s and mentioned it to Jim, he instantly responded with “I’d love to help out the music therapy cause for Dayton area families”. Then he offered up this superb instrument. Wow!

Have you seen Ed Sheeran perform with his Little Martin? Phenomenal one-man show with guitar, looper pedal and incredible vocal artistry! Equally impressive is how this young star shares his time off stage. Check out this fresh video of Ed with patients inside the Seacrest Studio at Boston Children’s Hospital:

Music therapy started May 2017 at Dayton Children’s main campus. Lindsey Steinbrunner, MT-BC packs a 3-day schedule serving up to 15 patients (going basis) in their rooms using a basic instrument set. The addition of this guitar, along with other premium instrument donations, will boost the hospital’s music therapy capability and joy.

Can you imagine being a child stuck in the hospital? Yet feeling the thrill of jamming along with or playing a Little Martin similar to what Ed Sheeran plays on stage? And all the while, not being mindful of where you are and why? This instrument is exceptionally durable and will reach hundreds of patients in the years ahead.

Hauer Music (www.hauermusic.com) is an easy reach for broader Dayton/Cincinnati metro area. Their large showroom, lesson studio and performance stage is situated in the heart of Centerville, Ohio, just minutes from the Dayton Mall, Interstates 75 and 675, State Routes 725 and 48 and historic downtown Centerville at 528 Miamisburg Centerville Road. Only 20 minutes north of Cincinnati Premium Outlets mall in Monroe.

There’s good reason Hauer Music is celebrating 80 years of existence. Jim is the third generation owner. He stocks virtually every instrument you and family members want to play, plus all the accessories and lessons you’d ever need for exceptional musicianship. CLICK HERE to see their impressive lineup of instructors. This guitar donation exemplifies how they impact the broader wellbeing of the community by supporting pediatric hospital music therapy.

Beyond visiting Hauer Music, please consider making a contribution to our “Ukuleles for Hospital Music Therapy” campaign on GoFundMe.

https://www.gofundme.com/ukuleleshospitalMT

Reaching the goal will bring more holistic music therapy to those in critical care settings.

Filed under: FUN STRUMS Outreach, Musicianship Inspirations | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Next Page »

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 30 other subscribers

  • Join us on Facebook

    Join us on Facebook