Our Mission
Children’s Music Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to bringing Music Therapy into the lives of sick children to help overcome pain, fear and anxiety.
Our Story Begins with Justin
Based in Los Angeles, Children’s Music Fund serves at a national and local level with primary focus on Southern California patients and hospitals. Dr. Raffi Tachdjian (allergist & pediatric pain specialist) founded the organization in 2002, after he was inspired by a patient during his pediatric residency at Massachusetts General Hospital.
That patient, Justin, was a guitar virtuoso, but had basically given up on life when he failed his last round of experimental treatment for bone cancer. As a musician himself, Dr. Tachdjian understood the therapeutic benefits of music and when Dr. Tachdjian saw Justin’s dismay, he knew that music had to be the focus of his treatment. After not finding any instruments in the hospital, Dr. Tachdjian went out of his way to buy Justin a guitar to facilitate this treatment. From that moment on, he was determined to raise funds to purchase musical instruments and later to provide Music Therapy, healing through music one child at a time.
At the Heart of CMF – Helping Sick Children
Every child is a precious. When they are diagnosed with a serious medical condition, they need help and their families need support. Normal routines no longer exist, isolation, fear and waiting for test results fill the days. Sounds in a hospital are typically hushed voices, beeping of monitors, the squeaking wheels of a hospital bed going down the hallway, or worse, silence.
How do you counter that environment? How do you help a child talk about their feelings and understand what is happening? Children’s Music Fund is here to offer assistance by focusing on the mental well-being of the child through Music Therapy – restoring joy and laughter, singing and playing of instruments, teaching coping mechanisms, alleviating pain-levels, and so much more. Everyday, we are dedicated to helping that sick child on a journey to a better quality of life.
Since 2002, Children’s Music Fund has provided approximately 10,000 fully-funded Music Therapy sessions.
Medical Conditions of Our CMF Kids
Children’s Music Fund serves infants, children, teenagers, and young people, our CMF Kids, affected by a wide range of life-altering medical conditions (partial list below). Far too often, these conditions have lasting consequences for these young patients.
- Autism
- Blood disorders
- Cancer (multiple types)
- Immune-deficiencies
- Lung/heart/kidney disease
- Rare diseases
Music Therapy Taught By Music Therapist
We maintain a network of carefully screened, board-certified Music Therapists (MT-BC), who provide Music Therapy sessions for patients enrolled in our program or benefit from our in-hospital care services. Our MT-BCs focus on the pain, fear, and anxiety associated with hospitalization, medical procedures and disease. We follow the practices and standards established by the American Music Therapy Association.
Gifting Instruments
It is our intent to fulfill every request received for a musical instrument to help a sick child. Requests are received from hospitals, doctors, families, and Music Therapists to assist a young patient. The asks that are most touching are those we receive directly from a child. Since 2002, Children’s Music Fund has gifted musical instruments to kids in nine states. Learn how you can gift an instrument to help a child.
Research Commitment
Children’s Music Fund conducts and supports quantitative research on the effects of Music Therapy through the sessions we sponsor or through participation in other defined studies. Findings may be published for the advancement of this field and/or used to improve methodologies for future treatment options.