May 11, 2018 | Press Coverage
Children’s Music Fund Awarded Grant by the Water Buffalo Club to Help Children at Local Hospitals
Funding Creates Five Customized, State-of-the-Art Music Carts Equipped with Child-Friendly Instruments & a Mobile Recording Studio for Music Therapy Sessions; White Memorial Medical Center First Receipt of Co-sponsored Custom Music Cart
LOS ANGELES May 07, 2018-Los Angeles-based Children’s Music Fund, a leading national children’s music therapy charity, has been awarded funding by The Water Buffalo Club, a charitable organization dedicated to fostering the well-being of underserved and at-risk children in Los Angeles, for five customized music carts to support in-hospital music therapy sessions for underserved and chronically-ill children at their bedside or in group sessions. White Memorial Medical Center will be the first of five hospitals in Greater Los Angeles to have a co-sponsored cart available for music therapy sessions.
“In support of our mission, Children’s Music Fund was selected for its dedication and devotion in serving children in need throughout Los Angeles. The Water Buffalo Club offers grants twice a year; it’s a very competitive process, and we are proud to be partnering with Children’s Music Fund. Engaging hospitalize children to make music at five additional hospitals, giving families a sense of comfort and children a sense of joy, is truly the gift. Children’s Music Fund creates these opportunities” said Shelly Wood, Executive Director, The Water Buffalo Club.
The customized music carts will be used by certified music therapists from Children’s Music Fund during a child’s hospital stay. Session recordings are made and then uploaded to a Cloud-service, providing convenient accessibility by the child and family-members during times of illness and setbacks. Listening to these professional-quality recordings continues the benefits of music therapy sessions and empowers sick children to overcome their challenges through music-making and self-expression.
“We are very grateful and thank the Water Buffalo Club for its support. Over the last seven years, White Memorial has demonstrated its commitment to serving the underprivileged and at-risk pediatric population in the greater LA area,” said Dr. Raffi Tachdjian, Children’s Music Fund Founder and President. “These carts will help raise awareness to the healing powers of music and provide sick children with an opportunity to express themselves through music therapy.”
About The Water Buffalo Club
As Big Kids Helping Little Kids, the Water Buffalo Club is a charitable organization dedicated to providing time and financial support to smaller children’s charities while hosting events that foster well-being for under-served children in the Los Angeles community. Since its introduction in 1989, the organization hosted more than 300 different members and supported over 250 organizations by providing over $4,500,000 in funding. Each year, the WBC members select organizations that align with their “silver bullet” or capital items that will last beyond their giving.
About the Children’s Music Fund
Children’s Music Fund (CMF) provides music therapy and musical instruments to kids with chronic or life-altering illnesses, such as different forms of cancer, blood disorders, lung/heart/kidney disease, autism, and immune-deficiencies to help improve their quality of life. Engaging children in music therapy helps reduce pain, fear, and anxiety, and provides a much needed distraction from their conditions. CMF connects eligible patients to board-certified music therapists who provide a personalized treatment plan at home and in-hospitals, gifts musical instruments to our patients, as well as supports and conducts research on music therapy to further innovate the field and work to integrate music with medicine. 501©(3) nonprofit organization. Learn more at http://www.theCMF.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.