LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 12/09/11 -- On December 12, 2011, Children's Music Fund (CMF) will help bring some much-needed magic to the children in White Memorial Medical Center's Cleft Palate program. CMF, in partnership with CoachArt, is sponsoring interactive children's activities and entertainment at the medical center's annual Christmas party. Many of the young participants in the Cleft Palate program are enduring ongoing medical treatment, which can have a debilitating effect on the children and their families.
"An important part of the mission of Children's Music Fund is to provide music therapy for children with life-altering illnesses," says Raffi Tachdijian, MD, MPH, President and Founder of CMF. "Hospital outreach events like the one at White Memorial Medical Center are important to help us reach every child who's sick with one-to-one music therapy. At least through these events, we can bring the healing power of music to a large group through performance and interactive music making. Even just an hour of live music is a good thing."
CMF has also arranged for musician Michael Jade to do a special holiday performance for the children. Jade, who was in the top 40 on Season 10 of "American Idol," has recorded with John Mayer, Eddie Bayers, and Tedd T. He also works as a part-time music teacher/therapist for teens with mental and social disabilities.
To help fulfill the medical center's "holiday wish list," CMF is donating a variety of musical instruments, including keyboards, acoustic guitars, hand drums, rainsticks and shakers. The medical center will use the instruments to start a pediatric music therapy program for the Cleft Palate Program and General Pediatrics.
"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. We really believe in the work we are doing with these kids," said CMF's Chairman of the Board of Directors, Michael M. Babikian, JD, LLM, MBA. Mr. Babikian is also the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Transamerica Insurance & Investment Group.
About the 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 effects of music therapy. Through its community outreach programs, CMF serves children with a wide range of chronic and life threatening medical conditions and developmental disabilities, including cancer, hemophilia, cerebral palsy, juvenile arthritis, leukemia, muscular dystrophy, cleft palate, juvenile diabetes, cystic fibrosis and autism.
If you would like more information about CMF, please contact Cecily Lerner at (310) 428-0589 or cecily@thecmf.org.
For more information about the White Memorial Medical Center Christmas Party, please contact Alicia Gonzalez at (818) 800-3113 or gonzala1@ah.org.
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Children's Music Fund
1301 20th Street, Suite 220
Santa Monica, CA 90404
www.theCMF.org
Contact:
Cecily Lerner
cecily@thecmf.org
(310) 428-0589 (office)
(818) 271-9873 (cell)