Music Therapy Tools for Mental Healthcare

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

THANK YOU to The Magic Fluke Company

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