CINCINNATI — Local grade school students are providing financial support to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s music therapy program.
Friday, students at Immaculate Heart of Mary Elementary School presented a check for more than $6,000 to Melody Makers Music, a nonprofit that supports the music therapy program.
“The kids who are raising the money for melody makers are making a difference in individual people’s lives and families here at the hospital,” said Children’s music therapist Alli Payonk.
“We just want to express a really big thank you to all the kids who raised so much money to bring more music therapy to the patients and their families at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital,” said music therapist Brittany Knapp. “We continue to be able to provide music therapy because of generous donations, and we can’t wait to see what else we’re able to do and bring music therapy to because of your donation.”
Knapp and Payonk are part of a team of therapists working out of the main branch of the hospital in Clifton. Patients who aren’t healthy enough to make a visit to the music studio get a visit from a therapist in their rooms. They have carts equipped with all kinds of instruments.
“Everything from pianos, percussion, guitars, ukeleles, you name it, we can likely bring it,” Knapp said.
She’s getting good reviews from 11-year-old patient Michael Chapman.
“She’s awesome. One of my favorite therapies is music,” Michael said.
Payonk loves seeing a patient light up making music.
“When I pull out a guitar, the whole mood of the room changes,” she said. “That patient who was just upset is now really interested and really intrigued and knows this is different from what they usually do in the hospital.”
“We kind of follow their lead and it’s one of the few things where they are in complete control of what it looks like, how we move it and how we use it. And that is so powerful in a setting where they have so many choices taken away from them,” Knapp said.
They’re able to help even more patients because of support from Melody Makers Music, named after a little girl who received music therapy from their team during her short life.
“It has been such a difference because of the doors that have been opened because of Melody Makers,” Payonk said. “I couldn’t count how many patients and families just in the last year and gotten to see them through short stays and long stays in the hospital.”
So far, Melody Makers Music has raised more than $117,000 for the music therapy program.
"Having the school support us has been a true blessing," said Katie Mchugh, Melody's mother, who founded the non-profit and also teaches at the school. "Immaculate Heart of Mary is a special community that feels like family."
The hospital has posted a link to the charitable fund on its website.