Jared Bergman Fellowship in Music Therapy
Lakeland, FL | Jul 12, 2018
Ukulele Kids Club, Inc. Introduces First-Ever Jared Bergman Fellowship in Music Therapy at Riley Hospital for Children
Program to Expand Music Therapy Interventions for Inpatient Children at Leading Indiana Hospital
In addition to donating its namesake instruments to music therapy programs at hundreds of hospitals in the United States and abroad, the Ukulele Kids Club, Inc. (UKC) now expands its support of music therapy with the first-ever Jared Bergman Fellowship. The inaugural Fellowship provides $10,000 in funding for a music therapy fellow at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Ind. The Riley Cheer Guild provides financial support for music therapy programs at the Riley Hospital for Children and will match the UKC’s donation. The announcement of the Fellowship was made today by Corey Bergman, founder of the UKC.
“Every day we see the significant positive changes that music therapy can bring to children with critical health conditions,” said Stephanie Epstein, MM, MT-BC, vice president/director of music therapy for UKC. “We are proud to support music therapy programs with the gift of instruments for music therapists to use during sessions with children in support of their therapeutic goals. Now, with the Jared Bergman Fellowship at Riley, we are thrilled to actively assist in expanding music therapy programs.”
The Jared Bergman Fellowship is a pledge of $10,000, to be matched by the Riley Cheer Guild for a total of $20,000 to fund a Jared Bergman Fellow music therapist at Riley Hospital for Children. The Fellowship will run throughout 2019. Riley Hospital for Children was the first hospital partner to receive ukuleles from the UKC.
Founded in 2013, the UKC has donated more than 6,000 ukuleles to music therapy programs at children’s hospitals in the U.S. and internationally. Children use the ukuleles as part of their therapy during hospitalization, and may keep the ukuleles after their release. Once back home, children can use the ukulele to pursue a love of music as well as long-term therapy goals.
Riley Hospital for Children is one of the top sites in the U.S. for pediatric health research and delivers world-class pediatric healthcare to more than 215,000 patients each year. The hospital is ranked among the nation’s best hospitals in all 10 pediatric specialties, and is the only nationally ranked children’s hospital in Indiana.
Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions. Board-certified music therapists create therapy plans designed for each patient, based on individualized needs and goals. Among the goals of music therapy interventions are: well-being, stress management, pain reduction, physical rehabilitation, enhanced memory, and many other therapeutic goals.
