Our Story

Using Music To Cope

In 2013, Corey Bergman, a life-long musician, began volunteering at local hospitals in Miami, Florida as a way of coping with the tragic loss of his son, Jared. As he played guitar for young patients and their families, he says, “I could plainly see that the act of listening to and playing music, and holding an instrument, has a deep positive effect on a child. All the anxiety and fear of the hospital just fades away and this kid becomes a kid again.

Then, two developments quickly brought the future UKC sharply into focus. First, Corey connected with music therapists at Miami Children’s Hospital, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, and others, and gained exposure to the field of music therapy. Through music therapy, certified professionals help patients use music to achieve clinical goals, which in the case of young children might include lowering anxiety and stress, improving vital signs, and a multitude of other results. Second, the simplicity and small size of the ukulele made it seem like the ideal vehicle for music therapy with even the smallest patients. In 2014, Corey and his wife Edda incorporated the UKC. Our mission was, and remains, to support medically fragile children by gifting them a ukulele to use during their hospital stay and to keep when they go home. Each year, we deliver thousands of ukuleles, to a growing network of more than 300 music programs in the U.S. and in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia that are working with vulnerable children.

Meet Our Founders

Corey Bergman

Founder | Director

Corey Bergman founded the Ukulele Kids Club Inc. in 2014 . In his TEDx Coconut Grove talk “Music Heals“, Corey explains how music helps and inspires, even in the toughest times.
Watch “Music Heals” on YouTube

Edda Bergman

Founder

Senior Manager, Talent Business Advisor for Deloitte Services LP, retired.

National Board Of Directors

Our board members are the fiduciaries who steer Ukulele Kids Club Inc. towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, as well as making sure that we have adequate resources to advance our mission.

Tom Bales

Board Chairman

President Symbiosis Foundation

Henry Ristuccia

Treasurer

Venture Capitalist, Business Advisor, Risk Management Leader

Samuel Borbor-Sawyer

Secretary

Attorney, Phillips Lytle LLP

Connie Ryan

Director

Registered Nurse RN, BSN
TEDx Organizer Volunteer

Jay Lichty

Director

Luthier, Lichty Guitars

Ann Hannan

Director

Director, Riley Cheer Guild and Music Therapy MT-BC Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health Affiliate Faculty, Charles Warren Fairbanks Center for Medical Ethics