
Volunteer Jackson Smood plays hall music at Randall Children’s Hospital (Portland, Oregon).
December 24, 2019
For nearly 25 years, MyMusicRx has delivered joy-based music programming to kids of all ages and diagnoses at pediatric hospitals. MyMusicRx’s bedside and online programs relieve stress, anxiety, and perception of pain for hospitalized kids. Engaging musical experiences include live, in-hospital concerts; one-on-one bedside music lessons and performances; online music lessons, games, and exclusive artist content. The flagship program of Children’s Cancer Association, MyMusicRx is provided free of charge and is available to anyone.
Guest
I have the pleasure today of doing an in-person interview, on location in Portland Oregon, with the Children’s Cancer Association (CCA). I have two guests with me today: Danielle York, President and General Manager at CCA; and Maura Boyce, Senior Director of Programs at CCA.
MyMusicRx Backgrounder
- (UPDATE 3/8/21: MyMusicRx has been re-named JoyRx Music)
- For nearly 25 years, MyMusicRx, has delivered Joy-based music programming to seriously ill kids and teens at pediatric hospitals.
- CCA’s bedside and online MyMusicRx programs engage hospitalized kids with tailored, one-on-one music experiences, relieving stress, anxiety, and perception of pain.
- MyMusicRx’s trained music specialists engage hospitalized kids of all ages and diagnoses, playing music for and with them and their families.
- Their state-of-the-art music carts are stocked with teaching quality instruments for kids to explore, and tablets loaded with music, games, and lessons.
- The program extends online at MyMusicRx.org with exclusive artist performances, games, and music lessons.
- MyMusicRx.org is available to more than 8,000 kids in children’s hospitals across the nation.
- Live, in-hospital concerts complete the MyMusicRx experience.
- CCA’s goal is to place MyMusicRx in 250 children’s hospitals and medical centers by the year 2025.
- Bedstock is the first and only online music festival where artists play from bed for sick kids stuck in theirs. It helps raise funds for Children’s Cancer Association and our flagship MyMusicRx program that brings the healing power of music to hospitalized kids across the country.
- At CCA, we believe all kids deserve long, wonderful lives. Or at the very least, short, wonderful lives. That’s why our programs leverage music, nature, friendship, and resources to create transformative moments of joy for families facing cancer and other serious illnesses.
- CCA’s award winning, free-of-charge services are made possible with the generous support of individuals in the music industry, and donors and brand partners, including Nike, Converse, and Sonos.
Improv
MyMusicRx’s music lessons are free-of-charge and available to anyone; Maura encourages listeners to utilize the lessons to learn to play an instrument, such as the ukulele, to experience firsthand the impact of music and playing music.
Connect
- Website: JoyRx.org and JoyRx Music
- Facebook: Facebook.com/ChildrensCancerAssociation and @JoyRxMusic
- Twitter: @CCAJoyRx and @joyrxmusic
- Instagram: @CCAJoyRx and @joyrxmusic
- YouTube: YouTube.com/MyMusicRx
Coda
Maura shares her personal experience showcasing how music medicine helped her as a seriously ill teenager. CCCA also shares with us the audio from a couple of their “MyMusicRx-clusives:” Q&A with Billie Eilish and Jason Aldean! (View these videos – and more – on MyMusicRx’s home page.)