Resounding Joy Inc.

Resounding Joy's Healing Notes program addresses the physical, psychological, and social well-being of young children and families facing healthcare issues within hospital setting and in the community. Our goal is to facilitate positive experiences that will contribute to the child’s (and family’s) overall progression of health and quality of life. Research shows that music therapy can not only help reduce health risks for babies and children, but also assist in their cognitive development. Music therapy has been shown to: • Improve oxygen saturation; • Stabilize heart and respiratory rates; • Increase tolerance for stimulation (multi-modal, auditory, visual); • Reduce stress and pain; • Encourage and support cognitive stimulation; and • Reduce hospital stays by an average of five days. RJoy’s exemplary Healing Notes program staff including board-certified music therapists offer music therapy programs to assist in pre- and post-surgery support, procedural assistance, and vital sign regulations. Healing Notes provides support, structure, expressive outlets, positive reinforcement of the family dynamic, transitional support from hospital to home and back for ill youth, and bereavement services for mourning families.

Resounding Joy’s Mindful Music program brings the joy of music to seniors in day programs, assisted living, and memory care facilities throughout the greater San Diego area. This is Resounding Joy's longest-running program, and annually reaches over 500 seniors through direct music therapy services and through Mindful Music's trained volunteer corps, Joy Givers. Therapists and Joy Givers provide seniors with social music experiences, helping improve quality of life by fostering physical wellbeing and healthy attitudes, enriching mind, body, and spirit. Activities are tailored to the ability of each individual, and seniors are lead through drumming circles, singing, and song-making. Therapists and Joy Givers feature songs from the 1930s-1950s, traditional American folk songs, and requests.

Semper Sound is a Resounding Joy music therapy program devoted to working directly with military service members and veterans diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), substance abuse, and other physical and psychological diagnoses related to Military stress and trauma. The Semper Fi Fund provided initial support of the Semper Sound on-base program and continues ongoing support of qualified military personnel injured in post-911 combat, training, or who are coping with a life-threatening illness. The Wounded Warrior Project generously funded Semper Sound™ with development grants in 2012 and 2013. The program is continuously supported by the generous contributions of individual donors and local sponsors.

Resounding Joy’s Sound Minds program uses music therapy techniques to encourage the use of music for development and bonding between teen parents and their young children (age 3 and younger) within California School Age Families Education (Cal-SAFE) high school infant centers. Research shows that the first five years of a child’s life are critical to his or her future academic and social success. Children of teenage parents are at-risk for developmental and behavioral delays that can be enriched through increasing positive, nurturing interactions. Our goal is to help teenagers learn to be engaged parents and enhance their children’s pre-academic, motor, and social skills. Sounds Minds is designed to help at-risk babies’ healthy development while promoting parenting and bonding skills. We encourage and train young parents to be advocates for their own and their children’s academic success. This is made possible by using interactive group songs and musical interventions that can later be used by the families at home. Music therapy is proven effective in maintaining a child’s interest and attention while addressing several goals at once, including improved balance and motor skills, enhanced pre-reading and writing skills, reduced behavior problems, and increased socially appropriate behavior.