In 2003, a non-profit 501(c)3 "Healing Notes" was founded by Allison Tartari, a mother of four who experienced the benefits of music therapy first hand when her newborn son was struggling for his life as a result of a blood disorder. After observing a dramatic improvement in the condition of another infant in the neonatal unit after several days of music therapy, Allison advocated for the use of music therapy for her son and soon saw his condition improve as well. Seeing a definite need and opportunity to bring music therapy into the hospitals of San Diego, Healing Notes provided its first funding in the Hematology/Oncology ward of Rady Children's Hospital. Early 2010, Healing Notes began the process to merge with Resounding Joy. Both Executive Directors agreed that the best way to reach the most people was to combine resources.

The purpose of Resounding Joy's Healing Notes program is to use music therapy as a means to improve the cognitive, physical, psychological and social well-being of children and families facing difficult and seemingly unmanageable healthcare issues within hospital settings. Resounding Joy facilitates music therapy with children at Rady Children's Hospital in the hematology and oncology units. Music is soothing, motivating, and normalizes the environment for the patients and their families. And thanks to the Ariana Fund, Resounding Joy will be providing therapy services to hospitalized children suffering from cardiac diseases residing in the pediatric intensive care units (PICU) starting January, 2011.

In 2010, Resounding Joy's staff completed the certification process needed to provide music therapy services in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). Healing Notes is in the process of connecting with several hospital NICU's throughout San Diego County.

Premature infants are extremely fragile with many beginning their treatment at a basic survival level. Handling and interaction can be harmful to their care and must be carefully designed to promote the medical and developmental goals of treatment in the NICU, especially when adding non-essential stimuli such as music. Evidence-based music therapy treatment in this most critical setting is based on information about the needs of the infants, medical and developmental goals of NICU care, and music therapy protocols documented in refereed research literature (Florida State University 2009).

Music Therapy protocols are implemented with infants 30 weeks gestational age or more to improve their tolerance for stimulation and how to self-regulate to avoid over-stimulation. Premature babies experience intense visual, auditory, and tactile stimulation which fetuses are only supposed to experience at a lesser intensity from the comfort and safety of their mother's womb. An infant's brain development pauses every time the premature baby 'startles' from over-stimulation of sights, sounds, touch that it is not meant to otherwise endure at that stage of development. The therapists are trained within this developmental model to monitor the infants for signs of over-stimulation as well as oxygen saturation and respiratory rates. Research has shown that this procedure can result in decreased length of hospitalization for up to 11 days for female infants and 4 days for males in the intensive care unit. Studies also show decreased stress behaviors, increased daily weight gain, and more active, appropriate parent involvement while handling their premature babies.

Evidence-based Benefits of NICU MT:
• Increases self-regulatory behaviors – opportunity for habituation
• Reduces infant stress behaviors
• Improves respiratory rates
• Increases oxygen saturation rates
• Promotes non-nutritive sucking (necessary skill for feeding)
• Accelerates weight gain
• Diverts attention from daily noise in the NICU (beeping, voices, etc.)
• Provides introduction to language & information through lullabies
• Encourages appropriate parent-infant bonding

For more information: The National Institute for Infant and Child Medical Music Therapy.

Over the years, Joy Giver volunteers brought evening recreational music-making opportunities for patients' families residing at Ronald McDonald House once a month. They provided instruments, sing-alongs, soothing background music, and a safe environment for anyone to unwind, relax, and play. Resounding Joy is currently re-building its connection with the facility to offer a variety of services from supportive and recreational music experiences to music therapy sessions.