Miss Kathy the Music Therapist Doll with Miniatures Fundraiser
Anyone that follows Bear Paw Creek, knows that I have been creating and crafting ever since I was a young child. While I enjoy my Bear Paw Creek sewing, I often have what I call a "fun sewing project" in mind that I am planning. Usually this is a gift or something I want to make for someone else. One of those projects through the years has been Barbie or Ken clothes. I have also tackled making doll tents, sleeping bags, etc. Well...during one of those sewing sessions I had this thought of making miniature versions of our creative movement products.
A miniature stretchy band, bean bags, balloon balls....and there went my imagination running away! Of course, the practical side of me thought of all those little miniature movement props laying around collecting dust with no purpose. Then, the idea came to make a music therapist "Barbie" with the tools of the trade for a fundraiser. Once I told my sister, the ideas went flying!
We are excited to announce what we have quietly been working on for the last few months. We look forward to having some fun this month showcasing the field of Music Therapy and also hope to raise money for a great organization that supports music therapists, The Ukulele Kids Club!
Miss Kathy the Music Therapist with Miniatures
We decided to model our music therapist "barbie" on my sister, Kathy Schumacher of Tuneful Teaching! Our first catalog of Bear Paw Creek products came from her direct need for them.
The music therapist set will include the following:
Check out our music therapy fashion doll, complete with miniature movement props, instruments, and books....a fundraiser for Ukulele Kids Club Share on X
Ukulele Kids Club
While we have had fun creating a miniature music therapist, our main goal is to be able to spread music therapy awareness and raise funds for the Ukulele Kids Club. The UKC is an international charity that has helped thousands of children around the world to overcome the stress, anxiety and health challenges of serious physical and mental health conditions. This hits close to home as one of our daughters is a childhood cancer survivor. You can read a bit about how music therapy eased our time in the hospital in this post. Here are some more details about the UKC:
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. Its mission was, and remains, to support music therapy for hospitalized children, by giving children a ukulele to use during their hospital stay, and to keep when they go home. Each year, the UKC delivers thousands of ukuleles, to a growing network of more than 200 hospitals in the U.S. and in North America, Europe and Asia.
Music Therapy Awareness and Bonus Donations
We are also excited to announce that we will be featuring music therapists on the blog for the month of March. They will be sharing about what they do/specialize in, how it benefits their clients and the importance of it. They have also included some bonus "life size" products, not miniature, for the winner to utilize!
