August 8, 2014 | Blogs and News
CHILDREN’S MUSIC FUND ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
LOS ANGELES, CA (August 5, 2014) – Children’s Music Fund (CMF) excitedly announces the appointment of its new Executive Director Lesley Holmes. Ms. Holmes will lead the organization in its efforts to provide musical instruments and music therapy to children, adolescents and young adults with chronic conditions and life altering illnesses. Holmes is an enthusiastic professional, with both health care and non-profit experience. Holmes has spent the last 5 years as a patient advocate in the health care field while maintaining philanthropic ties to the non-profit charity that she founded for the children at Gardner Street School where she created and opened the Michael Jackson Music Education Lab. Holmes also organized community wide events to celebrate the School’s 100 year anniversary and promote various arts, music, community and educational projects. Holmes specializes in community outreach and building relationships with community leaders, to better the lives of children.
Chairman of the Board, Ara Oghoorian, CFA, CFP said, “We are very excited to have Lesley as our new Executive Director. Lesley brings enthusiasm and experience which will be instrumental in helping the CMF reach more children who can benefit from music therapy.” Mr. Oghoorian is also CEO and President of ACap Asset Management, Inc. in Encino, CA.
Holmes said,”I am super excited to be joining the CMF team – it combines two of my life’s greatest passions: kids and music, I need music everyday; I cannot wait to help bring its magic to kids who need it the most!” Holmes is a Graduate of University of Southern California (BS Gerontology) and is also a licensed RCFE administrator. She has used music to help customize activity programs for older adults in residential facilities suffering from various types and degrees of dementia. She is the founder of Friends of Gardnerville a 501(c)(3) organization in Hollywood and a mother of two very musical girls. She lives in Hollywood with her daughters Sienna and Nya.
CMF, which was established in 2002 by Dr. Raffi Tachdjian, an allergist and pediatric pain specialist, and current president of CMF. Dr. Tachdjian was inspired by his teenage patient, Justin who had failed multiple experimental protocols for treatment of his bone cancer. Finding him expressionless, Dr. Tachdjian gave up on his notepad to focus on the one thing that seemed to excite his patient – MUSIC! “An important part of the mission of Children’s Music Fund is to provide music therapy for children with life-altering illnesses,” says Dr. Tachdjian. “Music therapy can have a big impact on children who are hospitalized or suffering from serious illnesses because it helps them build the confidence and positive attitude they need to get them through their difficult struggle.” “We are excited to welcome Lesley Holmes as an experienced Executive Director who will help guide CMF to access more children to the powerful healing effects of Music Therapy,“ says Dr. Tachdjian.
About the Children’s Music Fund
CMF is a Los Angeles based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide musical instruments and music therapy to infants, children, adolescents, and young adults with chronic conditions and life-altering illnesses, and to support research on the effects of music therapy. Through its community outreach programs, CMF serves children with a wide range of chronic and life threatening medical conditions and developmental disabilities, including cancer, hemophilia, cerebral palsy, juvenile arthritis, leukemia, muscular dystrophy, cleft palate, juvenile diabetes, cystic fibrosis and autism.
Contact: Lesley Holmes (310) 428-0589 edcmf@thecmf.org