Children’s Music Fund adds music therapy researcher Joy Allen to board

Children’s Music Fund has named Joy Allen, PhD, MT-BC, to its Board of Directors as the nonprofit begins a yearlong run-up to its 25th anniversary in 2027. The move brings a leading music-and-health researcher onto the board as CMF looks to expand its pediatric care, research and access mission.

Why it matters: - Joy Allen’s board seat adds a high-profile research voice to Children’s Music Fund as the nonprofit pushes to make music therapy a standard part of pediatric care. - CMF is entering a year of milestones ahead of its 25th anniversary in 2027, with planned attention on research, program growth and family stories. - Nearly one in three American children lives with a chronic health condition, raising the need for interventions that can support pain relief, coping and quality of life.

What happened: - Children’s Music Fund announced that Joy Allen, PhD, MT-BC, has joined its Board of Directors. - Allen is chair of the Music Therapy Department and founding and acting director of the Music and Health Institute at Berklee College of Music. - CMF said Allen’s appointment is one of the first milestones in a yearlong celebration launching in September 2026 and building toward the organization’s 25th anniversary in 2027. - CMF said the celebration will include new research, program milestones and stories from CMF Kids.

The details: - Allen co-founded the first open-access national research repository dedicated to music and health. - Allen also co-founded the Berklee Music and Health Institute Research Collection, a repository that organizes decades of scientific research on music and health under a purpose-built taxonomy. - Allen has more than 25 years of experience in music and health across healthcare, higher education and public health. - Allen has developed and led clinical programs and partnerships. - Allen has served in regional leadership roles and on multiple national committees within the American Music Therapy Association. - Allen is a frequent invited presenter at national and international conferences. - Allen is editor of Guidelines for Music Therapy Practice: Adult Medical Care. - Allen has authored book chapters on oncology and pain management. - Raffi Tachdjian, MD, MPH, founder and president of Children’s Music Fund and an associate professor of pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said Allen has spent her career building the research base that supports music therapy as clinical care. - Tachdjian said Allen’s addition adds credibility and momentum as CMF works toward its 25th anniversary. - Allen said the gap between evidence and access leaves children behind. - Allen said the next step is to understand outcomes that matter most for children and families and use that knowledge to strengthen care, expand access and build lasting programs. - Allen said music therapy can support comfort, coping, connection and quality of life for children facing life-altering illness. - Children’s Music Fund says it has delivered more than 15,000 fully funded music therapy sessions to children and families across the country. - CMF connects eligible children and young adults to board-certified music therapists who provide personalized treatment plans at home and in hospitals. - CMF also conducts and sponsors research on integrating music with medicine. - CMF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a member of the American Music Therapy Association. - CMF supports children with chronic conditions or life-altering illnesses including cancer, blood disorders, lung, heart and kidney disease, autism, rare diseases and immune deficiencies.

Between the lines: - CMF is pairing a fundraising and awareness milestone with a board appointment that reinforces its scientific credibility. - The organization is framing music therapy as healthcare infrastructure, not an optional support service. - Allen’s research background and CMF’s delivery model point to a strategy that ties evidence generation to direct clinical access.

What's next: - CMF plans to continue its yearlong celebration through 2027. - The nonprofit says the campaign will highlight additional research, program milestones and family stories. - CMF is directing supporters to theCMF.org for more information and support.

The bottom line: - CMF is using a major board addition to sharpen its argument that music therapy should be a routine part of pediatric care, especially for children facing chronic or life-altering illness.