The fourth annual Isaac’s Day of Music has been set for November 8 from 1-5
p.m. at First Christian Church in Newburgh.
The family-friendly
event will include an afternoon of performances by local vocal and instrumental
music groups, dance groups and storytellers.
The day will also include a parent/child music demonstration by Music
Together®, inflatables, craft and activity tables sponsored by local
organizations and food sales.
Admission is $5 per person, ages 2 and under are free. All proceeds from the event will go directly
to the Isaac Miller Music Matters Endowment Fund.
Evansville’s
Matt and Amy Miller, with the help of family members and friends, organize
the annual Isaac’s Day of Music to raise money for the Isaac Miller Music
Matters Endowment Fund, named for their son who died after an 18-month battle
with cancer at the age of 4.
The Millers
established the Isaac Miller Music Matters Endowment Fund in 2012
to support music education and music therapy programs in the
Evansville area. The fund is managed by
the Warrick County Community Foundation.
“Throughout his life, we saw the impact music had on Isaac, whether
he was using music to express his feelings, interact with other children, or
just be a ‘regular kid,’ even for a brief moment,” the Millers said when asked
why they started the music endowment.
During cancer treatments, Isaac benefited from music’s
power. While a patient at Riley’s
Children Hospital in Indianapolis he attended a regular music therapy group
that involved playing instruments, singing and movement. Later, when he wasn’t strong enough to attend
group sessions he received individual music therapy in his hospital room.
Isaac also participated in Music Together classes
before and during treatment, which he loved, his mother said.
“He loved the music from his class,” she said. “We especially loved the lullabies and would
sing them before nap and bedtime every day. No matter what, we sang our
lullabies. Even at the end all I wanted
to do was sing him our lullabies.”
“Every child should have the opportunity to experience
music in the same ways,” she said, “and we started this fund to give them that
chance.”
The first
award from the Isaac Miller Music Matters Endowment
Fund was presented to
St. Benedict Cathedral School last year.
St. Ben’s used the $800 award in its elementary school’s music
program.
“We decided to grant the
first gift from the endowment to St. Ben’s because Isaac would have been a
student there,” said the Millers. “The
school was so supportive of us when Isaac was in treatment and after he passed
away. We are so pleased that Isaac will
continue to have a connection with his school through this gift, even though he
isn't able to be a student there.”
For more information about the Isaac Miller Music Matters
Fund and Isaac’s Day of Music, visit www.musicmattersfund.blogspot.com,
facebook.com/MusicMattersEndowmentFund or contact 812-760-1575 or musicmattersfund@gmail.com.
