By Sheryl Crutchfield
Music is a powerful reactor for human beings. It has the ability to stir collective identity (think national anthems), soothe and strengthen human bonding (think lullabies), and transcend language barriers (think classical music). Science has demonstrated that music can effect change in both physiological and mental capacity, and can thus be harnessed as a legitimate healing therapy. The American Music Therapy Association lists promoting wellness, managing stress, alleviating pain, expressing feelings, enhancing memories, improving communication, and promoting physical rehabilitation as potential achievable benefits from musical interventions.
Joey Gomoll playing on the swings
But music?s power to heal can create another far-reaching trail as well. In March 2010, after the devastating loss of almost 5-year-old Joey from complications of Dravet?s Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy, his father, Michael Gomoll, envisioned a hopeful way to cope with the grief. He established the Joseph Gomoll Foundation, a non-profit organization with the mission of funding research, treatment, and support for individuals afflicted with or affected by all forms of epilepsy, including Dravet?s Syndrome.
Little Joey Gomoll playing hide and seek in a kitchen cupboard 4
Dravet?s Syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy that appears during the first year of life. Children with Dravet?s Syndrome have frequent seizures that do not respond well to treatment. Although rare, children with the disease experience communication, motor, and cognitive dysfunctions. ?Dravet?s Syndrome is just a crummy, crummy disease,? says Gomoll in a PIM interview.
Joey was adopted from Guatelama at the age of six months. Within a few months, Joey began having uncontrollable seizures ? about one every other day of his life. For Joey, one of the effects of the disease was to lose his ability for speech. ?He had a vocabulary of about a hundred words or so, most of them really understandable to just me, my wife, and Joey?s older brother and sister. He struggled to communicate,? says his dad. However, Joey remained engaged with life. One of his strongest tools for interacting with those around him was music.
When music played, ?Joey would stop in his tracks. He danced, mouthed lyrics, and grabbed others to join him. So after his passing, music seemed the appropriate tribute to Joey?s memory,? says Gomoll.
Without a true music industry ?in,? Gomoll began contacting various artists and entertainers to inquire if they would be interested in donating a music performance track to a fundraising CD for epilepsy and related causes in Joey?s name. The response, he states, was ?just amazing. I started small, by contacting local artists in the Sun Prairie (WI) area. I branched out to sending cold emails to various acts and artists that I admired. Many responded almost immediately.? With such generous cooperation, the Joseph Gomoll Foundation was able to produce 2 compilation CDs: one for adult listeners, titled Joey?s Song, and one geared toward children, titled Joey?s Song for Kids. The CDs were released in January, 2011. Artists such as Justin Currie from Del Amitri, Crash Test Dummies, Eileen Rose, and Robbie Fulks provided original tracks to the CDs. More artists have agreed to contribute to future volumes of Joey?s Song.
Joeys Song For Kids V1 CD Cover ? Joeys Song V1 CD Cover
The Joseph Gomall Foundation donates the proceeds of the CD sales to charities representing significant segments of the population impacted by epilepsy. For instance, the Epilepsy Foundation of America was the recipient of $5000 cash from Joey?s Song CD sales. An additional 600 free CDs were donated for the upcoming National Epilepsy Walk in Washington, DC. Also, about $2000 worth of special needs playground equipment was donated to the school Joey attended.
JGF-Donation
Says Gomoll, ?I needed to DO something after Joey died, to pour myself into something positive. There was never going to be ?normal? again; normal changed on that day in March. But what you have to find is your new normal, and I hope that new normal is a place where myself, my family, and everybody else can feel good about this.? His philanthropic vision, stresses Gomoll, could not have been achieved without the generous support of organizations and businesses donating time, services, skills, and money to begin and maintain the Joseph Gomall Foundation. He identifies legal support, banking support, web development and maintenance, creative support and project development, CD production, music clearance and licensing services, and CD mastering and mixing as integral components in the establishment of the Foundation and the successful launch of the first CDs.
?It sounds like an overwhelming task, but what I found is that we have more connections than we may think in our own social networks. My process began with friends and social media outreaches to attract the assistance that I needed. A key piece of advice for others considering a similar path is, if you believe that your organization may grow to become a 501(c)(3) non-profit outfit, file for the status sooner rather than later. This allows you to inquire about charitable rates for such things as post office boxes and printing costs. I consider it an honor to have the contributions of so many individuals and organizations come together for Joey?s Song.?
CDs, music downloads, and T-shirts can be purchased at the Joseph Gomoll Foundation website, www.joeyssong.org. You can also donate directly to the foundation on the website. You can follow the organization on its Facebook pages at ?The Joseph Gomoll Foundation? and ?Joey?s Song.?
Sheryl Crutchfield has a master?s degree in bioethics and is currently training to become a geriatric care manager in Florida. She raised three sons, survived a midlife crisis, and always stops to smell the roses. She is a ?glass half full? person and is delighted to be affiliated with a publication that shares her perspective.
Category: Arts & Entertainment, Current Articles, Everyday People, Featured, Inspire, Mind, Body & Spirit, Unsung Heroes
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