For over 10 years this non-profit has done such meaningful and important work among those that need it the most- the homeless, the hungry, the terminally ill, the wounded and the dying. And on a shoestring budget! They are to be commended for their strength in assessing and addressing some of the often overlooked but critical issues of our day- helping to make everyone feel WHOLE! Thanks to all staff for all you do and the careful,thoughtful and successful way in which you do it!
As a volunteer Director of Resounding Joy, I have never felt so connected with my passion of music and desire to help so many people on my community. Not only that, but Resounding Joy has curated a network of staff and volunteers all with the same drive and passion that I do that makes me feel that anything can be accomplished. I joined RSJ shortly before the COVID pandemic, but the resiliency of the music therapists and volunteers, not only kept the organization afloat, but helped expand and grow the organization. I cannot wait to see where our team takes this non-profit next.
Being a part of Resounding Joy, I have had the opportunity to work with such gifted people who are focused on improving the quality of life for so many children and adults. With Music being a constant and intricate part of my life, joining the Board allowed me to witness the strength and beauty of Music Therapy as it brought people through some of the most challenging times in their life.
The team of Joy Givers are capable therapists who selflessly bring joy and healing to so many through music and kindness. This organization is truly something special.
It has been a pleasure to work with and for the staff of Resounding Joy! Since joining the organization, I have had the privilege to work alongside the DEI committee to develop and establish a learning curriculum that encourages collaboration and thought-provoking discussions. I am grateful to be a part of this unique space where creativity and expression are encouraged. Resounding Joy is an organization that promotes a cohesive and inspiring work environment. I look forward to continue working alongside this incredible group of professionals!
Resounding Joy, Inc (RJoy) provides music therapy and supportive music experiences for the greater San Diego area. Their leadership and clinical teams care deeply about the needs of individuals and groups in their community and shape their services to meet these needs in unique and innovative ways so that they are accessible to all. When I lived in San Diego many years ago, I worked closely with RJoy's Semper Sound (Military Music Therapy and Band), Healing Notes, and the Joy Giver/Junior Joy Giver programs, each of which provides evidence-based practices for the specific target populations: military-connected, children with cardiac disorders, and intergenerational engagement, respectively.
Additionally, RJoy has an education and training component that empowers music therapists, interns, and community members to make positive change in their communities through music engagement. This is the ultimate way to pay it forward and I am grateful for all that I have learned and continue to learn from the exemplary work of this non-profit organization and the many lives they have touched.
Being a Marine Veteran I can say that this program helps me with my attitude and talking and sharing the music with others is good for my PTSD and better than taking any medicine.The instructor is very well informed and can play any type of music that you prefer,not only is my singing and playing guitar getting better but I have met some wonderful people and now I go every week,I highly recommend this music therapy program for any veteran or any person that wants to feel better about themselves.Also I am convinced that music therapy is a great treatment for PTSD.Semper Fi!
The power of the music therapy that Resounding Joy provides is profound. I am grateful to participate with their work as a volunteer and donor. I have witnessed the healing power first hand with critically ill children , veterans and first responders, and seniors with memory loss. The music therapy Resounding Joy provides such important connections for clients and their families. The staff, volunteers demonstrate their commitment and creativity as they put their heart into their work.
I have been going to Resounding Joy on and off for almost 3 years now. With the overwhelming monotonous responsibilities in life this program gives you a break away to appreciate the little things in life. Cory has been a Godsend and I can not thank him or this program enough for being here for me. My gratefulness goes beyond words!!!
This Charity far exceeded my expectations. I joined Resounding Joy in 2017 and was apart of it all the way until 2019, where I moved out of the area. I still keep in contact with them and many of the friends I have meet there. An absolute great non-profit for both those in need to volunteers to donors. I miss being part of it, amazing people.
Meeting with the incredibly talented, Lindsay to learn instruments and play music has reminded us to keep going and find the joy in the day. Also while not feel guilty about it. After our son Dean went to heaven I felt undeserving of joy and guilty for moving forward. But with Resounding Joy and Lindsays infectious smile and help, I have realized as a family we must continue to play, laugh and enjoy each other. Music has brought us all together. We honor Dean with our music and create what we call “Dean stories.” We play and make music to record a memory we had with him. We all have fun remembering from our own perspectives. This is so meaningful to us to be able to make new memories together while remembering Dean.
I get emotional just thinking about how much they have helped me and my family. The girls have really gone through this without skipping a beat. () thanks to Resounding Joy! Having fun and playing music is a big part of our home now. THANK YOU for helping us go through the most difficult thing EVER! We are better people because of you helping us!
I was SO excited to work at Resounding Joy because of all the programs there! The Semper Sound program does amazing outreach work in the community for local Active Duty and Veteran service members. From jam sessions to drumming circles, they find unique and meaningful ways to bring people together!
Resounding Joy is simply a gem. This not-for-profit company provides transformative music therapy services to children facing terminal illness, our veterans, our first responders, seniors and toddlers. I have been brought to tears in board meetings learning about how our music therapists have made such a difference in the lives of so many people. Resounding Joy is operated in a fiscally responsible manner, making it a faithful steward of the donations it receives. It has been a great joy and pleasure for me to serve as Treasurer and as a Board Member for three years. Monty A. McIntyre, Esq.
The people at this organization are very committed to serving the community with music therapy services to military, medically at-risk children, and the wider needs of people affected by traumatic situations. I recently joined the board of Resounding Joy and I am so impressed with the amount of work and impact they have been able to accomplish with their scarce resources. Highly dedicated people, extremely focused on positive impact.
I have been a volunteer with Resounding Joy for over 5 years and have watched their team of dedicated Music Therapist ease pain and transform lives. They continue to spread their work to all parts of the community...children, the military, first responders, seniors. They are always open to finding ways to use music therapy to help all members of our community.
We have absolutely loved our time with Resounding Joy. Music therapy has become my daughter’s favorite therapy. She was born premature and has a rare syndrome, Cri du Chat Syndrome. She has benefitted so much from these music therapy sessions with Brian. She gets excited to see him walk in each session!
I am a member of the Semper Sound Band that provides music therapy to Veterans. I am a veteran of the Army Nurse Corps Reserve and was honorably discharged November 2013 as a Major. I joined Damper Sound to see if the experience would help me deal with anxiety and help me with anger man a cement issues. When arrived to my first jam session with the band I had just finished a difficult frustrating week at work and I wanted to quit my nursing position due to feelings of anger toward my supervisor. When I entered the jam session I was welcome by the veterans in the band and the music therapist and invited to provide vocals. After 2 hours of singing with the band I felt positive I would continue with the band weekly sessions and I would try harder at work to be patient and not quit when I am challenged at work. Now I am learning new songs and singing a lot and I feel happier and I
feel bonded with the band. Corey our therapist is so supportive and helps us grow as a close knitted group. Thank you Resounding Joy. Your work is extremely effective.
I am an active duty sailor in our United States Navy. After sustaining in what some doctors are regarding as the highest level of severity of a Traumatic Brain Injury, it became necessary to regain all of my activation and functional use of all my muscles on my left side of my body, in order to be found fit for continued Naval service.
My first encounter with Cory Woodrow and Resounding Joy came in 2018 at a keyboard class that was held at The Naval Medical Center San Diego . Not possessing much experience in music, I began working with Cory to achieve an aspiration in life and in recovery: to play piano.
It is through the efforts of Semper Sound and Resounding Joy that I have not only learn how to play the piano, not with only one hand but with both, while using the power of music to help regain all of the muscles on my left side. As of earlier this year, I was found fit for continued Naval service.
Resounding Joy's services are led by music experts who want to share the joy and power of music with everyone. They also cater lessons to a client's specific goals. Please consider donating to Resounding Joy. They have changed my life in many positive aspects and I know they will continue to touch others along the way. I cannot thank you enough for the experiences and impact that you have played in my own recovery.
I am on active duty in Navy and currently being processed for medical retirement. Cory, from Resounding Joy, works with ill and injured service members by providing music lessons and music therapy. This was one of the most impactful treatments to cope with service connected disability that I've experienced. The mindfulness of playing an instrument exceeded weeks of mindfulness therapy/training. Their commitment to helping other's through music is awe inspiring. I am grateful everyday for them bringing the joy of making music into my life.
As an active duty service member with several physical and mental ailments, this program is one that has served me to learn to relax, enjoy a new activity, and reintegrate myself socially. I'm very grateful to all who have a part in it.
This is the best musical therapy program ever! Everyone is so helpful and supportive. I'm active duty military and this program really helped me through some very tough times. I would recommend Resounding Joy to everyone!
"My Family and I have been connected with Resounding Joy for quite a few years and they have been absolutely wonderful to work with and be apart of! Our boys take lessons with Cory, and they have learned SO much so quickly and just genuinely enjoy him as a teacher. My husband has also been taking lesson with Cory to learn the drums and he has had so much fun and learned so quickly. Resounding Joy has been able to bring music into our lives, as a family, and it has been such a wonderful thing now to do together. We absolutely love being around all the staff that we have met, and they really make such an effort to make music fun!"
We helped create The Ariana Miller Music with Heart Program almost 10 years ago and this program has grown from 1/2 day every other week to daily full-time therapy for children with heart disease and other illness at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. The Resounding Joy music therapist has become an integral part of therapy and care for cardiac patients at Rady. To date they have provided no-cost music therapy to over 2000 children through this program and the response has been universally positive. All of Resounding Joy's programs take time and resources. Barbara Reuer, her team and the BODs all do an amazing job of maximizing services on a very limited budget. For instance, the Semper Sound Program for wounded warriors has done wonders for these veterans without receiving any government funding. This program is funded by grants and private donations. If you are looking for high return on your donated dollar, this is the charity.
What an amazing group! The response from the children to their Music Therapist, Lindsay, is incredible to watch. Lindsay does a great job of keeping the kids engaged and participating. We love our time in Music Therapy!
Resounding Joy and Lindsay has been such a blessing to us! We are a non-profit Down Syndrome achievement center, and our families love our music therapy program. The quality and passion is unmatched. They bring a therapeutic perspective, helping individuals increase vocalizations and improve speech, provide opportunities for increased social engagement, and increase overall quality of life. If you have the chance to work with this group- do it!
I'm a current staff member with Resounding Joy, and I absolutely love working with this organization! We have a stellar team of supportive, positive, and encouraging music therapists, and we get to work with the most amazing people. In working with clients, I have seen incredible transformation, growth, and comfort.
During a community arts event for the military community, I talked to a number of veterans, active duty military, and their spouses who expressed the importance of Resounding Joy in their lives. They shared how involvement with music therapy and recreational music programs have helped them cope with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, adjust back to civilian life, and re-connect with their family. Resounding Joy's widespread programs allows us to meet the needs of a diverse community.
Working for Resounding Joy is an absolute JOY! The passion, dedication, effort, and time that this team puts into their work to bring music therapy to the community of San Diego continues to inspire me on a daily basis. Working for Barbara Reuer is motivating, rewarding, and challenging has has helped me to grow in my career in ways that I never thought possible. I am so very grateful to this organization and to every person we have made music with along the way!
As a volunteer with Resounding Joy for over 3 years, I have had the opportunity to learn and grow with a very special group of people. Their highly-trained therapist do extraordinary work across multiple populations. Their Executive Director provides unparalleled leadership allowing her staff to develop their special talents and abilities. The stories of their clients breakthrough moments always bring me to tears. They just quietly do good work carefully spending the donations entrusted to them.
Resounding Joy brings hope and joy to so many who are in pain, either emotional or physical. One veteran told me he would not be alive today if it were not for a music therapist with Resounding Joy. He had been hospitalized after an attempted suicide. He now has a job and is writing music and playing his guitar on a regular basis. He said: "she saved my life".
Resounding Joy was the best first job I could ever have asked for. In high school, as my friends were navigating the world of “dealing with cold and distant bosses,” I had a boss that not only was extremely supportive and approachable, but also became a role model in my life. And as other people my age were simply a small speck in larger profit-driven corporations, I got to work for a cause that mattered to me in an organization that demonstrated dedication to the cause through their efficient day-to-day operations and client-focused programs.
When I first met Barbara Reuer as a volunteer, I would never have guessed her celebrity-status resume in the music therapy world. That she established a first-name basis with me (a high school senior) speaks magnitudes to her humility and down-to-earth attitude. Her always-cheerful and encouraging attitude created a wonderful and warm work environment. Barbara is the hardest and smartest working woman I have had the honor of meeting. Her work ethic and general experience in music therapy, business management, and people skills is the backbone of Resounding Joy and provides the framework for the success of all that she hires. Though my future endeavors won’t be in music therapy and might not even involve small companies, I left Resounding Joy with a multitude of skills that I strive to implement in my own life.
Resounding Joy is a wonderful organization that is wholeheartedly and genuinely dedicated to its mission. Every day, I saw the heart behind all the organization’s operations. It was clear that efficiency and effectiveness in completing any task were important because it would ultimately benefit clients. As a non-profit, their budget is always limited, but every penny is put to good use. Getting to hear about actual client-work was always a highlight of my day. In listening to stories from therapists and sorting through quantitative and qualitative feedback from clients, it became clear that so much good is accomplished through Resounding Joy. People of otherwise overlooked population groups are being served, their bodies healed, and their souls uplifted. Thank you, Resounding Joy, for allowing me to be a part of something meaningful.
Review from Guidestar
Resounding Joy is a thoughtful organization that uses music therapy to help students, veterans, patients and families find a creative conduit for learning, healing, expression, grief, communication, memory and resolution. They work to connect with several different communities in the local area, and their staff are bright and kind. Keep up the great work!
Resounding Joy is a wonderful organization with a mission to support people from all walks of life through music. I have been involved with this organization for many years and continue to be amazed by their ability to create, develop and sustain innovative programs. I am specifically fond of their Healing Notes and Semper Sound Military Music Therapy programs. Healing Notes brings music therapy to hospitalized children or those who are homebound due to illness. Semper Sound provides music therapy for active duty service members, returning veterans, and their families. They are the only organization of this kind west of the Mississippi to run continuous programs on military bases. Not only do they facilitate the programs on base in direct support of our military, but they EMPOWER and EMPLOY veterans! I have a friend who is a OEF (Afghanistan) veteran who went through their program and is now a consultant for them while attending one of the most prestigious music schools in the world upon Resounding Joy's recommendation. Thank you, Resounding Joy! You are truly a gift that keeps on giving!
Review from Guidestar
Resounding Joy is a great organization that provides music therapy services to people from all walks of life. They have a dedicated team who are able to adapt to individual needs and they all give their best to get the mission accomplished.
RJ's Semper Sound Program is one that I have to give direct credit to as a contribution to me still being here today. I went through multiple treatment programs for ptsd while in the Marine Corps without any of them having enough of an impact for what we learned and worked through to stick once they were over. The Semper Sound Band was the only thing that made a tangible difference; one that was powerful enough to keep me truckin' along when nothing else could
Review from Guidestar