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When CanJoe*John first discovered the magic of the music from his own cool one stringed canjoe instrument, he was taking care of his wife, Paula, who was having to deal with the daily struggles caused by an incurable type of cancer. As he frequently strummed music for her from his very first canjoe instrument, his daily practice allowed him to master his unique picking style. In fact, as he picked it so much while learning to make that original canjoe "one-stringed thing ring and sing", he literally wore away the grain of the wood finger board. While he picked, he also would notice that Paula would frequently be smiling, even when she had little to smile about. On one particular day after enjoying some of his uncanny canjoe picking, Paula smiled extra big, stuck up her thumb, and she then declared him to be the "world's greatest canjoe picker". He replied to her remark that he'd someday "put smiles on as many faces as possible" with his uncanny canjoe music, and it was at that moment that Paula dubbed him with the nomicker he's now known, saying "Go for it, CanJoe*John!". So as John continued to take care of Paula, he also continued witnessing the many smiles that his music obviously brought on to her face. He saw the positive effects that the music helped in getting her through some of the tougher times too. He knew that when she was smiling, she was feeling, at least, a little better and that each smile was an important part of greater comforting blessings. As a matter of fact, before John discovered the "magic" of the canjoe, he had previously made his living for many years as a medical professional, having personally cared for many thousands of medical and surgical patients, and never before had he ever witnessed such powerful medicine as that which he first discovered and that he still continues to witness every time as the universal response of those who encounter his uncanny canjoe music. CanJoe*John is intentionally taking his canjoe music and his canjoe instruments to their highest intended purpose... just as he promised to Paula that he would do... helping to bring smiles on as many deserving faces as possible. The purpose of this tour is completely and totally about the benefits these kids receive by having their own canjoe instruments for use as music therapy. For more info about TOSA, just click on these stars ********. |
On January 1, 2009, the Tour of Smiles Affiliation, Inc (TOSA), by authority of the Secretary of State of Tennessee, was chartered as a nonprofit, charitable corporation (0593262) for the purposes of providing donated musical instruments for use as music therapy, as well as for providing special music performance events and programs to directly benefit patients under the care of children's specialty hospitals.
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Music therapy programs and musical instrument use as music therapy has historically and overwhelmingly proven to be of enormous value in helping patients and their caregivers to better cope with and often overcome many of the difficulties inherent in dealing with severe and chronic medical conditions and afflictions but access to music therapy in many hospitals and health related institutions is often unavailable to many patients. Many contemporary medical facilities do utilize very nice, well equipped and professionally staffed music therapy departments, but the remaining lions share of hospitals, especially those that operate as nonprofit can not always offer much in the forms of direct music therapy for their patients; frequently they can not include these vitally important and valuable music therapy programs into their treatment plans and facilities because of the lack of funding. TOSA has been established as a nonprofit, chartable organization to help make music therapy more available to many children who are undergoing medical care for chronic and terminal illnesses at children's hospitals by providing them musical instruments, special music events and music programs for their direct benefit as music therapy. |
The Tour of Smiles Affiliation, Inc (TOSA) is actively seeking individuals and corporations who are in support of the mission, goals and purpose of TOSA to join as members in order to help grow and better operate. For anyone who would like to actively support TOSA, the membership is open to individuals, families, organizations or businesses by paying a yearly annual membership fee of $20 for individual membership, $35 for family membership, and $55 for corporate/business membership. Materials and financial donations are also appreciated which are used 100% for the direct operation of TOSA.
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Tour of Smiles Affiliation, Inc (TOSA) 2357 Feathers Chapel Rd Blountville, TN 37617 423-323-0174 |