Heart of a Child concert back in person to benefit music therapy for kids in hospital

The annual Heart of a Child Concert is back in person April 30 to benefit Resounding Joy’s Ariana Miller Healing Notes Program.

The money raised at the concert will go to providing free music therapy for kids at Rady Children’s Hospital, where a music-loving Encinitas girl — Ariana Miller— had six open heart surgeries.

Despite her heart condition, Ariana played the piano and sang and produced two albums for friends and family. Rarely a day went by when Ariana wasn’t singing something.

After Ariana died in 2008 at the age of 13, awaiting a heart transplant, Jeff Miller and his wife, Anita, wanted to provide music therapy for other children, who like their daughter might find joy in music as they fight illness.

The Encinitas couple partnered with San Diego-based nonprofit Resounding Joy to provide free music therapy for children with heart disease. They later expanded the program to include children fighting other significant illnesses and disabilities, in the hospital or at home.

Since it was established in 2010 under the guidance of Resounding Joy, the program has raised more than $600,000, mainly through the annual Heart of a Child fundraising concerts.

The program has provided free music therapy to thousands of children at Rady Children’s Hospital.

The 11th annual event features 12 musical acts from classical to pop by young vocalists and instrumentalists ages 11-19. Many have won music awards and some have performed at Carnegie Hall, on TV and Broadway.
The lineup includes Sadie Duca, featured on “America’s Got Talent”; pop duo and signed artists Cameron J. Wright and David Lee; piano prodigy Malvyn Lai, who has performed at Carnegie Hall and the award-winning a capella group Soundwave from San Diego State University.

The event will be held at Baker-Baum Concert Hall, in The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center at 7600 Fay Ave. in La Jolla. Check-in and reception are at 6:30 p.m. and the concert is from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

The event will be emceed by San Diego television and radio personality Pat Brown.

Tickets are $30-$40 and VIP package is $100 at resoundingjoyinc.org/11th-annual-heart-of-a-child-benefit-concert.