ACM Lifting Lives With Music

(Photo by Frederick Breedon IV/Getty Images for ACM)

ACM Lifting Lives is a philanthropic part of the Academy of Country Music devoted to contributing help through the influence of music. Through this collaboration with artist and deep bonds in the music industry, the ACM Lifting Lives assists and funds music-related therapy and educational programs to provide members of the community who suffer from extreme hardships through the Diane Holcomb Emergency Fund. Due to substantial donations from kindhearted fans and artists, this foundation is able to provide funds to all types of destitution from disaster relief and local communities in need of resources, to music education in schools, music camps for individuals with disabilities and even war veterans who use music as a kind of therapy. ACM Lifting Lives as well provide grants for these war veterans to help maneuver back into their normal lives.

On March 25^th, 2016 ACM Lifting Lives announced a new collaboration with the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder Foundation to start a direct program called Harmonicas for Health. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder is a lung disease that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. This incapacitating disease is mainly cause by smoking, occupational dusts and chemicals, frequent lung infections as a child, etc. The Harmonicas for Health program is here to help make this disease less draining. The program is part of the incredible COPD Foundation’s Pulmonary Education Program, which works to promote and inspire patients to train their lungs and advance their lives via the energy of music. The event kicked off in January in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with the help of ACM Lifting Lives presenting the worthy program. Three-time ACM-nominated country singer Chris Janson made an appearance at the Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital to see how the patients were progressing, as they have been learning to play the harmonica to treat COPD. Only fives weeks into the program, and the patients have evidently found a new hobby and a successful new remedy. By September, 2016, The COPD Foundation’s plans to have 25 Harmonicas for Health programs introduced at numerous hospitals and PEP locations nationwide. This will contribute to a new way to heal such a debilitating disease with the help of music and music therapy. ACM Lifting Lives will continue to fund such a worthy program, as well as bringing Chris Janson on board as the COPD National Spokesperson for the program.