Album Share – Christmas at C.P.H. – The Children of the Inpatient Music Therapy Program, University of Michigan’s Children’s Psychiatric Hospital
For the past two years around Christmas, I’ve shared this wonderful album performed by the children in the Inpatient Music Therapy Program at the University of Michigan’s Children’s Psychiatric Hospital. The response has always been fantastic. Tracks from the album have found their way onto the playlists on WFMU in New York, have been used as background music in between shows at the Music Box Theater in Chicago, Illinois, and, judging from the many emails I’ve received and from my server logs, has been enjoyed by hundreds of people all over the world.
I’ve loved this album from the first time I heard it, but I have gained a new respect for it after having the pleasure of tracking down and conversing with Charles Whiting and Ken Michalik, two of the music therapists responsible for the concert. Messrs. Whiting and Michalik graciously shared their memories of the program, the concert, and the children involved.
Charles Whiting first became involved with CPH in 1973 while doing his music therapy internship under the direction of Jo Pickett. Ms. Pickett initiated the music therapy program in 1971. At the time, CPH was a free standing building that housed around 54 children ranging in age from 5-13 who stayed there 24 hours a day for a period of one to three years. Children entered the program for treatment of a wide variety developmental and behavioral disorders and were considered a danger to themselves and others.
Originally hired as an occupational therapist, Mr. Whiting began to introduce instrumental music as an extra activity to interested patients. He began with obtaining three rented instruments (two cornets and a trombone) and gave three children who had had no previous music experience lessons. They learned by rote and repetition and eventually worked up enough music to give an informal concert. The response was overwhelmingly positive. After hearing the small group perform, all of the children in the program wanted to be involved. The music program expanded to the point where every child received an hour of music instruction everyday as part of their regular activities. As the program grew, Mr. Whiting asked Ken Michalik, who was working as a percussion instructor in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to tutor a few of the students. Mr. Michalik did and found he loved doing it. He gradually worked his way into a full time position at CPH and earned a Music Therapy membership in the American Association for Music Therapy (now the American Music Therapy Association). Diane Katchadurian also joined the staff shortly after completing her music therapy internship.
The Christmas concert was only one part of a number of activities under the direction of Messrs. Whiting and Michalik. The children in the program gave concerts as frequently as the directors could get them ready. Learning everything by rote and imitation, these children performed as a jazz/rock ensemble, a string group, recorded a radio public service announcement for the Very Special Arts Festival Special (complete with a voice over by Bo Schembechler), and even learned and performed Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’, with narration, in its entirety. All this from children who, according to Mr. Whiting, normally had difficulty sitting still for more than five seconds at a stretch.
The Christmas concert was held in the Lydia Mendelson Theater on the campus of the University of Michigan each year. It was always very well attended and regularly brought the house down. Albums were pressed and given to the children as mementos, as well as sold to raise money for the music therapy program. The children were responsible for performing all the music, except the piano accompaniment for the instrumental solos.
Mr. Whiting still hears from the saxophone soloist, who credits the program with saving his life, every year around Christmas.
Ken Michalik is currently working as a music teacher in the Ann Arbor, Michigan School District where he continues to work with at-risk children. Charles Whiting is now the Director of Operations for the Medical Management Center at the University of Michigan Health System. Both he and Mr. Micharik are rightfully proud of the work and the children in the program and were astonished to hear of the reach their recording from so many years ago has had. All I can offer is a sincere thank you to them, and to the children who put their all into the performances. You’ve brought a lot of smiles to a lot of people with your efforts.
Have a great holiday everyone, have fun listening, and as always, Enjoy!
Download all mp3s and cover art in one 42 MB zip file.
December 15th, 2006 at 11:57 am
That’s a great story. It’s always amazing when you can track down the people involved in these albums.
December 15th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
I found a copy of this last year and played it on a Battle of the Christmas song show I do. Sadly, I lost.
December 18th, 2006 at 11:55 am
thanks for posting this wonderful record!
December 20th, 2006 at 9:50 pm
Hi, found a link to your site from senses working overtime, and they linked to the “pickle suite” record on your site. Is there any way to get those groovy files? Thank you for your work! Oh, I have “My Insurance Man”, my first industrial musical. I’m just a newbie!
December 22nd, 2006 at 9:41 pm
Hi Pastor!
Looks like a great Christmas share!
I just wanted to wish you a happy holiday and to thank you for all the great music in the past (and present). Have a great 2007 and keep up the great work at the Rescue Mission!
)
December 29th, 2006 at 5:03 pm
HI! thank you, this is great album! does anyone know in which year this was recorded?
January 2nd, 2007 at 5:35 am
Holy crap, I thought I’d lost this thing forever. Close to two decades ago (jeez I’m old) my friends and I passed around tapes of this thing but none of us seemed to know where it had come from, or who had it first. Then, one day, as magically as it appeared, we all lost our tapes and it departed from our lives, we thought forever. Until now! That’s crazy. Happy New Year!
January 11th, 2007 at 4:01 am
I went to cph back in 1980-82 and was involved in the program. I played the drums, and other instuments. We play in the Jazz Band under Charlie & Ken. We played I remember, in the gym at cph. They wanted to play somewhere else.. I can;t remember were.. but we didn’t and played in the gym. I am a musician beacuse of that program. Wile I was at cph I learned the guitar were I slept (4th floor) and the drums on the 6th floor. You guy’s if you ever read this, you have changed my life when you introduced (music-instrument-playing) in my life. I now play the blues, classical, Rockabilly guitar and I just want to say thanks guy’s for the time and pateints you put into me and the other kids…keep up the good work! I am now 35 years old and have been married 12 years to my wife Shirley who supports my music 100%. Bye
December 18th, 2007 at 6:43 am
[...] Lady of Perpetual Obsolescence Vinyl Rescue Mission and Orphanage”) comes this Xmas fave Christmas at C.P.H. – , a recorded performance by the Children of the Inpatient Music Therapy Program, University of [...]
December 19th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
[...] Christmas album from the kids in the Inpatient Music Therapy Program at the U of M’s Children’s Psychiatric [...]
April 20th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
In response to a previous post, the year would have been 1978. I am one of the kids pictured near the top. I used to enjoy playing the bells between shock treatments, and frontal lobotomies. / :
Recently a friend, also in the picture, got hold of me after 30 years, and he showed me this site. My friend and myself have shared some cool memories of some of the staff and kids we met while at C.P.H. These memories are even more special now that the building has been demolished. At any rate, thanks to all the staff who believed in us and helped make us into musicians, and better people.
If anyone would like to get in touch I can be reached at innovate68@hotmail.com.
God bless,
Katie
June 28th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
p.s. I was joking about the shock treatments and frontal lobotomies. They treated us very well.
I would really like to hear from anyone who was in the program though, children or staff. After searching the internet, it seems that information on the program is really hard to find, and there are almost no photos at all of the building (CPH, demolished in 1992). Please contact me with any information, or to say “Hi.”
Thanks,
Katie B.
innovate68@hotmail.com
August 16th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
I WAS IN THE PROGRAM AS A KID.WE ALL WORKED HARD AND IT TOOK US ALL YEAR TO PREFORM.AFTER THE CONCERT I STOPPED PLALING THE VIOLIN.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:11 am
To all those kids that I had the highest priviledge of spending some time with at CPH, I would love to hear from you. You can reach me at cwhiting@med.umich.edu
January 31st, 2009 at 8:26 am
Hi everyone! i have started a group on facebook.com for us children of C.P.H. it’s called “The wonderful kid’s of C.P.H Children’s Psychiatric Hospital at U of M” feel free to stop by and visit it.all are welcome to join.
see you there.
scott
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:50 pm
hey friends,
i have set up a group for us kids that went to C.P.H. it is on facebook under the title “The wonderful kid’s of C.P.H Children’s Psychiatric Hospital at U of M” any one that was an inpatient is welcome to join and share their storys.see ya there.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:49 am
[...] the Inpatient Music Therapy Program, University of Michigan’s Children’s Psychiatric Hospital – Christmas at C.P.H. (1978) – Nichole and the Dreamcatchers + Various Artists – Krimus Karuls (1982) – [...]
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Since the other group is no longer up, all former cph kids are welcome to join a new group I put up called “the C.P.H. club.” If you email me at innovate68@hotmail.com I will send you an invitation through facebook. This group is geared toward helping us support one another by sharing testimonials, photos, poetry, and articles, as well as making long standing friendships. I hope to hear from you soon!
November 7th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
By the way, please make sure you put “cph club” in the subject line. It will probably go to my spam folder, and I want to make sure it doesn’t get thrown out. thanks!
December 1st, 2009 at 7:32 pm
the other one is up you just got booted out for being mean to me!
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Sorry Scott, sometimes I speak without thinking. I hope you will forgive me one day. And I’ll try to chose my words more carefully in the future.
God bless,
Katie
March 27th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
I was one of the first three kids that started off that music program. Harold McFall played trombone and if I remember correctly kenny smith was the other cornet player.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:27 am
I got a new email address because my old one was hacked into. Please contact me at create.68@hotmail.com if you would like to join the cph club on facebook.