“My music therapy practice is a continuation of a hunch I’ve been following since I was a child: that we humans are hard-wired to make music in community, but modernity's missteps have distanced us from this natural instinct.

I've been exploring this belief for decades with musicians and non-musicians alike in my roles as a band leader, music teacher, podcast host, children's book author, and now as a music therapist at Qualia Music Therapy. In every setting, I have found that music can help groups and individuals connect and unlock self-expression in a way words seldom do. 

This hunch started a long long time ago. I had the good fortune to grow up in a community that would come together to sing and play instruments throughout the year. It was in those settings that I first learned to play the guitar, banjo, percussion, and harmonica. It is also where I learned what it feels like to make music in community.

As a touring musician, I would find ways to involve the crowd to create connection within a room full of strangers. As a music teacher, I was always more invested in concepts of group cohesion, collaboration, and improvisation than accurately reproducing notes on a staff. You can hear that impulse on display in my award-winning podcast for kids Noodle Loaf.

In the podcast, I use music to bring songs and music games about self-love, kindness, tolerance, and play to families around the world. Common Sense Media called me “a role model for empathy and freedom of expression,” and gave me five stars in the “positive role model” category! I’m not blushing, you are. I have also authored several board books for little ones that have been praised for demonstrating “care and inclusion.” These books grew out of Noodle Loaf songs, so you can be sure that any storytime I lead will end up being a singalong by the time it is through. 

The common thread throughout all these roles, and especially in my work at Qualia Music Therapy, is my commitment to exploring ways to use music to improve and add richness to the experience of living.

As a music therapist I have used songs to help non-verbal preschoolers with ASD regulate and communicate. I have used songs to connect seniors living with dementia with parts of themselves that would otherwise be out of reach. I have worked with tweens from challenging circumstances to help them find ways to self-express and release stress in the music they make together. Our connection to music is built into our design. Sometimes we need help making use of that beautiful bit of our biology. I would love to help do that for you. ”