news – Metro Music Therapy

Welcome, Katherine!

Here at MMT, we have had a busy summer full of group and individual sessions, and many camps! We also brought in a new team member, Katherine Dukes!

Katherine grew up in Clarkesville, GA, and attended the University of Georgia where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy. She values the intentionality of music experiences to enhance connections and encourage individual growth and expression. Katherine is excited to be back in Georgia as a member of the Metro Music Therapy team and looks forward to working with her clients and their families.

We are so thrilled that Katherine has joined our team! Be sure to say hi if you see her around the office or while she is out in the city providing services!

Mallory Even2022-08-17T13:45:52+00:00August 17th, 2022|Atlanta, MT Advocacy, Music Therapy, news, Small Business, We Can Help|

MMT’s September Highlights!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Our latest newsletter is out and features the newest updates from MMT.

Septembers edition includes…

A newly hired Metro team member
An update from our up and running North Carolina branch led by Bailey Hunt, MT-BC
Updated information regarding MMT’s funding source and how you can help
A highlight on MMT’s newest music therapy intern
New instruments featured
A recap of our recent online Veteran Wellness Session

Be sure to visit our website for more information. Click down below to access the entire write-up and be on the lookout for our upcoming newsletter in the near future!

Click here to read!

Merideth McClain2021-09-28T22:48:46+00:00September 28th, 2021|Atlanta, Blog, For the Music Therapist, Music Therapy, news, Small Business, Technology, Veterans, We Can Help|

MMT Intern Introduction!

Metro Music Therapy is pleased to introduce our newest music therapy intern, Kiele Kaupe!

Kiele, a Georgia native, is currently finishing up her Music Therapy degree from Georgia College and State University. Her primary instruments are the euphonium and trombone, but she enjoys playing the guitar and ukulele as well! Kiele has experience working with a variety of populations throughout her schooling including older adults in assisted living and memory care, adults with intellectual disabilities, and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

When asked what she is most excited for during her MMT internship, Kiele stated that she is looking forward to working with the numerous populations MMT has the privilege of serving weekly! The ability to share music therapy with the metro Atlanta area and surrounding communities drew Kiele to MMT. Kiele said that she “loves the overall energy, excitement, and caring nature the MMT company has” which solidified her choice in becoming part of our team.

In her free time, Kiele enjoys reading books, watching movies, and practicing yoga. She loves road trips and discovering new places with friends. One fun fact about Kiele…she loves watching Bob Ross videos even though she doesn’t know how to paint!

We are so happy to have Kiele with us the next six months! Stay tuned for updates!

Merideth McClain2021-08-21T18:32:57+00:00August 21st, 2021|Atlanta, Blog, For the Music Therapist, Internship, MT Advocacy, Music Therapy, news, Small Business, We Can Help|

An Exceptional Summer!

The Exceptional Foundation of Atlanta (The EFAtl) hosted their first “Exceptional Summer Camp” the entire month of June at the First Baptist Church of Snellville. One of Metro MT’s own, Merideth McClain, had the privilege of providing music therapy services to the campers four days a week throughout the month! Participants over the age of sixteen with varying abilities were able to gain a true summer camp experience.

Activities included adaptive physical education, art, cooking classes, team games and exercises and, of course, music therapy! Each music therapy group used instruments, music games, singing, dancing, songwriting interventions, and music listening identification activities. Using these music-based interventions allowed campers to imaginatively and freely express themselves, gain confidence, work with team members, and successfully and safely use music as a creative outlet. Merideth believes that the camp was an opportunity to encourage creativity and build lifelong friendships.

Metro MT is most grateful for our partnership with The EFAtl and the wonderful work they are doing in the community for the special needs population!

Merideth McClain2021-07-14T00:52:37+00:00July 14th, 2021|Atlanta, Blog, MT Advocacy, Music Therapy, news, Uncategorized, We Can Help|

February Newsletter Out Now!

Hey Metro friends! Check out our latest monthly newsletter and new, stylish logo! Each month we share exciting happenings at Metro Music Therapy. A few February highlights include…

A newly hired Metro team member
A fun, interactive beginner ukulele class for adults led by Metro’s own, Bailey Hunt
An upcoming Metro Music Therapy Virtual Lunch & Learn event for professionals

Be sure to visit our website for more information! You can access February’s newsletter below.

Click here to read!

Merideth McClain2021-02-28T16:01:51+00:00February 26th, 2021|Blog, For the Music Therapist, MT Advocacy, Music Therapy, news|

A COVID-19 UPDATE

UPDATED 9/1/2020:

To our Dear Clients,

It has been 6 months since we have seen each of you in-person, and boy do we feel that! We miss you all tremendously, and cannot wait until we can be together in the same room for music therapy and music lessons.

This is my reason for writing to you today: we feel the tension of both wanting to open back up and resume as much normalcy as possible, while we also know that we do not know enough just yet to do this in a safe manner.

While to you and your family it may only be 30-45 minutes with one of our staff members once a week, which sounds like low exposure, our team collectively works with over 60 families and facilities, which impacts all of our chances of potential exposure dramatically. Simply stated: in order to continue keeping your families safe, we are not ready to resume in-person services just yet.

We are closely following the CDC and WHO guidelines, and we are also keeping a pulse on the happenings around the State of Georgia. Once we feel that we can safely re-open our Studio space and return to visiting our client’s homes and facilities, I promise that you will be the first to know!

In the meantime, we have been thrilled to continue music therapy services via teletherapy and we are so grateful that we have this option. If you have opted not to participate in teletherapy up to this point, but would like to go ahead and get started, please reach out!

Thank you for your patience over the last two months as we have navigated this journey together. We are grateful for each of you!

Sincerely,

Mallory Even, LPMT, MT-BC
Owner & Director of Metro Music Therapy

Mallory Even2020-09-14T13:31:05+00:00May 18th, 2020|Blog, Medical, Mental Health, MT Advocacy, MT in Healthcare, Music Therapy, music therapy and wellness, news, Teletherapy, We Can Help|

Born to Rock + A Very Merry Moving Day

Friday was a big day for the MMT Team!

Our morning was spent with a remarkably large group of bonafide rockstars – namely, the students of Simpson Elementary School! We were so excited to be there with these amazing kids to celebrate Exceptional Children’s Week. All week long, March 5 – 9, schools around the country celebrated students with exceptionalities and the families and professionals who serve, love, and support them. The theme of the week at Simpson was “Born to Rock!” and we had a chance to join in the fun with some instruments, singing, and dancing!

We were also excited to be sporting our new team “jerseys!”

First up, Bianca showed us how to “Shake It Off,” with several of the students using their brand new shakers. The whole crowd clapped, patted, and shook along, but we had to listen carefully – sometimes the instructions got tricky as they sped up!

Next, Kevin demonstrated how to get the instruments of a rock band going with some “Air Guitar” (and “Air” piano, drum, and violin) while the rest of the team provided a looping musical backdrop – all to create the song, “In the Jungle (The Lion Sleeps Tonight).” We even had some technical difficulties, like a real rock band!

Then Maria taught us how to use ASL to sign “please,” “thank you,” and “you’re welcome” using a familiar tune from Disney’s Moana. Everyone sang and signed along to practice, and Maria even rapped for us, a la Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson (a.k.a. Maui)! So I believe what we’re trying to say to Maria is… thank you. (“You’re Welcome!”)

Camila kept us on our toes with a “freeze” dance set to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” Whenever the music paused, everyone had to give their best pose to match whichever poster was suddenly flipped over. Things got even more interesting (and hilarious) when we had to do two – or even four! – poses at the same time!

All day long, the students were practicing their “Superhero,” “Dab,” “Selfie,” and “Hippie” poses.
To be honest, we were too!

Finally, Laura led us in some echo singing to the Jackson 5’s “A-B-C.” It was a school event, so why not do a little bit of learning while we sing? The students were divided into three groups to try and outdo one another with a hearty “A-B-C,” “1-2-3,” or “DO-RE-MI!”

We had such a blast rocking out with our new friends at Simpson Elementary. They are exceptional, every one of them, and we couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to celebrate them!

And for us, the excitement didn’t stop there!

After a team lunch at La Parilla, we had work to do, organizing, packing, and…

…wait for it…

…Moving!

In case you haven’t heard, Metro Music Therapy just moved into a new office space in Peachtree Corners, complete with a brand new Studio Room, where we’ll soon be able to offer music lessons to meet the needs of all learners! More details are on the way!

We can’t wait to welcome our students to Studio PTC!

Mallory Even2018-03-13T18:40:55+00:00March 13th, 2018|Adaptive Lessons, Blog, Holidays, Music Therapy, news, Pediatric|

A Tale of Two Interns

Here at Metro Music Therapy, we have the privilege of working with talented and hardworking interns as they grow into the amazing Music Therapists that they can be. Two interns per year, to be exact! The first internship period begins in August and ends in January, while the second internship period spans from December to May, finishing out the school year. Now read that last sentence again – carefully this time. Did you catch the overlap? Every year, there’s a brief and exciting period when both interns are here with us together! That time is now, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.

Let’s take a moment to introduce (and brag on) our two wonderful interns, Camila Casaw (left) and Kristen Miller (right)!

Camila has been with us since August, which means she’ll be finishing up her internship mid-January. Camila has been an absolute joy! Her intuitive and sensitive – one could easily say “therapeutic” – approach is evident in every interaction she has with our clients. We’re sad to see her go, but so excited to see the differences she’s already made, and the ones she will continue to make in her career as a Music Therapist, wherever that leads!

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Camila,

Where did you go to school?
I went to Loyola University New Orleans. And of course I fell in love with New Orleans and all its charms!

How did you decide to pursue Music Therapy?
I actually started as a psychology major but took the Intro to Music Therapy course my first semester, and fell in love with the field! I switched my major the next semester and it has been the best decision ever. I have always been passionate about being in a helping profession and I could not imagine my life without music, so eventually finding music therapy has been the best of both worlds! I am so grateful to be part of this field and cannot wait to keep learning and growing here!

What have been your top 3 experiences interning with Metro Music Therapy?
Tough question! It has been so much fun and I have so many memories, it is hard to pick three! In no particular order, here are my three:

During Halloween I got to sing “The Rainbow Connection” dressed as Kermit the Frog, which was a very special moment and maybe a once in a lifetime experience! Another of my favorite experiences has been able to sing in Spanish and connect with my Hispanic culture with one of our hospice clients. Learning songs in Spanish and embracing our common culture has definitely been a gift I did not expect to encounter! And for my third experience, I think just to be able to learn from all the therapists and our amazing supervisors and how they each bring music to the clients in their own unique way has been most inspiring. As intern I feel so fortunate to be able to learn and share this time with this team that has the most amazing energy and caring spirit, they encourage me and challenge me to keep learning and finding my voice and my journey.

What advice do you have for Kristen, intern to intern?
Don’t blink too fast! Enjoy everyday and every week. They definitely go by faster than you think! Because you get to work with all the amazing therapists, make sure you are open to their perspectives and ask lots of questions! But also this is a good opportunity for you to discover yourself within the music therapy world and how you make connections with others. I am so excited to see where this experience takes you and I am so happy we get to share this time together!

What’s next for you?
I cannot believe it is time for this question already! As I transition out of internship, I feel very excited about the future, grateful for my time here, and a little nervous I must admit! But for now, my plan is to take my board examinations so I can become a Board Certified Music Therapist soon! My hope is that I can find a job in the field, and hopefully around the Atlanta Area, but my map and my heart are open to any new opportunities!

If you could get lunch with one musician/band/artist, who would it be, and what would you ask?
I would ask Sara Bareilles. I have been listening to her music growing up and and now that I am older I can really see her lyrics and music with a deeper meaning. Her lyrics, beyond the common love themes, talk about life and courage and our fragile beautiful humanity. She tells stories about others, and maybe about herself, with so much empathy in a way that they are all so relatable and inclusive. I would ask her about her songwriting process, and what she considers to be in the heart of all her songs. I think I just see her as a musical social justice warrior and I love the world she paints with her songs!

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Kristen’s time with us is just beginning, and she’s already hit the ground running! After meeting all of her clients, Kristen’s already helped to host a holiday party and record a CD for one of our hospice patients. We are delighted to have her on our team, and we know she’s going to do wonderful things!

Kristen,

Where did you go to school?
I attended the University of Alabama (Roll Tide)

How did you decide to pursue Music Therapy?
As the daughter of a music educator, I have always grown up being surrounded by music. At 10 years old I absolutely fell in love with playing guitar, writing songs, performing, and attending concerts. I determined I wanted to eventually pursue a music-based career, but I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do. I first learned about music therapy at a high school songwriting seminar and the idea of music therapy immediately resonated with me. Majoring in music therapy has been incredibly fulfilling and I am extremely excited to continue gaining clinical experience at Metro Music Therapy for the next six months.

Do you have a favorite population to work with?
During my undergraduate experience, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a plethora of populations. I especially enjoyed working with adults in psychiatric settings and with clients in memory care. At Metro Music Therapy, I look forward to working with clients that are a part of the Wounded Warrior program.

What are you most excited for during your internship?
I’m most excited about collaborating and learning from each music therapist at Metro Music Therapy. I am extremely lucky to be interning with such an incredible team in a comfortable and supportive learning environment. I have already observed many meaningful sessions and believe I will really grow during my internship with the help and guidance of these amazing music therapists.

If you could get lunch with one musician/band/artist, who would it be, and what would you ask?
I would definitely have to say John Mayer. As a guitar player, I have always been inspired by John Mayer’s innovative styles and artistry. I would definitely like to ask him what his songwriting process consists of and how he creates his unique picking styles.

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Camila, thanks for being such a bright spot on our team! Kristen, welcome to the family!
Everyone else, keep your eyes on these two – they’re headed for great things!

Mallory Even2018-01-03T05:31:39+00:00January 3rd, 2018|Music Therapy, news|

Fall 2016 Event Schedule

SEPTEMBER 2016

09.23.16 – Falls Prevention Day at Shepherd Center – (flyer: falls-prevention)
09.24.16 – Falls Prevention Day at West Cobb Regional Library
09.27.16 – Wellspring International Women’s Symposium, “The Impetus of Grief”

OCTOBER 2016

10.02.16 – Northside Perinatal Loss “Walk to Remember”
10.04.16 – Helping Mamas “Thrive” Event
10.10.16 – MMT presents at Georgia Health Care Association’s Activity Director Annual Meeting

NOVEMBER 2016

11.07.16 – Georgia Health Care Association’s Activity Director’s Training
11.11.16 – The Alchemy Sky Foundation Veteran’s Day Fundraiser
11.12.16 – MMT Vision Casting Retreat

admin2016-12-03T04:33:09+00:00September 15th, 2016|news|

Another Year of Amazing …

I will never forget the day this summer …

… that I received a phone call from the mother of a 13-year-old who had a terminal diagnosis. “I know that music therapy is effective for my child, but we cannot afford services on top of all of the medical bills. Is there a way that you can help?”

Because of our partnership with Wellspring International, my answer was, “Yes, we can help. We will have a music therapist come out to your home this week and begin services at no cost to you and your family.”

We received word last Friday that our grant-funded music therapy program, Songs of Hope, will be funded for the next fiscal year by Wellspring International (October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2017).

What does this mean for Atlanta?

It means that hospice patients and their families, bereaved children, and refugees that are currently residing in Atlanta, will all have access to music therapy services at absolutely no cost to them.

It means that patients and their families can be supported during their darkest and most difficult times. It means that children can begin their healing process and have a supportive presence throughout their grief and loss journey. It means that refugees of all ages and from all over the world can receive support during some of life’s hardest transitions.

**How has Songs of Hope already made in impact in Atlanta?**

One of our partner hospice companies, Ark Hospice, says this of the Songs of Hope Music Therapy Program:

Our Ark Hospice team is truly so thankful for the services that MMT has provided to our patients and families. We have seen how their calming presence and therapeutic sessions have improved our patients’ lives. They’ve helped our patients with pain management, encouraged healthy coping skills, improved their quality of life and have facilitated emotional expression, reminiscence, and life review.

They also served many of our patients individually, and one particular patient struggled through a period of depression related to feeling purposeless in life. As Sam continued to meet with her and connect through music, he was able to help restore some confidence in her spiritual purpose and was able to provide healthy distraction from her anxiety and physical pain. He taught her coping skills that she was able to use when our team was not there to provide reassurance. She always talked about how much she enjoyed his visits and how she felt calmer and more at peace as a result.

Another patient was unable to speak English – Spanish was her native language. Erin quickly volunteered to provide services to her and was able to play Spanish hymns and folk songs. Though this patient was nonverbal and Erin was only able to provide a few sessions before she was off of hospice services, her family was extremely appreciative and truly believed that her quality of life was greatly improved during her final weeks of life. They even asked Erin to play for her Memorial Service.

I know that these brief stories cannot adequately capture all that MMT had done, but I hope that they provide a snapshot of how music therapy has impacted our hospice patients throughout their end-of-life journeys. Thank you again for all that you do at Metro Music Therapy!

We are honored, humbled, and thrilled to be able to continue our partnership with Wellspring International in order to make a positive impact in the lives and hearts of the people of Atlanta.

admin2016-12-03T04:33:09+00:00September 1st, 2016|Grief & Loss, Hospice Music Therapy, MT in Healthcare, news|