“Hello, hello! I see you there in the green shirt, the green shirt, won’t you please tell us your name?” A child looks down to check before opening her eyes wide and pointing to her own shirt. The Music Therapist – Board Certified (MT-BC) responds, “That’s you! Welcome! Everyone say hi to Sarah!” Several shy children whisper their greetings and make brief eye contact. A father helps his toddler wave. An older child turns to shake Sarah’s hand and pronounces, “Hello!!! I’m Gaawry!!!” The MT-BC smiles, then challenges everyone to repeat the shirt’s color “green” before giving each child their own turn.

Next, the group sings, “Music sweet music, all children love music! We work real hard and have great fun, we know it’s therapeutic!” Every Tuesday morning and afternoon on the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital’s outpatient Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) floor, children with speech and communication delays achieve non-musical benefits through music therapy groups. These fun and innovative clinical services are funded by donations to Music Sweet Music, Inc. “Great singing! Let’s practice that big word, ‘therapeutic.’ Stick your tongue out a little and try it again. Yes! Timmy, that was great a “th” sound when you sang the word ‘therapeutic’!”

Before singing our ABCs or drumming today’s activities, before sharing instruments or labeling our emotions, we’ve already shown off our social skills, articulated several target sounds, demonstrated new confidence, and engaged successfully in a clinical environment. We have connected on an individual basis through music; the children are motivated to engage in SLP interventions without realizing how hard they’re working.

Whereas the children love the music, their families value the therapy. Music therapy is the clinical application of music, evidence-based interventions, and a unique therapeutic relationship in order to accomplish non-musical objectives.

Gary’s SLP goals include improved articulation and fluency, but we’re also working on executive functioning. His attention span is limited so it’s important to use patient preferred music, engaging activities, visual aides, transition songs, and verbal reminders. We adapt many familiar songs so that we practice key words, such as, “The ants go marching three by three, hurrah! Good three! Hurrah!” Gary’s academic focus is piqued by melody, and his need for social attention provided when he adheres to the expectations of this carefully constructed therapeutic environment. Gary is one of few children who joins group without family usually present, but once when his grandfather observed, Gary memorized all the words for a new song, waiting patiently while raising his hand before speaking out of turn, and proudly modeled how to pronounce therapeutic, fifth, and thank you. Grandfather’s smile was wide, and his love for his grandchild was bright.

Sarah seems to understand more than she can communicate. She was able to express herself through music instruments, and responded well to upbeat songs with characters and repetitive melodies. After several weeks of engaging in music play, onomatopoeia of percussive strikes, and listening to objects being labelled, Sarah saw a drum and pointed, “Boom!” Her vocabulary is now expanding to include, “Boom drum!”, Cookie Monster’s “Om nom nom nom!” to indicate something she likes, “up” and “down” for a favorite movement song, and “love-ou!” when she gives Mom a warm hug.

Timmy speaks English as a second language, but he’s also socially inhibited. When he first joined music therapy, his face was tucked tightly into his father’s chest. Age appropriate songs were fun enough to catch a brief moment of eye contact, but they also served to calm the other group members down. Then, it was the drums that achieved first eye contact. Timmy had a glimmer in his eyes, then turned away when he saw others looking. I met his height and offered him choice of percussion, and he selected the biggest djembe. Soon, he was playing alongside his peers, and next, he was even listening to directions about how to play the music. Before long, he was given the opportunity to lead the group, and he audibly verbalized, “Go!!!!”     Stop!  Go!!!!  Loud!!!!” Through a therapeutic relationship that allows children to feel secure, respected, and confident, we can now sing silly songs, make animal noises, drum our emotions, share something about ourselves, and more. Timmy’s answers are usually single word responses, but he is engaging, communicating, and growing.

Gary, Sarah, Timmy, and their expanding community of music group friends know the hello routine, they know how to follow directions with each week’s new interventions, they are comforted by transition songs, they actually look forward to the clean-up song, and after the hour quickly flies by they sing: “Goodbye friends, goodbye friends! Goodbye friends, I’ll see you another time!” Even the youngest, most inhibited child often shares a warm “Bye!” after spending time in Music Sweet Music’s SLP groups at the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.

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I am a Board-Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC), with a Master’s degree and additional NICU-MT training who engages in field research and leading local, regional, and national presentations.  I am also an active member of the Florida Music Therapy Task Force, a group working towards state licensure in order to protect the public and increase access to music therapy services.  I provide individual and group music therapy or multi-instrumental music lessons across the bay area through Music Sweet Music, Inc. and Music Therapy St. Pete, LLC.

My professional mission is to advance music, health, and humanity through compassionate, evidence-based music therapy, while continuing education, research, and advocacy.

Before joining the St. Petersburg community, I served as an assistant professor of Music Therapy through the Florida State University.  Some of the most challenging but rewarding courses in my teaching schedule included Orientation to Music Therapy, Anatomy for Music Therapy Practice, Advanced Guitar, and Music Therapy Methods Lab.  I also valued the chance to supervise clinical work through the PACE Center for Girls, Inc., Turn About, Inc., Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Rehabilitation Center, and my Veterans Creative Arts Therapy Rock Band.

Additional field experiences include MT for patients with serious mental illness in the Southwestern State Hospital of Thomasville, GA; groups of war veterans with PTSD in the Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL; individuals in the Tallahassee Leon Homeless Shelter; patients with acute mental health and/or substance use disorders in the Tallahassee Memorial Behavioral Health Center; individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury through local work and for the state association; children with speech and language disorders; and children on the Autism spectrum. My passion for the field has also inspired advocating MT at OneSpark, the world’s largest crowdfunding festival, as well as on local television, in career fairs, professional conferences, and in the Florida State Capitol.

Born and raised in Key West, FL, I love the ocean, live music, good coffee, and delicious food.  Please help me find the hidden gems here in St. Pete!  My hobbies include playing music, reading, and traveling.

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This stirring documentary follows social worker Dan Cohen, as he fights against a broken healthcare system to demonstrate music’s ability to combat memory loss and restore a deep sense of self to those suffering from it. Dan Cohen is founder and executive director of Music & Memory, which promotes the use of digital music players with individualized playlists to improve the quality of life for elders, regardless of their cognitive or physical status. He received his MSW from Adelphi University. Dan has spent most of his career helping individuals and organizations better leverage technology. Music & Memory operates in hundreds of long-term care homes across the U.S. and abroad.

Rossato-Bennett visits family members who have witnessed the miraculous effects of personalized music on their loved ones, and offers illuminating interviews with experts including renowned neurologist and best-selling author Oliver Sacks (Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain) and musician Bobby McFerrin (“Don’t Worry, Be Happy”).

An uplifting cinematic exploration of music and the mind, ALIVE INSIDE’s inspirational and emotional story left audiences humming, clapping and cheering at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award.

The documentary is available on Netflix and other media providers and can also be purchased. Visit the website and view the trailer at www.aliveinside.us.

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You, through your generosity and thoughtfulness, have touched the lives of 1,500 plus children in the Greater Tampa Bay region. The physiological and psychological stress that patients undergo during hospitalization can severely affect both emotional and physical well-being. Music therapy using patient-preferred music is beneficial in improving quality of life indicators such as anxiety, perception of the hospitalization or procedure, relaxation and stress in patients.

MSM has expanded its programs to include music therapy sessions for wounded veterans, seniors afflicted with memory loss, and the installation of our own “music as medicine” music therapy studio.  Additionally, we have continued and/or expanded music therapy sessions at PARC, Mannisota BUDS, All Children’s Hospital, St, Joseph’s Hospital for Children, Shriner’s Hospital for Children, and other venues.

Although many of the hospitalized children we serve have received treatment this year for life-threatening illness and disease, we constantly marvel at their resilient and indomitable spirit, their ability to smile and laugh when least expected or anticipated, and their willingness to provide for others even though they are suffering. Regardless of their condition, they truly embody the spirit of the holidays.

Your continued support allows us to continue our mission of providing music therapy sessions and the instruments used in music therapy to those in need. Partnering with you, we will continue our efforts to provide music therapy sessions and educate our community to the many benefits of music therapy.

Happy Holidays from our MSM “family” to yours!

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