Guitars & Granola Bars

In this episode, I'm chatting with music therapist Jennifer Whitlow. Jennifer talks about starting her private practice while pregnant, why she actually enjoyed her labor and delivery, and her adjustment to new motherhood as a business owner. Jennifer is a board certified music therapist with degrees in Music, Psychology, and Music Therapy. After completing her Music Therapy degree in 2011, she began working with individuals with special needs and married her husband Chester. Now settled in Indianapolis, Jennifer has completed the advanced training, Neurologic Music Therapy. After working in the field for nearly four years, she opened her company Dynamic Music Therapy LLC, a Medicaid Waiver provider that provides individuals with special needs music therapy services. In May of 2015 Jennifer and Chester welcomed their beautiful daughter Elizabeth Esther into the world. As well as being a business owner and mom, Jennifer serves as the public relations chair for the Association for Indiana Music Therapy and

In this episode, I'm chatting with music therapist Kimberly Sena Moore. Kimberly talks about how she and her family navigated 5 years of major transitions, her role as a music therapist in the academic setting, and her approach to parenting as a full-time working mom. Kimberly is a board certified music therapist who joined the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music in Fall 2014 as an Assistant Professor of Practice and Clinical Training Director. Through her role as Regulatory Affairs Associate for the Certification Board for Music Therapists, she is involved in state-level advocacy, legislative, and policy issues affecting music therapy practice. Online, Dr. Sena Moore co-hosts the Music Therapy Round Table podcast, and blogs at “Your Musical Self” for Psychology Today and Music Therapy Maven. Her clinical and research interests center on music therapy and emotion regulation development in neurodevelopmentally at-risk children. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with music therapist Morgan Sparks. Morgan talks about her unconventional path to music therapy, teaching Kindermusik classes just 6 days postpartum, and the give-and-take that comes with raising a young child and owning a business. Morgan is owner of Rhythm Garden Music LLC, where she offers music therapy services, early childhood arts programming, and private music lessons in her hometown of Jasonville, Indiana (pop. < 3000). Morgan also serves as president of her state's music therapy association. She her and husband Brandon have been married 3 years and are parents to Ian, their 17-month-old very energetic little boy. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with music therapist Ashley Lundquist. Ashley talks about how losing her voice affected her music therapy career, the way she incorporated music during her labor and delivery, and how she is settling into her role as a first-time mom just a few weeks postpartum. Ashley owns a small business named Healing Melodies Music Therapy in which she works part time as a private music therapist. She also works with the Wounded Warrior Project providing support for those with traumatic brain injuries. Ashley is currently on maternity leave and had her son a little over 3 weeks ago as of this recording. She lives in Rosenberg, Texas and is married to her husband of almost 5 years. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with music therapist Megan Resig. Megan talks about opening up a 6,000 square-foot facility with 12 employees while her daughter was just an infant, the role her husband played in helping make that possible, and how she’s setting an example for her daughter by doing work she loves. Megan is the co-founder and director of Spectrum Creative Arts, a Rochester-based creative arts center specializing in offering music, art, creative arts therapy, and theatre programming to individuals of all ages and abilities. She is also mom to a precocious three-year-old daughter (who is obviously destined to become president one day!), and is constantly searching for that perfect balance between work and motherhood. Fleeting moments of free time are spent planning murder mystery parties and nerding out with her husband/partner-in-crime. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with music therapist Maggie MacArthur. Maggie talks about the many plates she was spinning during her pregnancy, her realization that she wasn’t meant to be a stay-at-home mom, and how her son’s orthopedic condition has helped her better relate to her clients’ families. Maggie lives in Fairport, New York with her husband John and son Keegan. She is the Music Therapist for Brockport Central School District and received her Masters degree from Nazareth College of Rochester. In addition to music therapy she teaches early childhood music classes and plays the fiddle in her band The Strings. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with music therapist Catherine Hershey. Catherine talks about completing her internship in NYC while pregnant, how starting her blog was a turning point in her postpartum year, and the unique opportunity she has to design her ideal music therapy career. Catherine is a Board Certified Music Therapist currently filling the role of stay-at-home-mom to an energetic 1 year old boy. She maintains her professional identity by blogging, networking with other music therapists, and seeking out opportunities for advocacy. Catherine enjoys exploring San Diego with her toddler and husband, reading old books, and drinking the occasional glass of wine. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with music therapist Lesleigh Zundt. Lesleigh talks about pursuing her music therapy degree while raising a young daughter, overcoming baby blues after the birth of her son, and her adventures in pumping as a working mom. Lesleigh is a wife to JJ, a mom to Aliah (6) and Titus (1), and has been a Board Certified Music Therapist for almost 2 years. She lives in Canyon, TX home of her Alma Mater, West Texas A&M University. She works in Amarillo as a music therapist in the public school system, and contracts with a few companies to provide private music therapy services to individuals in the Amarillo area. Lesleigh and her family spend lots of their time volunteering at church, going to baseball or soccer practice and games, and attending football games in the fall. When she isn't on the go, Lesleigh enjoys reading, drinking coffee, and watching her babies grow! For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with Kathy Schumacher. Kathy talks about her early success in the private practice setting, how she has structured her career around her family since having her children, and her adventures in creative entrepreneurship. In this episode, I’m chatting with Kathy Schumacher. Kathy is a music therapist, a lifelong learner with a pile to read in every room, and mom to three children—ages 8, 10 and 12. She has worked in private practice the majority of her 19 year career and has developed a specialty area of literacy and math tutoring through music. She currently lives in rural Wisconsin where she enjoys camping with her family (usually in the backyard) and tends 50-100 tomato plants every summer. In her spare time, Kathy blogs at www.TunefulTeaching.com. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with Janet Stephens. Janet talks about her path that led to having a large family, the evolution of her successful business, and how her “big picture” mentality allows her to prioritize the important things in life. Janet is the creator, seamstress, and entrepreneur behind Bear Paw Creek, founded in 2000 to meet the needs of the music therapy profession. The original focus was movement props and bags for organizing and the traveling therapist. It has continued to grow and encompasses a larger market, both stateside and internationally. She lives in Southwest Missouri on 60 acres with her husband, eight children, and various animals. Along with running a business and homeschooling her children, Janet enjoys playing games with her kids, fishing, books, and of course, sewing. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with Lauren Servos. Lauren talks about her experiences working in many different capacities at the same hospital, shares her beautiful natural birth story, and how she overcame the emotional challenges of working with medically compromised children after returning from maternity leave. Lauren has been a board-certified music therapist since 2009, and currently works at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, where she has been working in various capacities since she completed her internship. Lauren opened her private practice, Joyful Melodies, in the spring of 2015. She is the wife of her high school sweetheart, Nathan, and the mother of their 15 month old daughter, Mary Mae. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with JoAnn Jordan. JoAnn talks about discovering her passion for working with two seemingly opposite populations, raising her daughter and building a private practice in a rural area, and how she’s adjusting to life as an empty nester. JoAnn and her family live in Hays, Kansas. She is the owner of Music Sparks - a music therapy private practice serving older adults and preschoolers. Leading intergenerational sessions is her favorite each week. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with Alana Seaton. Alana talks about having her life interrupted by not 1 but 4 hurricanes, the birth and postpartum experiences she had with her two girls, and the parallels between being a mom and a music therapist. Alana is a Master's level music therapist in Knoxville, TN. She currently has a part-time private practice, and a part-time position with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra's Music & Wellness Program. She has experience with diverse psychiatric populations, special needs populations, and is currently conducting research with the KSO on the effects of live music on waiting room behaviors. Alana is mommy to a musical 7 year old, mobile 10 month old, 2 geriatric kitties, and wife to a funky bass-playing husband. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm doing something a little different: instead of interviewing a guest, I'm sharing my own experiences with motherhood and working as a music therapist. I talk about cutting my undergraduate experience short to pursue music therapy, working 12-hour days at the beginning of my career, and making huge changes to my private practice while caring for a newborn and toddler. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with Jennifer Hezoucky. Jennifer talks about her long gap between finishing school and getting her first music therapy job, raising two teenagers while building a private practice, and how implementing the "miracle morning" has changed her life. Jennifer is a Board Certified Music Therapist and lives in Jacobsburg, Ohio which is southeast part of the state. Jennifer has been a music therapist for almost 8 years and owns her own private practice. Last summer she recently quit her full time music therapy position to work her business full time. Jennifer has two teenagers and lives on a 48 acre farm with her husband in which both of them love to garden and raise Scottish Highland Cattle. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with Michelle Erfurt. Michelle talks about her zen pregnancy experience, making the decision not to return to clinical work after maternity leave, and why she prioritizes self-care. Michelle is a music therapist and virtual assistant who has a passion for helping people. Her professional life began by providing music therapy services in hospitals and hospice agencies while being active online with a music therapy centered podcast and blog. After the birth of her son 2 years ago, Michelle has left the clinical side of things to focus on her online pursuits. She is the co-owner of MusicTherapyEbooks.com, an online bookstore that promotes ebooks written by music therapists. Michelle also offers virtual assistant services to busy private practice owners so that they can devote their professional time to working with others. When she isn't working, you can find Michelle at home with her son watching Curious George. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.

In this episode, I'm chatting with Karen Sanchez. Karen talks about pursuing multiple degrees and how they have benefited her private practice, lets us in on her strategies for managing her family of five’s busy schedule, and shares how she keeps up her musicianship (in all her spare time, ha!). Karen is a mom of 3 very active boys ages 13, 8, & 6 and also the Director/Founder of In Harmony Music Therapy Services in Stockton, CA, which has been serving the community since 2002. She currently has 4 other music therapists on staff providing services across 6 different counties in Northern California. Karen is in her second year of a PsyD in Clinical Psychology program, has a double MBA in Entrepreneurship/Health Care Management, has been married for almost 15 years, is a very busy soccer mom, and volunteers endless hours at her church and children's school. Needless to say, she relies heavily on technology to stay afloat and juggle all of it- while loving every minute! For show notes from this episode, visi

In this episode, I'm chatting with Noel Anderson. Noel talks about working in private practice, the challenges of being pregnant with twins, and the importance of giving yourself grace when it comes to both motherhood and career. Noel is owner of Anderson Music Therapy Services (www.amusictherapy.com) in Roanoke, Virginia. Her clinical work has included working with children through adults with various developmental and neurological disabilities; including cerebral palsy, chromosomal abnormalities, intellectual disabilities, brain injury, and autism. Noel holds a Masters degree from Temple University, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the past she has enjoyed serving as the regional treasurer as well as the secretary for MAR-AMTA. She has also served on the Financial Advisory Committee for the national organization of the American Music Therapy Association. She hopes to return to serving the region once her boys give her a moment to sit down (without being a "jungle gym"). For show notes from this episode,

In this episode, I'm chatting with Andrew Knight. Andrew talks about making the shift from clinical work to academia, the active role he plays in his children's extracurricular activities, and how his self-care practices are actually benefiting the field of music therapy. Andrew is assistant professor of music therapy at Colorado State University, having taught at University of North Dakota before that. His clinical work included an internship in behavioral health in Milwaukee and professional work with adults with dementia and Parkinson's disease, children with developmental disabilities, and young children with language impairments. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.

In this episode, I'm chatting with William Murray. Bill talks about the challenges of being a male in a female-dominated field, how starting a family ignited his passion for working in pediatrics, and the rock band he started which is doing some extraordinary things. Bill has been a practicing Music Therapist for 12 years, specializing in pediatrics working with children and youthwith special needs. Throughout his career, Bill has developed, implemented and evaluated Music Therapy programs for not-for-profit organizations across Southern Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area. He holds a Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Guelph and an Honors Bachelor of Music Therapy Degree (Minor in Psychology) from the University of Windsor. As Director and Lead Clinician for Accent Music Therapy, Bill is committed to providing industry-leading care. For show notes from this episode, visit www.guitarsandgranolabars.com.