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September 2025

For my 3rd blog post, I thought that it would be a fun idea to write about why I chose music therapy as my career. I was assigned to make a presentation about this same topic, and I have to present it in front of the whole team as well, so wish me luck for that!

My parents are both musicians, so music has always been a huge part of my life. My dad took a picture of me with every instrument so that when I grew up and inevitably became a musician, I would have a baby pic with my instrument. I guess they were right!

As I became older, I grew to really enjoy performing. Even though I was on the shy side, I just loved to be onstage singing. My passion started with singing with my mother at church events, then I joined the Boston Children’s Chorus, which gave me so many amazing opportunities. From there, I joined every opportunity that my high school had in the performing arts (choir, jazz band, dance, drama club, and music recording classes).

When it was time to apply to college, I was hesitant about pursuing music. The plan was to go to college, study psychology, and become a therapist. Psychology was another big interest of mine, and I knew that I wanted to help people, so this seemed like a good plan. But it felt wrong leaving music behind. So I auditioned for Berklee on a whim. Berklee was the only music college I applied for, and it was a last minute decision, so I told myself, “if I get into Berklee that is my sign that I should do music.” Well, spoiler alert, I got in! Now what? Well, ultimately my mother would only let me go if I agreed to study music education so “at least you’ll be able to make money.”

So then my journey as a music education major started. Around my 4th semester, I started to feel really burnt out. This was during remote learning (due to a certain virus), so that came with its own challenges as well. I was just not feeling inspired or driven to do any of my work. I remember that it was a specific class about studying for a test to get your teaching license (or something like that) and at the time I really couldn’t care less. I felt so lost and unmotivated, I didn’t know what I was going to do next. Thankfully, things slowly started to move back in person, and I joined an a capella group. This is where I met some friends, and when I told them about my predicament, they told me about their major: music therapy. I had never heard of music therapy, so when those words came out of their mouth, I knew I had to look into it immediately. After curiously taking an intro course, I switched my major to music therapy, and things finally started to feel right. After a few more years, I finished my coursework and walked at the 2024 commencement ceremony.

Something else I included in my presentation was my support system. When I was listening to other team members’ presentations,  many of them included this, and I think that is so important. So here I go! Of course my husband has been my rock through everything. It is such a good feeling to come home to him and our two cutie patootie pets after a long day. Additionally, my close friends are family to me, so I have to give them a shoutout as well. Since I am new to the area, I am still looking for groups I can join to meet more people as well (perhaps a choir or something like that). 

And finally, my ‘why’ statement: “I hope to use my musical talents and passion for the therapeutic power of music to help clients heal, connect, and achieve goals through music therapy.” That is for now at least, I feel like I need more time and experience to really get it right, but for now this is good. 

That is all for this post. I hope this was interesting and let you all know a bit more about little ol’ me. See you in the next one!

Leah K. Padilla, MTI

As part of my internship at The Music Therapy Center of California, I had the exciting opportunity to attend ACES grand opening of their Otay Ranch location which included a resource fair. ACES, which stands for Autism Comprehensive Educational Services, provides a range of services for individuals and families impacted by autism and other special needs, with a focus on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). They offer services in homes, centers, and the community, including early intervention, social skills groups, and support for students and educators. ACES also provides parent training and support that supports neurodivergent children and their families.  

This event was a vibrant gathering of professionals from diverse disciplines, all dedicated to sharing knowledge and resources with the community.

I attended alongside Carly, our center’s Operations Coordinator, who was instrumental in organizing our presence and connecting warmly with families. While Carly is not a clinician, her role was vital in making the experience welcoming and efficient.

At our booth, I provided demonstrations of music therapy techniques, offered educational materials, and engaged with parents eager to learn how music could support their children’s communication, emotional regulation, and sensory processing. The event was an excellent opportunity to practice advocacy and community education, sharing the unique benefits of music therapy in an accessible way.

This experience reinforced the importance of outreach and visibility in the field. Beyond direct clinical work, showing up in community spaces to educate and connect helps build bridges and increase access to music therapy services

  • Amelia Elbendary

I can’t believe I am approaching month 2 of internship – I feel like I just got here yesterday! I suppose that is because I am still getting used to everything. People here often say “no two days are the same,” and I have found that to be very true so far. I thought for my second blog post I would write some tips for getting through the first few weeks of internship, for any future interns out there reading this.

1) Pack a good lunch. This is VERY important. You are already going to be nervous and tired, and you don’t want to be hungry on top of that. Don’t be like me and at the last minute shove an apple and a whole jar of peanut butter into a bag. If you decide you’re going to go and buy lunch, you will barely have time to eat it before you need to get back to work…trust me, I tried! Driving while eating a Chipotle bowl is hard.

2) Keep a small notebook and pen with you in every session you observe. In your first few weeks you will be in an observation stage – don’t take it for granted! You are going to be learning so much and it’s impossible to remember everything, so that’s why it is important to jot things down. I am grateful for the notes I took because now I can refer to them as I am starting to session plan, write journal entries, and write client highlights.

3) Make your drive time purposeful. Since I live a bit further away, I have at least 1-2 hours of drive time everyday (or more if I have any additional driving other than my commute). Even if you live close by, you are most likely going to have a decent amount of time driving. Make use of this time. I’ve heard people say they like to listen to/memorize repertoire via a playlist, listen to any messages they missed, or do any other work while driving safely. I like to use my drive time as a way to recharge, whether that is listening to upbeat music and singing along, or driving in silence while taking some deep breaths. Find what works for you, but don’t just zone out, be purposeful!

4) Be honest. If you are feeling overwhelmed, let your supervisors or team know. If you are struggling with something, let them know. If you have a question, let them know. I know it may be tempting to want to just nod and smile, but if you have something on your mind let it be known!

5) Listen to yourself. Getting used to this new schedule is hard. Give yourself grace and listen to what your body is telling you. I have felt a little disappointed in myself for slacking on my runs since starting internship, but my body is also adjusting to a huge change. I’m waking up earlier, staying out later, and my mind is gloop after taking in so much information – of course I’m going to be exhausted. My body is telling me to rest, so I should listen. I am slowly reintegrating runs back into my routine as I am beginning to get used to this new schedule. I know moving my body is important and very much needed, but I also need to be patient and kind with my body when it is tired and getting used to a big change. 

6) Get it done ASAP. If you are moving from another state, be on top of your stuff! I tried my best to do this, but there are still a few things I have been pushing off that I should have done while waiting to start. Also when you begin, try your best to finish any assignments as soon as you can. There are a lot of things that can pile up quickly, so stay on top of it.

7) Be brave. You are going to feel uncomfortable, learn to work through that feeling and do it anyway. Take the initiative and jump in, even if it’s scary. Things get less scary when you do them over and over again. You’re a new intern, you’re expected to make mistakes and not quite know what you’re doing! Don’t let fear stop you from the opportunity to learn and grow. 

8) Be a sponge. Soak it all in, and be in the moment. Before you know it, you won’t be an intern anymore, so make the most out of it! I already feel like time is flying by.

I have been learning so much already. I am tired, but what a blessing it is to be tired from something that feels so fulfilling. If you are about to start your music therapy internship (looking at you Ashley 😉–next incoming fellow intern) I hope these tips were helpful to you. Cheers to entering month 2 of internship, see you all in the next one!

Leah K. Padilla, MTI

Hello everyone! My name is Leah Kazuko Padilla, and I am a new intern here at The Music Therapy Center of California. I thought for my first blog post I could share a little bit about who I am, and my journey that brought me to sunny San Diego. I was born and raised in the Boston area and went to Berklee College of Music for my studies in music therapy. I moved to San Diego from Pensacola, FL, as my husband is in the Navy and was stationed there. 

When I was finishing up my last year in college, my husband called to tell me we would be living in Pensacola. My first thought was to check if there were any internships in that area, as I was in my internship preparation class at the time. After searching, the closest internship I could find was almost 3 hours away, so the faculty at Berklee worked hard to find an opportunity for me. We ended up putting something together, but in the end that fell through as well. When this happened, I cried. I felt like my dream of becoming a music therapist was slipping through my fingers, fading away. I didn’t know it then, but everything would turn out just the way it was supposed to.

In hindsight I think this was the universe telling me I needed a break, as I was extremely burnt out after finishing college. At the time, I just wanted to get to the finish line and become a music therapist as soon as possible, but I was slowly losing sight of my “why”. When I was forced to take a break, it gave me time to grow. I was able to join a singing group for military spouses, which not only scratched my itch for performing, but gave me so many precious memories. I also was able to make some close friends at the customer service job I had there, whom I adore and still keep in touch with. With each day that passed, I became increasingly excited for the day I would get to be back in the music therapy world. Session planning, filling out data, practicing new repertoire, sweating while you’re running around carrying ALL the instruments, just being able to witness music therapy do what music therapy does… Then, finally, my husband got his new orders: California!

I don’t miss the weather in Florida, that’s for sure. But I do miss my lovely Belles, my sweet friends I made while chatting at the service desk, all the good eats, the comforting and familiar path I would take to walk my dog every night, and the list can go on (to the surprise of Leah in 2024). Everything that has happened has brought me right here, to the end of week two of my internship. Yes, there were some detours (and the military movers did in fact drop off an alarming amount of our household goods moldy and broken), but my family and I made it through a cross country road trip safe and sound (and had some fun too!). Now I finally get to pursue my dream, refreshed and focused. I am so very grateful to be here, and am looking forward to the journey of internship.

Leah K. Padilla, MTI

Me at graduation.

Some of my friends from work.

The Blue Anchor Belles

Me and my pets on the roadtrip to CA.

The first thing my husband and I ate when we arrived to CA was In-N-Out

My locker and my bag!

  • Leah Kazuko Padilla, MTI

One of the most impactful aspects of my internship was developing practical consultation materials designed to support educators and therapists (e.g. speech therapists, occupational therapists, etc.) in the special education school setting. These tools were created specifically for students receiving music therapy services as part of their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

For context, when a student receives music therapy as a related service on their IEP, the intervention must support access to their educational goals. Music therapy in this context is not standalone, it is carefully aligned with existing IEP objectives to help the student make meaningful progress in areas such as communication, motor planning, social skills, or emotional regulation.

The goals and created interventions were:

Goal: By 4/22/2026, when engaged in various classroom activities (e.g., morning meeting, rotations, free choice), Student X will be able to request and respond through use of 3-4 word phrases via spoken words or on their AAC device in 4/5 opportunities given no more than 2 direct models and/or gestural prompts as needed across 3/3 activities as measured by SLP logs.

  • Sentence Frames: Musical sentence frames paired with visual cues were designed to scaffold language development. These frames provided predictable structures such as “I feel ___ ” or “I want  ___ ” set to simple melodies. This approach gave students a framework for expressing feelings and desires even when verbal skills were limited or emerging.

__________________________________________________________________

Goal: By Plan Review 2025, when participating in a descriptive language task and given a familiar visual(s) and sentence frames, student X will respond using a preferred mode of communication (e.g. verbal expression, AAC) to a wh-question regarding category, feature, and/or function to describe similarities between 2 or more objects in 8/10 trials across 2 consecutive probes as measured by by SLP, music therapist, and staff data (Categories/objects chosen will be aligned to the greatest extent with the general education curriculum in which student is participating: e.g. human body parts will focus on life science functions of major body parts like the heart and digestive system)” identifying what is similar and different

  • Body Part Similarity Song: This intervention was designed to support the student’s use of descriptive language through music by identifying similarities between two or more body parts. Using rhythmic songs alongside familiar visuals and sentence frames, the student was prompted to respond to WH-questions such as “What is the same?”, “How are they alike?”, and “What do they both do?” The songs focused on body parts aligned with general education life science content (e.g., the heart, brain, and stomach) and encouraged the student to describe shared features, functions, or categories. Responses were made using the student’s preferred mode of communication, either verbally or with an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) device, which supports individuals with limited or no verbal speech. Music and movement were incorporated to support attention, engagement, and sensory integration while reinforcing concepts of comparison.

Creating these consultation tools was a rewarding experience that underscored the power of collaboration between music therapy and educational teams to foster meaningful growth. While I haven’t implemented these in session yet, the point of making consult materials is to target goals in a new and creative way that increases a student’s access to musical ways of learning in the classroom, and to meet the specific needs of a client. These interventions are given to therapists, teachers and aides  with directions on how to implement the resources  in session, and how to adapt it and generalize concepts outside of session. 

Amelia Elbendary