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October 2025

My Why for Music Therapy

Music has been a constant throughout my life. From childhood, it was a source of joy, expression, and connection. Over time, I realized I wanted music to be more than something I loved personally. I wanted to share it in a way that could make a difference for others. Music therapy became the path that allowed me to combine my lifelong passion for music with my desire to help people grow, heal, and connect.

Building the Foundation at SUNY Fredonia

My formal journey in music therapy began at SUNY Fredonia, where I was fortunate to study under outstanding professors who not only taught me the foundations of music therapy but also nurtured my growth as both a musician and future clinician. I am especially grateful to Dr. Heeyoun Cho, Director of Music Therapy, who provided invaluable guidance and modeled the highest standards of clinical practice. I also had the privilege of working closely with my vocal coach, Angela Haas, and pianist, Sandra Leary, who were instrumental in shaping my musical development and providing constant encouragement throughout my studies. Fredonia gave me the tools, knowledge, and confidence to step into the field of music therapy with a strong foundation.

Expanding My Practice in California

After graduating, I moved across the country to complete my internship at the Music Therapy Center of California. This transition was both a challenge and a gift, offering me the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and fully immerse myself in clinical work. It was during this time that my therapeutic style began to flourish. I witnessed firsthand how music could provide comfort, inspire expression, and create connections for individuals of all ages and abilities. This experience deepened my commitment to the profession and strengthened my belief in the power of music therapy.

Support Along the Way

My journey has been made possible by the unwavering support of family and friends. My lifelong best friends, Ashley and Jason, have been by my side since the beginning, offering encouragement through every milestone. My family has been my foundation: my mother, Irini, my father, Magdy, and my three older brothers, Adam, Amir, and Alex, whose belief in me has always inspired me to keep moving forward.

During my college years, my closest friends and roommates, Sydney, Cailinn, and Helena, were constant motivators and cheerleaders. They supported me through challenges, celebrated achievements with me, and most importantly, helped me discover my true self. They will remain lifelong friends, and I am grateful to know that their presence and encouragement will continue to shape my life beyond college.

I am also deeply grateful to my partner, Justin Chadima, who has been my rock. His support and encouragement help me every day, and his presence continues to strengthen my commitment to this path.

Why I Chose Music Therapy

At its core, my reason for choosing this path is simple. I believe in the power of music to heal, to connect, and to transform. Music therapy allows me to channel this belief into meaningful clinical practice, supporting individuals in discovering new ways of expressing themselves, building confidence, and finding comfort.

Music therapy is more than a career to me. It is a calling shaped by my love for music, my desire to help others, and the steadfast support of the people who have walked beside me. Every client I work with reaffirms my “why”: that music can give voice to emotions when words are not enough, and can offer healing where silence feels too heavy.

  • Amelia Elbendary

After a string of challenging sessions, this week brought an unforgettable breakthrough with Duain. He came in with a whole new energy—and for the first time, he played three NEW and different instruments in one session: the guitar, piano, and ocean drum! Each one brought out a different side of him, and it was like he rediscovered his own musical voice.

What made it even more special was how he began to incorporate his AAC device more naturally into the session. He’s been slowly learning to use it, and today he started using it alongside the music to communicate more freely. It felt like everything started coming together—his confidence, his curiosity, and his voice (in every sense of the word).

Watching him explore, take initiative, and express himself so fully was one of those moments I’ll remember for a long time. It reminded me that growth doesn’t always happen in a straight line—but when it shows up, it’s magic.

Go Duain! Can’t wait to see where we go from here.

  • Amelia Elbendary

During my internship, I was honored to be invited twice as a featured musician and music therapist at Casa de Mosaic’s Adapted Story Time. Casa De Mosaic is an amazing non-profit in San Diego county whose mission is:

“to provide specialized training opportunities to adults with autism and other developmental disabilities requiring extensive support, particularly those facing significant language impairments and behavioral challenges.”

Adapted Story Time creates a supportive and inclusive space specifically designed for individuals with autism, helping them build social skills and feel a sense of connection and belonging.

Sessions typically include themed storytime led by a librarian, followed by a related craft or activity. Some sessions are also led by music and speech therapists, offering added opportunities for engagement and learning. Each session incorporated familiar songs, rhythmic activities, and opportunities for participants to contribute their own ideas. One example of an intervention I used at Adapted Story Time, was a friendship intervention. The book that was read was “What is a friend, and how do I possibly make one?” 

This book was all about how to be a good friend to others, and how you would want to be treated. After a hello song with the group, I asked what it meant to be a good friend. A participant raised his hand and said “to treat others how you would like to be treated”. I agree! That comment perfectly led us into our song “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars. Participants sang and filled in lyrics when prompted by the therapist.

I witnessed beautiful moments of connection as participants clapped, sang, and moved together, demonstrating the profound ways music can enhance storytelling and community.

What made these visits especially meaningful was the emphasis on choice and empowerment, participants were encouraged to lead, express, and celebrate their unique voices. The experience challenged me to balance structure with spontaneity, creating a welcoming space for creativity and joy.

These group sessions are a powerful example of how music therapy can extend beyond clinical goals to foster artistic expression and social inclusion. I am grateful for the chance to contribute to their community and inspired to continue exploring such collaborative, person-centered approaches in my career.

Amelia Elbendary

For this blog post, I am going to take you along with me for one full day. Here is my typical Thursday. Grab a snack and get comfy, it’s going to be a long one!

6:30am: Wake up!

6:40am: Get dressed and ready.

7:17am: Walk Basil 🐕

7:27 am: Feed my babies, Basil and Nori <3 (and feed myself)!

8:27am: Get my things together.

8:30am: Out the door, in my car, & ready for my long commute to Fredericka Manor!

9:40am: Arrive at Fredericka Manor, prepare for memory care groups.

10am-11:45am: Run group music therapy sessions at Summer House, and Summer House West (memory care).

12:12pm: Write notes/take data about the sessions!

12:30pm: Lunch time! Yum.

1pm: Run the Fredericka Choir rehearsal! On this day, we were preparing for the summer concert that took place the following week. I will include a picture from the concert as well, even though technically it was not this specific day I’m writing about, but I have to show you all! 🏖️

(Rehearsal)

(The concert, a week later)

1:57pm: Back to the music room at Fredericka, ready to run the clavinova class at 2pm! In the music room at Fredericka, there are 6 clavinovas (keyboard on steroids), where residents can come in and learn how to play! From teaching residents how to follow clavinova books where they can enable the accompaniment feature, to providing sheet music books for more experienced residents, I am there to assist and help with any questions the residents may have. 

2:27pm: Get text & picture from Basil’s walker that she was walked and taken care of. Yay! I always look forward to getting these texts. Basil loves rolling in the grass, she is so cute!!

3pm: Change into my shirt for Jam Session later, and head out! On this day I had a longer break in my schedule than usual, but this is not the case most of the time. Twice a month, I have an additional memory care group to run at 3:30pm at Ivy Park. And soon, on the weeks I don’t have Ivy Park, I will be running a group music therapy session for children on base at MCAS Miramar. But on this day, I happily took the break.

3:43pm: Stopped at Starbucks for a midday pick-me-up (they spelled my name wrong 😢).

4:45pm: Arrive at the Point Loma Jam Session location early, and take a nap in the car. Hey, got to catch up on rest whenever you can, right? This is intern life 😂!

5:30pm: Walk into the Point Loma Jam Session location, put on my lanyard, and help unload the van/set up all of the musical instruments. Jam Sessions are presented by Banding Together, a non-profit organization also founded by Angela and Julie (when you are an intern at the MTC, you are also an intern at Banding Together). Here is a snippet from their website: “Jam Sessions are one-hour music therapy groups at a local community venue to promote socialization, emotional expression, community inclusion and communication. During this group, the participants join together to sing and play instruments with a different guest artist musician each week. Participants are paired with volunteers in the community who act as mentors in the program.”

6:29pm: Ready for Jam Session to start!

8:11pm: Jam Session ✅.Van loaded ✅. Time to help the volunteers take data on their participant and debrief the successes and challenges of the Jam Session. Plus, snack time!

8:45pm: Point Loma Jam Session is all wrapped up, I’m out the door and in my car driving home.

9:37pm: I’m home!!!! Finally 😭.

9:40pm: Wind down, have a snack, watch a bit of TV (Dandadan Thursdays, IYKYK).

10:30pm: BEDTIME!!!! 😴

So yes, I was awake from 6:30am-10:30pm, pretty brutal. But what a privilege it is to be tired from doing things you are passionate about. Music therapy isn’t always easy, but the small breakthroughs I see everyday make it incredibly meaningful. And above all, I’m always excited to see what the next day will bring, and how I will continue to learn and grow throughout this internship.

See you in the next blog post!

Leah Kazuko Padilla, MTI