Greater Chicago Music Therapy Inc.

05/25/2026

Shoutout to Melissa for starting new groups at Clarendale of Mokena!

Our residents started their day on a high note with a rejuvenating Music Therapy session.

05/22/2026

We often talk about HOW and WHY music therapy helps, but what do we actually DO to address the health and wellness goals we are targeting in sessions?

1️⃣ Recreative music making: Singing or playing instruments to a pre-existing song. Maybe we are singing Over the Rainbow to strengthen the vocal mechanism with the octave jumps in the song or playing instruments in a non-traditional way to strengthen upper extremity movement.

2️⃣ Receptive music: Listening, guided relaxation, or lyric analysis/discussion. Maybe we are listening to Elvis sing Can’t Help Falling In Love With You to prompt a discussion about the first wedding dance with the client’s late spouse because their anniversary is coming up or providing training on how to use music to “reset” in the middle of the day.

3️⃣ Improvisation: Spontaneous music making. Maybe we are prompting a musical conversation on a drum, going back and forth with a client who is unable to speak anymore but will communicate via music or giving a patient the opportunity to express themselves on a pentatonic xylophone (there are no wrong notes!)

4️⃣ Composition: Songwriting or creating new music. Maybe we are asking a memory care group about what they like to do in the water during summer time and rewriting My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean at the same time or writing a song with a client who just got diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease about their grief and unknown future to help process their emotions.

As you can tell, music therapy is vast in how we can uniquely collaborate with our clients to provide support.

Check out our website for more resources and to get in touch! www.greaterchicagomusictherapy.com

05/18/2026

Apologies for the late notice but please join us TONIGHT if you are in the area!

Explore the health benefits of music with a professional music therapist this Monday evening at 7.

05/14/2026

Did you know our team of 8 music therapists are licensed professional AND board certified music therapists? Like other health professions, our licensure ensures stakeholders and clients are working with a credentialed clinician in addition to title protection - someone cannot use “music therapy” or “music therapist” unless they have the LPMT distinction. This mitigates misinformation for the public and provides quality services for the community!

↪️ Additionally, because of the new licensure, music therapy was added to the Medicaid package in Illinois and will be able to start billing in 2027, opening up access to music therapy to SO many people in need of support. (This is the first reimbursement of its kind in the whole country! 😱)

Want to learn more? Let us know! Message us or visit our website at www.greaterchicagomusictherapy.com !

05/06/2026

Listen to this little guy today! 🎶🎵

05/05/2026

Greater Chicago Music Therapy is proud to be the newest member of the National Aging In Place Council, Chicagoland Chapter!

NAIPC is a national network focused on local support, education, and planning - providing resources for aging adults and caregivers to continue to live at home as needs change.

05/04/2026

Yesterday afternoon, we had the pleasure of speaking at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Program Open House. Our Clinical Supervisor Mia highlighted how and why music therapy can help the symptoms associated with PD and related movement disorders from functional movement to speech/communication, cognition, and psychosocial needs. Thanks for having us and providing this educational afternoon to the community!

04/30/2026

Today is a big day… it’s our intern Madelynn’s LAST DAY! 🥳 This means that she has completed all of her coursework, her 6 month clinical internship, is officially ready to graduate (next weekend!), and will be sitting for her board exam to become the newest board certified and licensed music therapist on the block!

Madelynn, you have some of your biggest cheerleaders here at GCMT and we are so lucky to have you join our profession! CONGRATULATIONS! 🤩

Also want to give a huge shoutout to her lead supervisor Mia and supporting supervisors Becky, Laura, Tressa, and Heather! Thank you all for your thoughtful feedback and creating a wonderful experience for Madelynn!

04/27/2026

On April 16th, our director Becky presented “Music Therapy in Aging and Dementia” at Elderwerks Educational Services’ 2026 Northwest Aging and Dementia Symposium at The Garlands of Barrington. Thanks for having us and bringing music therapy to this impactful event!

04/23/2026

Last chance to get the link - RSVP below!

04/23/2026

At the GLR Conference back in March, Mia, the interim president of the Illinois Association for Music Therapy, presented Melissa with the 2026 IAMT Nancy Swanson Service Award! Melissa serves our Southern suburban area. Congratulations, Melissa!!