Rachel’s Story

Like most young children, my music career began with piano lessons. By the time I reached high school, I knew I wanted to continue my training in music, but was interested in a new instrument. With the guidance of an incredible music teacher, I developed my skills on the clarinet, and chose to pursue music even further by auditioning for Wilfrid Laurier University’s music therapy program.

Throughout my time at WLU, I studied clarinet under the direction of Ross Edwards and Peter Shackleton, as well as played in the WLU Wind Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Jessica Kun. I was given opportunities to learn other instruments as well, such as guitar, bass clarinet, and a variety of percussion instruments. These opportunities were a result of being a music therapy student - you can read about how I discovered music therapy here.

My formal music therapy training came from completing a 1000-hour internship under the supervision of Noreen Donnell. Through this internship, I was able to work with several different client populations that I continue to serve today. This includes but is not limited to Autism, Down’s Syndrome, long term care, traumatic brain injury, and premature infants in the NICU.

I was fortunate to have a positive environment to learn and develop my musical skills, and it is my goal to provide that same approach to students and clients. I am passionate and dedicated to enriching the lives of others through music to achieve their goals, and firmly believe that music can bring out the best in everyone.