Heart & Soul Music Therapy

08/07/2026

Prepping for the school year over here at H&S!! One of my favorite tools in session is drumming. I use it a lot in my clinic to target executive functioning skills.

If your kid struggles with focus, working memory, cognitive flexibility, or processing speed - they may need some love with executive functioning skills. Weekly 1:1 music therapy sessions can support and improve quality of life for kids who struggle here.

3 other ways to support your kids executive functioning at home:

1.) Remove invisible decisions
Reduce choices, use a 1-minute timer, break tasks into smaller parts (or ditch it and come back to it later), and pre-decide the when/where/how.

2.) Add external ignition
Timers that start automatically, verbal prompts, scripts, or songs (our fav). Use anything that gets the momentum going without relying on internal motivation!

3.) Body doubling
If starting a task feels easier with someone else present, that's actually nuerogical support

08/04/2026

07/31/2026

Free music therapy for kids with autism & special needs in East Nashville

We're hosting a FREE 8-week music therapy cohort for kids ages 0-5 on the autism spectrum or with intellectual/developmental differences, sponsored by Sony Music News. There's still time to join us for the last 2 weeks!

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/dEVD9gU1r4R9orez5 or link in bio

Every Saturday, 10:00 AM (last session August 8th)

Illuminate Academy, 1033 Burchwood Ave, Nashville, TN 37216

Caregivers and siblings always welcome. A true community space, a safe, child-led place for kids with special needs to sing, play, and connect. Completely free, thanks to grant funding.

Message us with any questions, we'd love to see you there!

07/21/2026

"I see your true colors shining through, I see your true colors, and that's why I love you."

This past week I had a client on the spectrum initiate saying "I love you" to his mom. He expressed he wanted just mom's voice, so I accompanied her on the guitar. Mom used to sing True Colors to him when he was still in her belly, and he sang along to the lines he knew so well. He sang "I love you"... and then he said it.

This was such a sacred moment and I thought about keeping it for just us three. But I wish more moms of special needs children knew how music can open doors in ways no other therapy can!!!

We owe this whole success story to ASDF who has made life change possible for kids with autism. We are so grateful for the scholarships you have provided for the families we serve. You continue to open doors for kids who need alternative ways of communication and we love partnering with you.

07/07/2026

Special needs moms!! 💛

We are hosting a FREE 8-week music therapy cohort :) If you have a kid ages 0-5 on the autism spectrum or with intellectual/developmental differences come join us for the last 5 weeks!

There's still time to join:
👉 https://forms.gle/dEVD9gU1r4R9orez5

Every Saturday at 10:00 AM (Last group is August 8th)

📍 Illuminate Academy, 1033 Burchwood Ave, Nashville, TN 37216

Caregivers and siblings always welcome. This is a true community space. This is a safe third place for kids/little ones to sing, and play together, built to support your child's development and your family's sense of belonging. Completely free, thanks to grant funding.

Let's build something good together in East Nashville. Message me if you have any questions or concerns. Excited to see you there.

06/28/2026

THANKS FOR THE LOVE Yung Gravy ❤️❤️❤️ Did you see our music video featuring Yung Gravy’s song SUPA GOOD!!! from Dog Man?! 🤍 Check it out and give our participants some love for their awesome performance! Like, share, comment 🥰👏🏼👍🏼

SUPA GOOD!!! Empower Me Center music video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CuDJQNsrn/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Learn more about Empower Me Center by visiting www.EmpowerMeCenter.com 🫶🏽

06/27/2026

Sing & Connect is back! Got a little one ages 0-5 on the autism spectrum or with intellectual/developmental differences? Join us for our free music therapy 8-week cohort in East Nashville.

Sign up with the form in our bio. We're capping it around 12 families, so don't wait too long 6 more weeks left! Saturdays at at 10:00 AM at Illuminate Academy, 1033 Burchwood Ave, Nashville, TN 37216

Caregivers and siblings are always welcome. We want this to be a true community space, a safe third place for families to connect, sing, and play together. This program is designed to provide connection, support development, and create a sense of community.

This is our first 8-week cohort of 4 (all at different sites across Middle Tennessee). This is all completely free thanks to grant funding. Let's build something good together in East Nashville for this first program!

06/26/2026

Beautiful Foundation!!

06/26/2026

Join Family Voices of Tennessee and Tennessee Disability Coalition on Friday, June 26th from 5pm-7pm CT and Saturday, June 27th from 8:30am-3:30pm CT, for our FREE Conference at the Hilton...

04/28/2026

Everything but the kitchen sink here 🫡 ready for sensory seeking, sensory avoiding, speaking, nonspeaking, and whatever today decides to be.

One of my clients has worked on breath control and speech with a duck caller!!!