My earliest memory of hearing the words “music therapy” was when I was 15 years old at my bi-weekly music lesson. My mother would graciously drive me from Petoskey to Traverse City so I could study bassoon and piano. One day at my music lesson, my teacher was trying to help me decide my future career. I knew I wanted to do something with music, but performing never felt right. She listed out the basic professions: band director, music producer, choir director, music librarian, solo performer, etc. Once we discussed all of these options, she said “there is something called music therapy.” We briefly discussed it, but the most she could explain was “music therapists use music to help people.” I left that lesson feeling interested, but my parents were skeptical.
A few months later, I was accepted into a boarding school called Interlochen Arts Academy. While completing my junior and senior year at IAA, I was set to focus on bassoon performance. Unfortunately, my Great Aunt Ruthie was diagnosed with moderate-severe Dementia during my first few weeks at IAA. My parents were in a unique position of running their own floor covering business, which thankfully provided a little flexibility to help Ruthie. Before my parents opened their flooring business in the early 2000s, my mom was a registered nurse. Mom felt fully equipped to take in Ruthie and make her a permanent resident of our home. Little did we know, Ruthie would live with us for a few years.
Occasionally on the weekends, I would come home from boarding school and hangout with Ruthie. She often didn’t recognize me or know that I was her niece. It all changed when I started singing to her. I would pull out my guitar and sing “Country Roads” by John Denver and “Jolene” by Dolly Parton. The second I would start each song, it was almost like a switch turned on in her brain. Ruthie would sing-along with me from memory, reminisce on personal memories from her younger years, and discuss specific memories she had with me as a young girl. At this point, I was just thinking how exciting it was that music had such a powerful impact on her life and made some of her most agitating days some of her best.
Singing to Ruthie became quite a routine. Ruthie had many highs and lows, and there were many moments we thought she would pass away. During one of these lows, I ended up coming back to Interlochen from spending an emotional weekend at home with Ruthie. I told my bassoon professor, Eric Stomberg, about my experience with Ruthie and how I felt like I was truly helping her with music. Dr. Stomberg was not only a professor at IAA, but also at the University of Kansas. He told me that my story with Ruthie sounds a lot like “music therapy.” This was when it all hit me... I had an immediate feeling that this was my calling and purpose in life. Dr. Stomberg encouraged me to attend junior day at the University of Kansas. During this visit, I sat in on a few classes at KU, met with the wonderful music therapy professors, and talked to countless students studying the profession. I had no idea that music therapy was such a growing field, and that it was an evidenced-based profession. I was hooked and I wanted to learn everything I could!
During the summer going into my senior year at IAA, I applied to KU and was immediately accepted. Not only could I study music therapy at one of the best schools in the country, I was also able to keep my bassoon professor, Dr. Stomberg. How lucky was I!
The next 4.5 years (which turned into almost 5.5 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic) was quite a journey. On May 24, 2023 I officially became a board-certified music therapist, and I will never let my dream and passion go. So many people need help and traditional talk-therapy is not their route. Music therapy offers a safe place to explore your feelings and bloom into your greatest potential. Not only am I passionate about music therapy and mental health, I am passionate about working with older adults like Ruthie, and young kiddos who need a safe space to grow. My practicum and internship experiences allowed me to explore a variety of clientele: ranging from children and adults with intellectual disabilities, adults with traumatic brain injuries, variety of mental health needs, and older adults with age related diagnoses.
With this long journey behind me, I am so honored and humbled to open my own private practice in northern Michigan. If you would like to learn more on how music therapy might benefit you or your loved one, please contact me via email | hannahhowellmtbc@gmail.com
In Loving Memory of
Ruth Caroline (Howell) Ware
April 18, 1930-January 10, 2018
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