We are passionate. We are experienced. We truly believe in the power of music to transform lives. We work as a team, drawing from our diverse clinical and academic backgrounds, because caring for clients and supporting their families and caregivers is our top priority. It is our joy to work where art and science meet and we are honored that so many families trust us to care for their loved ones.
A board-certified music therapist, Meredith uses her broad-based clinical training to create effective, customized treatment approaches, both in individual therapy and group programming. Her ability to connect with clients and to apply her knowledge of diverse models of music therapy through creative and engaging interventions is the hallmark of her clinical work.
Though Meredith started in music at the age of five studying classical piano under the direction of her mother, she was more intrigued and motivated by the power of music to move people and touch lives. Seeking a field that combined her love of people and her love for music, Meredith pursued a degree in music therapy at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on a full tuition academic scholarship.
After graduating summa cum laude, Meredith relocated to Austin, Texas and completed her training at the San Antonio State Hospital as a music therapy intern, before receiving her board certification in early 2008. Meredith received additional training in neurologic music therapy (NMT) from the Center for Biomedical Research in Music at Colorado State University in 2011.
With a commitment to compassion and excellence, Meredith founded North Austin Music Therapy in 2010 to expand possibilities for children to seniors through the power of music. She has extensive experience in providing on-going individual treatment to diverse clients of all ages and facilitating both large and small groups. She also created and developed the Musically Engaged Seniors program, a unique music therapy-based program for older adults. In addition to designing and implementing effective treatment plans in meeting a wide range of cognitive, emotional, and physical needs, Meredith is experienced in creating customized treatment approaches based in the behavioral, neurological, improvisational, and psycho-social therapeutic models.
In addition to her clinical work, Meredith is also gaining recognition as a presenter and recent engagements include the National Music Therapy Conference in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2018, the Texas Parent to Parent State Conference in 2010, 2011, and 2014, the Brain Injury Association of Texas State Conference in 2011, and the Mensa Regional Conference in 2018. Additionally, she has a course, Zero to Full Time: Older Adults, published on musictherapyed.com. Her first book, Musically Engaged Seniors was published in 2013 and is now used in music therapy college curriculums. She co-authored a second book, Music, Memory and Meaning, which was published in 2017.
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Tara has always had a passion for helping others. At a young age she began playing and listening to music with her father and started formal instruction during elementary school. It was Tara’s passion for helping others and her love of music that led her to a career in music therapy. As a board-certified music therapist, she believes in building meaningful relationships and fostering connections through musical experiences.
Tara continued to develop her skills and received her music therapy degree from Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. While there, she received awards for Music Therapy Professional Service and The Music Therapy Scholastic Award. Tara felt strongly about providing quality care and services for older adults and went on to complete her internship at Ruxton Health of Winchester.
After passing her board certification exam, Tara accepted a job with Sunrise Senior Living, in Bethesda MD. As the activities director she provided group and individual music therapy services and led a variety of structured and spontaneous creative activities. She went on to accept a full-time music therapy position at a dementia care community in Skyesville, MD. While there, Tara had the opportunity to create, develop and implement a multi-sensory music therapy program for groups, individuals, and those receiving hospice care. She decided to work closer to home and started her own private practice working with older adults both in communities and at their homes. During this time Tara presented on music therapy and dementia, supervised both observation and practicum students, and spread the word about the benefits of music therapy throughout the Washington D.C. area.
Tara relocated to Austin in 2016 and has enjoyed continuing to share and expand her skills and expertise. She has over ten years of clinical experience and has had extensive training in Alzheimer’s and dementia care. She co-authored the book, Music, Memory, and Meaning published in 2017 and continues to present on music therapy and dementia. Tara is passionate about music therapy, is committed to fostering meaningful relationships, and above all loves to engage in shared music experiences with older adults.
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Brandy Jenkins, MA, MT-BC moved to Austin in the Spring of 2018, and currently serves adults with IDD, well older adults, and those living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Brandy has experience in working with children with varying needs, both in and out of the school setting. She also has training in ABA principles and Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) techniques. Additionally, Brandy has completed training for Level II of the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM).
Brandy graduated from West Texas A&M University (BM – Music Business) in 2008. In 2010, she decided to pursue her degree in Music Therapy through the Masters Equivalency program at Texas Woman’s University. Brandy has been board certified since 2013 and graduated with her Masters in Music Therapy in 2016.
Though able to employ a variety of techniques, Brandy believes in a humanistic foundation through which individuals are supported as a whole and not simply as a diagnosis.
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Annie's music therapy practice emphasizes a strengths-based approach while also incorporating techniques supported by research to assist all of her clients in reaching their goals. Annie’s clinical experience with children, adults, and seniors has enabled her to learn from a variety of populations, including clients with traumatic brain injuries, autism, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Providing empathic, individualized treatment is fundamental to her practice.
Annie's journey to music therapy began when, at her father's urging, she started taking piano lessons as a young child. After this initial entrance into the musical realm, she pursued her music studies with her own fervor. While studying piano at the University of Texas at Austin, she became interested in styles and applications of music beyond classical performance. As a result, she took jazz lessons and became involved in the ethnomusicology ensembles. Only after completing her undergraduate degree in music from the University of Texas at Austin did she discover the world of music therapy from a book by former neurologist Oliver Sacks. In 2014 she went back to school to receive her master’s equivalency degree in music therapy from Sam Houston State University. While there, she gained a strong foundation in both neurologic and behavioral music therapy, and conducted research on cultural awareness within the music therapy field.
Annie currently works in Austin and the surrounding areas with children, teens, and adults. She received her board-certification in 2016 and completed her graduate coursework in music therapy through Sam Houston State University in 2017. Annie hopes to continue to promote research and spread knowledge that will benefit more individuals in need and further the growth of the music therapy field.
Less >>We are thrilled to provide the highest quality of music therapy and related services in both individual and group sessions. We specialize in serving aging adults and those with autism, developmental challenges, and neurological diseases or injuries. We create a success-oriented and supportive environment to foster growth and enable change, while still challenging clients to expand their functional abilities through customized interventions. We are committed to an approach that fuses compassion and excellence, and incorporate a variety of therapeutic approaches through innovative groups and creative interventions to best serve our clients.
We are proud to serve clients both in-home and in residential communities and day programs all across the Greater Austin Area. In addition to our clinical work locally, we are thrilled to be able to offer consultative services nationwide. We’ve been published, featured on our local news, and speak regularly at conferences and events locally, regionally, and nationally.
Featured on KVUE News
Featured on MusicTherapyED.com
Featured on KVUE News
Featured on MusicTherapyED.com
