By Brianna Larsen

Michelle founded Coast Music Therapy in 1999 in order to expand opportunities available for families seeking San Diego music therapy services to give their children a new approach to learning. In addition to her degree in music therapy, Michelle completed her graduate studies with a specialization in Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at San Diego State University. Michelle has served on numerous special needs non-profit boards and was awarded the Volunteer of the Year award by the Combined Health Agencies and San Diego Autism Society for her efforts. She currently is on the advisory committee for The Songstream Project and assists in coordination for the San Diego Music Therapy Association. Michelle is also the co-creator of the Tuned in to Learning® music-assisted learning curriculum, designed for special education. – See more at: http://www.coastmusictherapy.com/about-us/our-team/#sthash.a2TyV5Dm.dpuf

1. What is your current job?

 Owner and Director of Coast Music Therapy and Tuned in to Learning

(Here’s the website: http://www.coastmusictherapy.com/)

2. Would you say MusicWorx helped you get to where you are today?

Definitely!

3. What drew you to the MusicWorx internship?

 I was planning on an internship in Texas which was delayed and found Barbara while I was in San Diego. Barbara’s presence in the community, the variety of clients and business model were definitely of interest.

4. What was your favorite moment of your internship experience?

My favorite part experiencing the diversity of the client base.

5. Are there any aspects of what you learned at MW internship that best prepared you for your career today?

Barbara’s business model and encouragement for music therapists to create new jobs was extremely helpful.

6. What was one of your biggest challenges during your internship? 

Meeting with higher level administrators, doctors, etc. without yet having the full knowledge of a therapist was a big challenge.

7. What would be your one piece of advice to future MusicWorx interns? 

Take advantage of the wealth of knowledge Barbara has to offer!