Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Spring 2026 19 Music Therapy By Wendy Woolsey You know those moments that open your eyes to new possibilities? It was such a moment with my family that led me to music therapy as a career. My grandmother had Parkinson's disease. Toward the end of her life, my mom and I took the bus from California to Washington to see her. My grandmother was in a lot of pain, and nothing provided relief—until the singing started. Mom and her sisters used to sing a lot as a trio, and I listened as they harmonized the songs that marked moments in their lives and sparked stories, laughter, and tears. When I looked at my grandmother, she didn't have pain etched in her features. She looked peaceful, mouthed the words, and even sang at times. On the bus ride home, I told my mother that if there wasn't a career where music was used as therapy, then I would make one up! It was my choir teacher who told me about the field of Music Therapy and the program at the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music in Stockton, CA. I entered college knowing I wanted to be a music therapist, and earned my BM in Music Therapy and minor in Communicative Disorders from Pacific in 1994. There, I was also charter president of the Eta Omega chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, which started my lifelong journey with SAI. Music therapy training consists of the course work—including proficiency in piano, voice, guitar, and percussion— practicum hours in the community, an intensive internship, and passing the Board Certification exam. After my coursework and practicum hours, I completed my internship at the Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute in San Francisco. This provided invaluable training that I would reference throughout my career. I passed the board exam and became a Board-Certified Music Therapist in January 1995. The following month, I got married and started my first job at Mercy Retirement and Care Center the day after we returned from our honeymoon. Mercy was a wonderful first job that provided the opportunity to work with older adults and enable a range of cognitive, emotional, social, and physical experiences to help residents maintain their highest quality of life. Toward the end of my time working at Mercy, I returned to Pacific for a Masters in Music Therapy. With a Masters, I developed and directed the recreation and rehabilitation program for the retired Jesuit priests and brothers in the California province of the Catholic Society of Jesus. This unique opportunity came to a close when we started our family. When the children were young I took a few contract jobs and also went into homes and facilities to provide group and individual music therapy sessions with adults and children with neurological disabilities. Working on gait training, voice, balance, and relaxation for adults with Parkinson's and Huntington's disease; teaching reading, pre- math skills, and social skills for a child with autism; and helping seniors transition into a long-term care facility kept me active in the field while raising our family. I was also on the Board of Directors for the western region of the American Music Association, serving as a Council Coordinator and later Vice President, and as board member and Chair of the Certification Board for Music Therapists. Seattle Pacific University (SPU) is the only university training program for music therapy in the state of Washington. As soon as I moved to Redmond, WA, I started working there as a clinical supervisor to support students in their practicum work. Soon after, the program received a grant to expand clinical practicum opportunities in the Puget Sound region, to which I was hired. I worked there for fifteen years as an instructor of music therapy and the music therapy clinical coordinator. Learning with students and colleagues as the field of music therapy evolved through research, a pandemic, and clinical experience has been fulfilling. I'm thankful for each person who has supported my growth and development and challenged me to be and do better over the years. As it became clear that SPU was no longer the best home for a music therapy program to thrive, the decision was made to close the program and move it to another university in Washington. I decided this was a good time to retire. I am thankful for that moment when I was seventeen that set me on this amazing music therapy career path. I am grateful to the people I have met, and those with whom I worked and shared music therapy. I am hopeful that those who could benefit from working with a music therapist will have the opportunity to live their best lives with a little help from the power of music and a Board- Certified Music Therapist. Wendy Woolsey is an initiate of the Eta Omega chapter at the Conservatory of Music at the University of the Pacific. She is a current affiliate of the Seattle Alumnae Chapter, and previous affiliate of the San Francisco Peninsula Alumnae Chapter. She is a recently-retired music therapist after over thirty years. Wendy is a recipient of the Sword of Honor. My Career as a Music Therapist My Career as a Music Therapist

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