Sigma Alpha Iota

20 Spring 2026 • sai-national.org Music Therapy The f i eld of music therapy built its strong roots after WWII, and Sigma Alpha Iota was one of the first organizations to support the practitioners who were using music to soldiers returning home from battle. Yet, even today, many do not understand the rigorous training required and evidence-based practice that MT- BCs (Board-Certified Music Therapists) engage in to harness the healing powers of music. Yvonne Glass was first introduced to the field at the age of 14 when she attended a church-sponsored service camp. There, she lived for two weeks at a residential facility that provided care for children and adults with developmental, intellectual, and physical disabilities. Even before she had heard of the field, she was able to observe and work with a music therapist there who was using Kodaly hand signals to lead a session for adults making music with therabells. This exercise created an opportunity for group members to develop social skills, attend to a task, and have a rewarding and successful experience in spite of any challenges they faced. Yvonne was sold, immediately looking for college music therapy programs that she could attend after graduation. Stories from her lifelong career include treating the mentally ill, medical patients in intensive care, and those recovering from strokes and neurologic disorders. She notes, "There is not one type of music or a perfect intervention that works for everyone; rather, we meet the person where they are, using the best approach to help them make gains to become the best version of themselves." In thirty-seven years of practice, her most memorable session was being able to triangulate a patient in intensive care, the family who with him at his bedside, and his children and grandchildren at home in Ireland as they were able to all come together and sing to him through assisted technology. Allison Kerr came to the profession as a seasoned professional musician and vocalist, bringing a performer's knowledge of music and people to her practice. Her joy at discovering Music Therapy as a Career Yvonne Glass and Yvonne Glass and Amelia Glass at the Amelia Glass at the National Convention National Convention workshop. workshop. Excerpts from Yvonne Glass, Amelia Glass, and Allison Kerr's workshop at the 2025 SAI National Convention: "Choosing Music Therapy as a Career: Clinicians and Students Share Their Stories"

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