As many of you know, we celebrated our 10th anniversary last Saturday at Melrose Memorial Hall. It truly was an event to honor not only the work we do in providing individual and group music therapy services, but also to express appreciation for the community connections we have made and partners we have gained along the way. Continuing our mission of uniting the generations, bringing music to everyone, and transforming lives through music making, the celebration offered an opportunity to bring our entire music-making community together in a party atmosphere.
Meredith 
opened the event with a few words of acknowledgement and thanks to clients, supporters, community partners and employees who have been part of the 10 year journey. She also sampled for the crowd one of the opening songs often used by the music therapists, Today Is A Beautiful Day, kicking off the event and setting an upbeat and inclusive tone for the day’s events. Later in the afternoon Meredith shared the news Roman Music Therapy Services’ growth and success have created the need to expand into a bigger space, and that our new home is right down the road in Wakefield, MA (Stay tuned or follow us on Facebook for up-to-the minute details).
Representative Paul Brodeur was on hand, surprising all with a special acknowledgment on behalf of the Commonwealth’s House of Representatives. Getting a little help from a Sprouting Melodies kiddo in the crowd, Charlotte Carril, Representative Brodeur presented Meredith with a certificate of congratulations for the services that Roman Music Therapy Services has provided to the community over the past ten years.
Fuel for the upcoming activities
A delicious spread of nachos, arepas, quinoa, calzones, pizza and sandwiches provided from local eateries Petrone’s and La Qchara were heartily enjoyed by the crowd, providing a reserve of energy for the afternoon’s activities.
My Own Voice, a North Shore musical choir for special needs children, treated the guests to a number of songs, including Let There Be Peace on Earth and Lean on Me. Accompanied on guitar by Roman Music Therapy Services music therapist Kathy McCann, the group gave a great and enthusiastic performance.
Let there be drums!
The celebration continued in the lower hall with a community drum circle. The party’s attendees gathered in a double circle, selecting their favorite drum, maraca or shaker and following the lead of the music therapists.
Meredith started the group off with a steady beat. The room echoed with the sound as the participants joined in, some tentative at first but gaining energy from t
he crowd. Katie Bagley was next to lead, energetically pumping the group to play high, and then low, on her command. As Laetitia Brundage jumped in with a mandala, each participant contributed their own beat with the sounds slowly building and then fading away. With the crowd still thoroughly engaged, music therapists Alison Albino, Steven Clarke and Dee Castenell brought the circle to a close, ending the event on the perfect note!
A heartfelt thank you to all who attended and/or sponsored the event, making it such a success, and to everyone who has been a part of our ten year journey!
More music for all
We would be remiss if we did not express sincere appreciation for those who have helped to spread the message of the power of music therapy, our music therapy ambassadors. These individuals serve as champions to help us advocate for music therapy and the clients who benefit from it. Ambassadors help in a variety of ways, such as hosting or publicizing events, funding music therapy services for individuals who are otherwise unable to receive services, or advocating for music therapy as a viable clinical service. Please contact us if you would like to become an ambassador.
We look forward to the next ten years!