Music therapy is a subject near and dear to Parenting Impossible Host Annette Hine’s heart. In this episode, Roman Music Therapy Services Executive Director Meredith Roman Pizzi joins Annette for an in-depth discussion on the difference music therapy can make in the lives of special needs families.
Ms. Pizzi is a thought leader and a passionate champion for the music therapy profession. She’s devoted her career to developing business models for the delivery of music therapy services and is an advocate for music therapy on the systems level. Ms. Pizzi founded several music therapy organizations and programs, including Roman Music Therapy Services and Sprouting Melodies®, an award-winning early childhood music program with worldwide reach. She also co-founded Raising Harmony, which trains music therapists, parents, and early childhood professionals on the use of music therapy strategies and tools with young children.
Roman Music Therapy Services partners with companies, healthcare organizations, human services agencies, and schools to provide goal-driven wellness programming where music is used as a platform to facilitate positive change.
Annette begins their discussion with the importance music played in her daughter Elizabeth’s life and how it was something she looked forward to each week. According to Ms. Pizzi, music touches more parts of the brain, allowing therapists to help people make more connections than a traditional conversation. “Music therapy is used to facilitate personal intergrowth and change,” she says.
Annette and Meredith also discuss the evolution of music therapy programs during the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic forced Ms. Pizzi to look for new ways to reach people virtually, which has opened the doors for a larger audience. It’s also helped parents better engage and understand how to incorporate music therapy into other aspects of their lives.
Annette Hines has been practicing in the areas of Special Needs, Elder Law, and Estate Planning for more than 20 years. Ms. Hines brings personal experience with special needs to her practice and podcasts as the mother of two daughters, one of whom passed away from Mitochondrial disease in November 2013. This deep, personal understanding of special needs fuels her passion for quality special needs planning and drives her dedication to help others within the special needs community.