Livia is a Board-Certified Music Therapist in San Francisco, CA. She currently serves as Research Assistant III in the Music and Dementia Research Lab at the Northern California Institute for Research and Education. In addition, she provides contractual music therapy services in the San Francisco bay area. With a long history in nonprofit leadership at the university, state, regional, and national levels, Livia is passionate about working with like-minded individuals to foster an environment suited to learning. She aims to aid in the development of resources helpful to music therapy students, interns, and new professionals in their academic and clinical journeys.

Gabrielle Barton, MT-BC (she/her/hers) is a board-certified music therapist at The STAR Center, Inc. in Jackson, TN. She graduated from Drury University in 2021 and completed her internship at St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center – North. There, she became passionate about music therapy in mental health care. She currently provides music therapy services to a large variety of clients, including drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, adolescent behavioral and mental health care, school settings from elementary through high school, nursing homes, hospice, wounded warriors, and individual clients of varying abilities. Gab recently received her NICU-MT certification in 2024. Gab is passionate about helping a wide variety of clients achieve their non-musical goals through creating and facilitating musical interventions that incorporate each clients’ preferences and background.

Kaitlyn (she/her) is a Board-Certified Music Therapist currently working and living in Sacramento, CA. After finding a passion for Music Therapy in special education during her undergrad practicum at the University of Iowa and pursuing an internship with Music to Grow On, Music Therapy Services INC., Kaitlyn has spent the last 5 years working with students of all ages as well as older adults helping them to reach their full potential in academics, communication, cognition, expression and wellbeing to access their education, environment and peers to the best of their ability. She is passionate about making music therapy a cornerstone in academic collaboration and sharing resources to empower educators, other health professionals and music therapists! Having supervised multiple interns and observed the many inequities, learning curves and challenges they face coming from diverse background, Kaitlyn is passionate about advocating for better resources, supports, and standards for new professionals in a field she loves. When she is not wearing her music therapy hat you can find her performing on stage, teaching yoga or hanging out with her cats Bruce and Gazoo.Description goes here

Nathan Mensah, MA, MT-BC, is a Board-Certified Music Therapist who currently works at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital and at St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health Services as part of Hartford Healthcare. Nathan works on a wide variety of pediatric units, and provides services to adults with mental health and dual diagnosis substance use disorders. He currently teaches at Southern Connecticut State University as part of the Music Therapy Department, and at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College as part of the Department of Music & Theatre. Nathan regularly presents at Music Therapy Conferences and enjoys providing online education opportunities through wonderful organizations such as Music Therapy Ed, Pediatric Music Therapy, and the Music Therapy Spot. As a passionate musician, he currently performs with the Yale Medical Symphony Orchestra, and composes/arranges music for a wide variety of projects.

Rachael Kovaly, MMT, MT-BC, NMT (she/her) is a board-certified music therapist in Pittsburgh, PA. She received her bachelor’s in music therapy from Slippery Rock University with a minor in psychology in 2021 and received a masters in music therapy from Colorado State University with a graduate certificate in pre-k through grade 12 school social work in 2024. She has earned both her neurologic music therapy and NICU music therapy certifications and hopes to continue broadening her skills as a therapist and musician. Rachael is currently practicing full time as a music therapist at a long term residential care facility for adults with severe/profound intellectual disabilities. Rachael is passionate about advocating for the field of music therapy and her clients within and surrounding the therapeutic space to achieve their non-musical goals!

Nikki Belshe Lanza, MNLM, MT-BC, is founder and Clinical Director of Heart and Harmony Music Therapy, a private practice in the DFW community. She is founder and current President of the Board for the Fort Worth Music Therapy Fund and also serves on the Board of Directors for Certification Board for Music Therapists. Nikki was an honoree in the 2020 Forty Under Forty Awards from Fort Worth Business Press and was a participant in The Arc Of Texas Partners in Disability Leadership 2021.

Nikki cares deeply about professional sustainability and is invested not only in creating a healthy work environment for her staff members, but in empowering her colleagues to be aware of healthy and sustainable professional practices so that they can thrive. She cares about a whole slew of things including private practice ethics; racial, gender, and disability equity; and reimbursement, funding, and accessibility of music therapy. When she’s not making music, you’ll find Nikki hiking, tending plants, watching birds, reading in the hammock, or – most likely – being chased by her kiddos.

Jenna Marcovitz is a Board Certified Music Therapist, Certified Child Life Specialist, and Reiki Master, specializing in the realms of medical music therapy, palliative and end-of-life care, perinatal care, and hospital program development.

With additional certifications in NICU Music Therapy, Music Therapy-assisted childbirth, mindfulness meditation, and neurologic music therapy, Jenna employs a multi-faceted approach to the therapy process.

Currently pursuing an LMFT, she showcases her dedication to holistic well-being and advocates for expanding accessible therapy services.

Beyond her musical expertise, Jenna's diverse educational background includes three years of intensive study in Chinese medicine. Her commitment to continuous learning extends to integrative health practices, yoga, mindfulness, plant-based nutrition, and herbalism.

Jenna has conducted several IRB research studies, shedding light on music's profound effects on stress, pain relief, and overall well-being within hospital settings. Jenna extends mentorship to aspiring music therapists, focusing on fortifying their resilience against burnout. Her internship program emphasizes cultivating awareness of compassion fatigue, underscoring her unwavering dedication to holistic care practices.