My name is Dana LaValley. I studied Music Therapy at Georgia College and State University for the past four years. I am from Springfield, Georgia about forty-five minutes away from Savannah. I am engaged to a wonderful man named Dale Usry. We will be getting married on December 8th, 2017. I have always had a passion for music and helping people; now with Music Therapy I can do both.
In my time at Georgia College I worked with several different populations: children with disabilities, adults with disabilities, hospital patients, and adults in memory care. I emerged myself in research on Music Therapy’s effect on children with Angelman Syndrome. I presented at our regional conference where I was awarded the undergraduate research award. I plan to continue my research throughout my masters and my doctorate.
My first week at Therabeat Inc. was absolutely amazing! The music therapists are so helpful and truly want you to succeed. In my first week I saw a range of populations, from tiny tots to adults in memory care. I have a rounded atmosphere to achieve my goals for my internship. I am beyond amazed by the talent the clients have. They are pushing me to be a better musician. From scales to rockstar drumming it amazes me how able they are. I love to focus on ability and not disability; I feel it is a very important aspect of music therapy.
I was able to observe all of the other therapies as well. I have already learned so much about what they do and how we can incorporate some of their aspects into what we do as music therapists. I cannot wait for the next few months so that I can grow more in my journey of becoming a music therapist.