Kate's Voice, Connect with Music, Music Therapy for Students with Special Needs

Teacher testimonial

Kate’s Voice is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that provides music therapy services to students with special needs. Through interactive sessions, music therapy offers students with special needs opportunities to develop a wide range of skills in the social, self-expression, communication, and gross/fine motor areas.

This 2011-2012 school year, we gave out 14 grants to schools across Massachusetts that serve students with moderate to severe special needs. In some communities, Kate's Voice supplements existing music therapy programs that enable schools to use their existing budget to reach a larger population. Overall, our grants reach about 200 students this school year -- all of whom have significant special needs. For a list of this year's schools, please go to the Grants.
One February 15, Governor Deval Patrick sat in on a Kate's Voice music therapy session at the Linden School in Malden. The background on this is that he was stopping by The Linden School to announce they would receive an innovation grant (not related to the Kate's Voice grant). As soon as the school principal learned the Governor was visiting, he arranged for him to see the great music therapy session. Also in attendence at the session were the Secretary of Education, the Commissioner of Education, the Superintendent of Malden Schools, the Mayor of Malden and their State Senator. We were not in attendance but were told that the Governor had a blast. The media got a real kick out of it when the students suggested shaking the maracas on their armpits. It was even posted on twitter by the press.
Kate's Voice is thrilled to have been awarded The New England Region-American Music Therapy Association Presidential Award for dedication to, and support of, Music Therapy. The president of this association told us that they've never given this award to an organization before Kate's Voice. We hope to attend the ceremony in Manchester, VT at the end of March.
Thanks Tess D'Orsi -- who asked friends attending her 14th birthday party to consider making a donation to Kate's Voice. Tess and her friends collected a very generous amount to support special needs students and their learning. Check out this photo of Tess and her friends with Kate at the birthday party!

Kate's Voice
P.O. Box 365
Sudbury, MA 01776
Tel. 978-440-9913
katesvoice@comcast.net