Sally Joyce had a front row seat to the power of music therapy before she’d even heard of it as such. “Way back as a teenager,” she says, “I was a counselor at a camp for developmentally delayed children. I’d work with kids all day; many were nonresponsive, with very little participation in activities. But when I did music with those kids, there was singing and moving!”
She did some research, and found her calling. “Here was a field that combined my love of music with my interest in a health career working with people.” Sally earned her degree from Duquesne University, and worked in school systems and nursing homes. She retired to Cape Cod after 20 years with the Quincy, MA public schools.
Sally is delighted to be practicing again, saying “I missed the work! It was never just a job, it’s part of who I am.” She led a summer group for the Riverview School’s innovative new Friends Forever program, and groups are planned to begin at Cape Symphony in 2026.
Music therapy doesn’t teach music, Sally explains. “I'm not a music educator. I use music to help students work on nonmusical goals, such as communication, socialization, motor skills, or behavior regulation. Strategies like singing, movement, and songwriting can help children and adults achieve their goals.” As a universal language, music can transcend other challenges in ways traditional therapies can’t.
How does it work? Before meeting them, Sally will learn all she can about the students’ goals and challenges. One might need to work on focus, or being more open to listening to others. Another might need help with self-expression, or maintaining eye contact. “Many children I work with are on the autism spectrum; difficulty with eye contact is not unusual,” says Sally.
“We begin with a ‘hello’ song, with movement interspersed throughout – it can be hard for kids to sit still! – and incorporating instruments toward the end of the session. The instruments are a great motivator for kids to try to do well during the group. I use a lot of visuals that I show them, and they point to. This picture exchange system is great for language-emergent kids. So many kids today have assistive devices, tablets… all of those are allowed and encouraged.”
The first session helps Sally determine specific goals for each student. Subsequent sessions are designed around those goals.
Taking eye contact as an example, Sally says, “Each student will have a drum, and I’ll say ‘if you go to the Cape Symphony, you’ll see the music doesn’t begin until everyone’s eyes are on conductor.’ So they focus on me – eye contact!” Each student might then have a turn to be the “conductor.” Time in that leadership role is important. “Especially for young people, there are a lot of things in life that are out of their control… a chance to be a leader is very exciting.”
Asked about her best memories, Sally describes parents overcome by emotion at their child’s progress. “In my group, a child will learn a song. One day I’ll sing it partway through and then stop… the child, wanting that music structure, will fill in the next word. It’s kind of magical, very exciting.” After one such group a parent come up with tears in their eyes, saying “that’s the first word I have ever heard my child express.” Language development can continue from there.
The magic works for adults, as well. Sally describes a sing-a-long with nursing home residents, one of whom was aphasic after a stroke, “yet he was singing every word.” How? “Music stimulates so much of the brain. Music helps relearn speech, express feelings, increase movement.
“This is the power of what music can do,” she says.
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For more information about Music Therapy at Cape Symphony, email
