May 8-12, 2023, is Music Therapy Week to celebrate board-certified music therapists and the joy, inspiration and healing they bring to patients and families. At Children’s Minnesota, we are grateful for our team of music therapists who make a positive impact in the lives of our patients and families.
During Music Therapy Week, we are excited to highlight a Children’s Minnesota kid expert and board-certified music therapist, Natasha Stark. Natasha works with patients at our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) in Lakeville and St. Paul campus.
Get to know Natasha!
Tell us about your role and how long you’ve worked at Children’s Minnesota.
“I started at Children’s Minnesota in June 2022 as a music therapy intern at our Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses. I completed my internship in December 2022 and passed the certification exam to become a Board-Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC). At the end of January, I started as a music therapist at Children’s Minnesota’s Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) in Lakeville and St. Paul campus. In total, I’ve been at Children’s Minnesota for about 10 months.
“At the PHP, I do music therapy group work with teen patients with mental health concerns. We work on things like coping skills, self-expression, self-esteem, relationships and mood.”
What do you love most about your job?
“I love connecting with my teen patients about the music they love. It’s amazing how talking with someone about their favorite artists or genres is an instant way to connect and show that you care about them. Music often means so much to adolescents, and I love how much passion they have for it.”
What inspired you to want to work at Children’s Minnesota?
“I wanted to be a music therapist in a pediatric setting because of the variety it offers. Every single patient is so different and every music therapy session is different. During my internship at Children’s Minnesota, I absolutely loved the coworkers and community here, and that’s why I stayed!”
What do you want patients, families and staff to know about music therapy?
“I want everyone to know that music therapy is an evidenced-based practice and that we as music therapists are much more than just musicians. When you see a music therapy session, you might see someone having fun and making music—and it can be fun! But everything that music therapists do in a session is guided by the patients’ individualized goals and supported by research and our clinical expertise. We are trained in music, psychology, and counseling skills; music therapy is at the intersection of all three of these.”
What’s your favorite kind of music to play or listen to?
“I listen to and play a lot of pop, indie, and singer-songwriters. Some of my favorite artists are Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, Ingrid Michaelson and Gracie Abrams. I love acoustic music on piano or guitar and poignant lyrics.”
