BIO

I am a vocalist and guitarist with decades of therapeutic music experience working with older adults and adults with disabilities. My passion for working with these folks began at an early age, when my father and I sang together in nursing homes.  

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I love older people. To sing with them, to talk, to laugh with them, to learn of their wisdom about life and history, is to truly face the moment with a sense of the past they once knew and the future I will come to know. I sing for their health and well-being, and together we bring meaning to the song.
 

A career highlight was my work as a studio vocalist for commercial radio for ten-plus years!  (If you are a certain age, you may have heard my voice . . . (       "Gabberts, you'll find your home at Gabberts!"       ). In addition to my Masters Degree in Counseling,   my undergraduate degree is in music, psychology, and history--a perfect background for my life's work!

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Since the 1980s, I have been: a community worker who assessed the needs of the elderly, a seniors activity director, and a life enrichment coordinator. I have connected one-on-one with residents, planned programs, and facilitated support groups. I have worked in health care centers, independent and assisted living sites.

 

After years of research and preparation, I founded Music Memories, a non-profit organization, in 1996. Though no longer a non-profit, the mission of Music Memories, “to affirm, value, and respect older adults and adults with disabilities, through music, memories, and interactions," carries on today!