ITA Staff Member to Pave Way for New Music Therapists

ITA Says Farewell to Rebecca West as She Moves to Minneapolis, Minnesota

Not all music therapists are created equal. Some come to ITA because they want to learn more about creative arts therapies through their work.  Others come because they admire the variety of clientele we serve and are passionate about helping as many people possible through music. Some love the many opportunities ITA provides for growth and development in areas outside of music therapy.

Rebecca West came to ITA in 2011 to help manage ITA’s music therapy department.  Soon after she was hired, the organization underwent major restructuring, and she was promoted to School Programs Manager.  Rebecca was passionate about music therapy and evidence-based approaches to treatment. She had a Master’s Degree in Music Therapy  from Michigan State University and advanced training in Neurologic Music Therapy. Rebecca was also passionate about training future music therapists.  Over the years, she has mentored many students and took on the role of Music Therapy Internship Director.  Rebecca helped to build a more competitive internship site and improved the program each year in order to meet the evolving needs of our students.

In the six years she has been employed at ITA, Rebecca has helped countless individuals benefit from music therapy.  Her expertise in neurological disorders and Autism allowed our clients to receive cutting edge treatment that helped them to regain or develop communication abilities, cognitive functioning and even motor skills. Rebecca also had an intuitive ability to connect with people of all ages. She has supported clients through traumatic experiences and helped them to move through stages of grief and loss. Rebecca’s calm and patient demeanor helped to make her clients and coworkers feel at ease and all-the-more confident in their own capacities for growth.

Rebecca’s extensive work at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago helped us to establish new partnerships that will last far into the future.  She also connected ITA with new school partners and developed new programs to bring the creative arts therapies into classroom settings. Rebecca has made a huge impact at ITA, and her legacy will only extend as she follows her passion to educate students and advance the field of music therapy through academic research.

We wish Rebecca all the world’s luck as she begins her Ph.D program at the University of Minnesota in Music Therapy, but we know she does not need any luck. Her many talents and undying ambition will move her right along, and she will continue to make a great impact in the field of music therapy.