About Kate’s Voice

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. And it’s just a plain old fun environment for students to learn and enjoy themselves through the powerful medium of music.

The Rutherford Family
Kate, Mark, Maggie, Laura, Will (and dog Enzo)

The inspiration behind Kate’s Voice comes from the founders’ daughter, Kate, and her love for music. The sound and rhythm of music have always lifted Kate’s spirit and enabled her to connect with the people around her. Music therapy has helped Kate develop her social and motor skills while adding joy to her school day.

Most special needs programs do not have funding for music, much less music therapy. Any teacher or parent of a child with special needs will tell you that finding effective ways to assist in learning is essential for student motivation and success. Music therapy is just that effective method.

Since she began pre-school in the winter of 2002, Kate’s parents, Laura and Mark, have gifted music to Kate’s classes. After seeing Kate and her classmates thrive with music therapy, her parents dreamed of making music available to more students in special needs classrooms.

In January 2007, Kate’s Voice offered its first round of grants. We were thrilled to hear all the positive response from teachers, administration, and even students who received grants. Needless to say, there remain many more students who could benefit from music therapy. We are dedicated to advocate and raise funds to make this happen.

Learn about music therapy and how Kate’s Voice is making a difference in the lives of children with special needs.

Music Therapy Allstars

Kate’s Voice Updates

Get occasional updates on what’s happening at Kate’s Voice!

What the teachers say …

One particular boy’s reaction to music therapy is especially noteworthy. Joseph, age 6, cannot speak. He has minimal movement and vision. He is literally locked in his body. His best sense is auditory and it is clear he has loved listening to and making music. Joseph is often disconnected and unresponsive in class, but during music therapy sessions he sits up straight and responds often by vocalizing and hitting his switch. Hitting the voice output switch has been a major goal for Joseph, who normally only vocalizes once per week and hits his switch 2 – 3 times per week. In music therapy he moves his body, vocalizes 2-3 times and hits his switch half a dozen times during the half hour session. This is a major victory for Joseph and a joy to see.