Welcome to Music For Therapy ~ Each Music Therapist has a unique path to the field. Please enjoy reading about our training below.
Founder and Manager, Kathy Quain, MME, MT-BC
Kathy Quain is passionate about empowering lives through music and creating connections through group music-making.
As Founder of POWER OF MUSIC LLC and it’s divisions MusicForTherapy.com, MarinMusicLessons.com and PacificDrumCircles.com, she oversees direct and indirect services benefiting the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and beyond through on-line music lessons, music therapy sessions and programming.
She studied at Northwestern University earning a Bachelors of Music in Piano Performance, trained at the Aspen Music Festival and completed her Masters of Music Education in Music Therapy at the University of Kansas. In the 1990's, she served as President of the the Western Region of NAMT (now American Music Therapy Association). She is active presenting at various conferences in the fields of Music Therapy, Music Education, Drum Facilitation and Alzheimer's. She serves as the Internship Director for Music for Therapy's Internship in affiliation with The Berklee College of Music and The University of Georgia and The University of the Pacific.
A spokeswoman for the power of drumming, her work has been featured on PBS and endorsed by Remo, Inc. She is a Remo-Endorsed Health Rhythms and Drum Circle Facilitator. She is Board Certified with the Certification Board for Music Therapists and is an Orff-Schulwerk Music Specialist trained at the San Francisco International Orff Course. Kathy served as a Communications Facilitator consulting for the Oakland Unified School District applying communication strategies gained from the Institute of Cultural Affairs and Harvard’s Project Zero trainings.
Michelle Zhang, MT-BC
Michelle Zhang is a Board Certified Music Therapist with a Master's Degree in Music Therapy from New York University. Certified in Level I Guided Imagery and Music (GIM), she facilitates personal growth and transformation, helping clients of all ages release anxiety, find acceptance, and deepen their inner resources with a holistic, people-centered approach. She believes in the transformative potential of play and creativity, while grounded in the supporting structure and rhythm of music.
She has studied music performance at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Denmark, and international studies at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. Michelle completed her internship at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. She is experienced serving children, teens, adults and seniors.
Michelle serves the community in many ways. In collaboration with chaplains and practitioners from various disciplines, Michelle has designed and led workshops for the general population. Her engagement in playback theater, contact improvisation dance, and Zen practices also informed and inspired her therapeutic approaches.
Fluent in both English and Chinese, and with a rich international background of working with students and programs in China, India, Southeast Asia, North America, and Middle America, Michelle connects with others with cultural humility and awareness.
Music Therapist Leslie Rush, MT-BC
Board Certified Music Therapist Leslie Rush holds a Bachelor of Music Therapy from Maryville University of St. Louis and a Bachelor of Music Business from Millikin University.
She is experienced serving a wide range of populations including children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Certified as a Registered Behavior Technician, she has successfully structured programs for children on the Autism Spectrum supporting language, academic, social, communication and daily living skills. She is experienced serving children with visual impairments from 0 to 2 years old and also tailoring music therapy for teens and adults with eating disorders.
An advanced pianist and singer, her live music is therapeutic to active seniors to elders on hospice. Leslie plays and teaches guitar, ukulele and piano.
Music Therapist
Deb Barsotti, MMT
Whether improvising with fellow musicians or providing a Music Therapy session, Deb holds space for others to be their personal best. Deb holds a Masters in Music Therapy from NYU in NY, and a Double Degree in Education & Performance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She completed her Drum Circle training with Arthur Hull, author of Drum Circle Spirit. As a Music Educator, she has 30 years of teaching experience serving San Francisco and Oakland Public Schools K-12. As a Music Therapist, she has 25 Years of Special Education experience serving diverse youth including those with neuro-diverse needs. In 2001, she completed the National Board Music Therapy Certification. Deb is an advocate for youth and has collaborated with the San Francisco Mayor’s office to develop programs to meet the needs of at-risk youth. Her administrative positions have included Program Director with Music in Schools Today and working in conjunction with the US Dept. of Education's National “GEAR UP” program preparing youth for college readiness. Deb enjoys improvising on the viola and is a mom of a high school student who attends the Oakland School for the Arts.
Music Therapist, Andrea Cliscagne, MT-BC
Music Therapist Andrea Cliscagne brings music of different cultures in Telehealth Music Therapy Sessions through Music for Therapy. In addition, she is active as a Board Certified Music Therapist, music educator, church musician and performer having mastered a variety of styles including jazz piano. She sings a diverse repertoire including songs in Tagalog, Spanish, French, Hawaiian, Konkani and Mandarin and integrates American Sign Language for individuals who benefit.
She is a graduate of the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA with a major in music therapy and a minor in Speech Language Pathology. She completed her six month internship with Music for Therapy in January 2020, helping to serve children, teens, adults and seniors including individuals with Alzheimer’s. She completed two years of music therapy fieldwork including serving children with multiple physical and intellectual disabilities and Deaf/Hard of Hearing children at Walton Special Center. She also has completed fieldwork in the oncology unit at St. Joseph’s Medical Center, at Crestwood Manor working with adults with psychiatric disorders, and co-treating with speech language pathology in the UOP speech clinic.
Andrea applies her degrees to help individuals of various backgrounds, needs and abilities to improve their lives, reach their personal goals and overcome communication and language barriers.
Music Therapist and Expressive Therapist, Steven Hardy, MA,
MT-BC
Master’s Level, Board Certified Music Therapist, Steven Hardy holds a Masters Degree in Expressive Therapies (Music Therapy Tract) from Lesley University and a Bachelors of Psychology from the University of Maine.
He has worked nationally and internationally as an Expressive Psychotherapist, Music Therapist and Mental Health Counselor along with a variety of leadership positions in health care and social services. In the early 90’s, Steven worked primarily with the HIV/AIDS service community, which led him to being an advocate for disenfranchised groups in our culture. At various points in his career he has worked with dually-diagnosed adults and children, palliative care patients, frail and older adults with various memory-related conditions as well as the learning disabled and autistic-spectrum populations.
Steve studied voice professionally and has performed in a wide range of choral groups and theater productions. He plays guitar and piano and has experience in facilitating drum circles, doing GIM(Guided Imagery with Music), psychodrama, drama therapy and a variety of intermodal expressive therapy processes.