Barbara Reuer, PhD, MT-BC, Founder and Outgoing CEO
Dr. Reuer is an internationally recognized and widely published expert in music-for-wellness and music therapy. She founded MusicWorx, a San Diego-based contractual and consulting agency serving children with special needs, medical patients, hospice patients, and individuals dealing with substance abuse, lifestyle change, and bereavement. Recognizing that many individuals lacked the means to access these services through for-profit entities, Dr. Reuer founded nonprofit Resounding Joy in 2004. Its mission is to bring the healing power of music therapy to individuals and groups across San Diego, including active duty and veterans, hospitalized children, senior adults and others in the community.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Reuer provides wellness, community-building, stress-management, and pain-management workshops and seminars for health care professionals, educators, and corporate clients all over the world. Dr. Reuer is a past president of the National Association for Music Therapy (now American Music Therapy Association). In 2000, Dr. Reuer received the American Music Therapy Association national Professional Practice Award. And in 2008, she received the prestigious American Music Therapy Association Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr. Reuer will be retiring from Resounding Joy in December 2023, and will continue to run MusicWorx.
Kerri Fox, Executive Director and CEO
Kerri Fox is an experienced mission-driven executive with a 25+ year career that includes leadership positions in both corporate and nonprofit organizations, as well as consulting services. Fox played a pivotal role for the past decade on The New Children’s Museum’s leadership team, serving as Director of Marketing and progressing through various positions, including Vice President, Deputy Director and ultimately Chief Operating Officer.
During her tenure at the museum, Fox provided strategic guidance and operational oversight to the organization, helping grow its budget to $5.5 million annually. Her efforts yielded substantial growth in awareness locally and nationally, as well as double-digit increases across earned revenue streams including admission, membership, programs, events and visitor amenities. Fox was a strong partner in driving contributed revenue and was instrumental in expanding the museum’s annual fundraising benefit and raising funds for access programs.
Fox built a strong foundation in her early career working in account management roles at global advertising agencies in Los Angeles and Chicago. She also served as the National Marketing Director for IHOP, a renowned restaurant chain with a billion-dollar footprint. Fox is a dedicated member of the San Diego Museum Council board, where she has held various leadership roles including Marketing Chair, Vice President and President.
Fox will be working alongside Dr. Reuer until her retirement in December.
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Lindsey Bowden, MT-BC, Staff Music Therapist – Indiana
Lindsey Bowden came on board with Resounding Joy Indiana as our newest music therapist in January. She and her husband, Ron, recently moved to the Indianapolis area from El Paso, Texas!
Lindsey graduated from Eastern Michigan University and has been a music therapist for 6 years. She started a career in this field to work with and meet new people while sharing her passion for music and healing!
Alicia Coleman, MT-BC, Staff Music Therapist
Alicia is a board-certified music therapist who received her Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from Arizona State University, graduating summa cum laude. During her studies, she facilitated music therapy sessions with older adults, veterans, and individuals with TBI. Prior to pursuing her path in music therapy, Alicia earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Seattle Pacific University and worked with children, teens and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders and disabilities thereafter.
After completing her music therapy degree, she returned to San Diego to intern at MusicWorx and Resounding Joy where she gained experience in a variety of settings and populations including adult and pediatric medical, memory care, and veterans, among others. She has also gained work experience facilitating music therapy groups and individual sessions for mental health treatment. Alicia’s personal connection to music has driven her to help others find their own, and help them discover the benefits of it through each individual’s unique journey.
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Kate Eyster, MT-BC Music Therapist – Indiana
Kate received her Bachelors of Music in Music Therapy from Belmont University in Nashville, TN, then gained experience supporting children and their families in the pediatric medical setting during her internship in Chicago, IL. In addition to this, she also has experience with veterans, hospice patients, and individuals of all ages on the Medicaid Waiver.
Through these experiences, Kate grew a passion for multicultural music therapy, and seeks to use high quality music experiences to cultivate joy and wellbeing. Originally from the Indianapolis area, Kate is excited to join the Resounding Joy Indiana team and support her community here.
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Tia Mae Frostrom, MT-BC, Staff Music Therapist
Tia Mae received her bachelor of arts in music therapy from Montclair State University in New Jersey. In her undergraduate, Tia Mae facilitated group and individual music therapy sessions in memory care facilities and with the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy NYU for pediatrics and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders and disabilities.
After graduation, Tia Mae relocated to San Diego to begin her music therapy internship with MusicWorx and Resounding Joy. During her internship, she provided music therapy services in a variety of settings including adult medical and behavioral units, memory care, neurodevelopmental settings, early intervention, and more. As a Resounding Joy staff member, Tia Mae embraces connections in a variety of settings spanning work from pediatrics to veterans. She is delighted to be a part of this amazing team and community.
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Rachel Gant, MT-BC, Sr. Director of Programs
Originally from Kansas, Rachel is a board-certified music therapist, who earned a bachelor degree from The University of Kansas in 2008. She completed her music therapy internship at MusicWorx before embarking on her graduate studies, currently underway.
Rachel is passionate about working with children of all ages and has accumulated a vast experience in hospitals, private practice, and school districts in both Kansas and San Diego County. She has served as a volunteer for numerous nonprofit organizations, including Banding Together, Best Buddies, Children’s Mercy hospitals, Guitars in the Classroom, and Special Olympics.
As the former Sounds of Healing Notes: Hospital lead music therapist, Rachel now coordinates partnerships and service delivery for Resounding Joy from her new home in El Paso, TX.
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Amanda Lund, Community Outreach Coordinator – Indiana
Amanda is the Community Outreach Coordinator for Resounding Joy Indiana. Essentially, all non-musical tasks are in her wheelhouse! First and foremost, her heart is for people. Amanda is a strategic problem solver on a never-ending quest for knowledge; particularly, knowledge on how to best meet the needs of the community around her. Her life up to this point has provided unique experiences that allow her to relate and connect to a variety of people.
Amanda is midwestern born and raised and excited to be a part of Resounding Joy’s expansion! She graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelors of Arts in Education. Amanda has successfully run her own business for almost a decade, along with assisting a photography business, and serving the community through Resounding Joy, all while chasing 3 children ages 4-10 and a chihuahua named Bob, all over Carmel, IN.
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Alyanna Mattson, MA, Community Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator
Alyanna Mattson received her Master of Arts in Policy Studies from the University of Washington Bothell in 2020. Before that, she received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science with minors in Human Rights and Law, Societies, and Justice from the University of Washington in 2018. She moved from Seattle to San Diego in 2021 for a change of scenery and to enjoy the sun.
In her free time, she enjoys being active. She practiced karate when she was a kid, played and coached softball in her teens, and has spent her 20s so far playing rugby and boxing. Alyanna is passionate about helping others and capitalizing on the positive influence we can have on one another, and she’s grateful to be able to channel that passion into her role as Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator for Resounding Joy.
Joelle Reyes
Joelle graduated with her B.S. in Child & Family Development and Spanish minor from San Diego State University, and received her Professional Certificate in General Music Studies from the Berklee College of Music. She started teaching Music & Movement classes at local preschools during her studies. She then served as a volunteer guitar instructor at the Veterans Village of San Diego, under the organization Guitars for Vets. Joelle later went on to work with prison populations and taught guitar and songwriting workshops with Jail Guitar Doors USA. She also gave monthly performances at the Arroyo Vista Nursing Center.
In her free time, Joelle enjoys songwriting, hip-hop dancing and skateboarding. She is very excited to take on the role of Recreation Musician with Resounding Joy. It is her belief that music has the power to make a positive impact on people from all walks of life.
Jamie Rosenfeld, Office Manager
Jamie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She comes to Resounding Joy as the Office Manager to run the day-to-day duties. She is an organizer and one that enjoys working with numbers. Her previous background was working in the accounting department at a nonprofit. In her free time, she loves running with her dog, gardening, swimming at the beach, and spending time with her family and friends. She is a mother of four children.
Stephen Thompson, MT-BC, Staff Music Therapist
Originally from Southern California, Stephen is a board-certified music therapist who obtained his MA Equivalency in Music Therapy from the University of Minnesota. Through school and work experience, Stephen has facilitated group and individual music therapy sessions with a variety of populations including inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care, hospice care, memory care, assisted living facilities, NICU, pediatric medical care, and neurodevelopmental settings.
Although he is somewhat new to the professional music therapy world, Stephen has a plethora of experience working with and empowering people. Stephen started as a private woodwind teacher after graduating with a BA in Music Education from CSUSB in 2015. Stephen then went on to join the United States Army and served as a saxophone player for Army Bands at Fort Huachuca, AZ and Camp Zama, Japan. Stephen was also selected as the music therapy graduate assistant for the University of Minnesota, where he was the guitar and percussion instructor for incoming music therapy students.
In his free time, Stephen enjoys going on walks with his dog Zeke, and creating Jeopardy game nights for his family. Stephen’s current focus is providing in-home hospice care to folks in the Riverside area. His main goal is to enrich the lives of the service users and their families through music by emphasizing joy, autonomy, and strength.
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Lindsay Zehren, MT–BC, Director of Indiana
Lindsay received her bachelor degree in music education and theater from Saint Mary of the Woods College in Indiana. She taught music at the high school and elementary school levels in Indiana, South Africa, and Jamaica before pursuing her equivalency degree in music therapy from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. She moved to San Diego from Indianapolis to complete her music therapy internship with MusicWorx and after 8 years of being a staff music therapist for MusicWorx as well as Resounding Joy, she moved back to central Indiana to launch Resounding Joy Indiana. She is now both a music therapist and the director of the first out of state program.
Lindsay also is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher and level-one certified in healing touch and reiki. She is passionate about incorporating her knowledge of yoga and energy therapies with music to create a holistic approach to music therapy for her clients and their families.
Lindsay’s favorite yoga mantra is lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu, which translates to “may all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may my thoughts, words, and actions in some way contribute to that happiness and freedom.” Ellen Browning Scripps said, “The most important and beautiful gift one human being can give to another is, in some way, to make life a little better to live.” These quotes help to guide me through my life, and I wholeheartedly believe that through music, I am able to increase the quality of life and happiness of my fellow human beings.