Hello and happy Wednesday! My name is Amber and I am the new intern at Toneworks! I have been looking forward to this for a long time and cannot wait to share this 6 month experience with all of you.

I was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelors in music therapy. My primary instrument is trumpet so in college I had the opportunity to be in the marching band and work with so many talented musicians from the Minnesota Orchestra’s Chuck Lazarus to Justin Timberlake and the Jonas Brothers! I am so grateful for the opportunities I have had to use music but the best opportunities I’ve experienced are the ones with music therapy.

My elementary school music teacher shared a story about a woman she worked with that couldn’t remember her daughter. This would pain the daughter when she would visit but after my teacher would sing her favorite song, You are my Sunshine, the woman would remember her! This story stuck with me for a long time and it was in high school that I learned she was a music therapist. Since then, my passion for helping others and music encouraged me to work at various camps and eventually lead me to the University of Minnesota for music therapy. So far in my internship I helped with the joyful Sensory Friendly Concert at Orchestra Hall, enjoyed the music groups at AuSM’s Wahode day camp, and experienced music therapy at Good Samaritan Society, where I will be three days a week.

When I have free time, I usually learn new songs on guitar, cook a new recipe, try a new ice cream parlor (my recent favorite is Pumphouse Creamery in south Minneapolis), or boulder at Vertical Endeavors.

There is more in store for me as I complete my internship, but I cannot wait to share my positivity, musicality, and passion for helping others during my time at Toneworks!