Hello potential donor,

My name is Ashley and I am in school to become a Music Therapist, and I need your help to finish my last year of grad school.

My backstory: Back in early 2022, a dear friend was helping me brainstorm career paths since I was started to feel "stuck" in my current role as a selling specialist at the Museum of Modern Art, an institution I continue to adore and work at to this day. She recommended looking into becoming a therapist, mainly because of the parts of customer service I really liked-- connecting with new and familiar individuals, helping them creatively, and taking on responsibilities that some would shirk off as "too difficult." A few minutes after her suggestion, I had a distant memory come to light: during my undergrad degree, I saw music therapy listed as a minor. I could see it in my mind's eye, and I told her I want to go and research music therapy. Neither of us knew really what happened in music therapy, but with my passion for the creative and performing arts, I knew it was something I had to look up.

When I watched those first music therapy videos on youtube, I knew immediately this career was right for me. It was kismet, and I was suddenly so sure that I was scared. It felt like discovering a secret that I was now responsible for. I started watching more videos, reading literature, and before I knew it, I was looking up educational programs. I learned about the technicalities of needing an approved program, clinical hours, testing, the works. But I couldn't go straight into a master's program. My undergraduate degree was in Theatre Performance, and the master programs needed music credits. So, I applied to the Borough of Manhattan Community College where I pursued an Associates in music, specifically in Classical Vocal Performance. I was scared to go back to school at 28 years old while working full time, but I did it scared, and it ended up being one of the most fruitful 2 years of my life. I performed every semester, auditioned for and achieved a scholarship to sing in Trinity Church in downtown NYC for 1 year, and found a community of musicians who supported me every step of the way. I graduated with my Associate's in 2024, with a spot lined up at Molloy University to begin my graduate degree later that fall. I felt extremely lucky that my hard work had paid off thus far.

You may be wondering- what is music therapy and why is it so special? Music therapy is, at its bare bones, the clinical practice of achieving non-musical goals through music with a board certified Music Therapist. This profession helps people across all ages, locations, and challenges. For example, I have completed fieldwork hours at Mount Sinai's In-patient Psych unit where we provided music and meditation, but ultimately sought to help stabilize the patients in group settings and help them process what they are going through mentally and emotionally. I am currently interning at a special education school for children with brain disorders and complex medical needs in Manhattan where I provide group music therapy to classes, with the intention of helping them engage mentally and physically, communicate, self-express, and regulate their emotions. I love working in interdisciplinary teams at these institutions, like with physical therapists, speech therapists, and occupational therapists, and nurses, and find that our participants tend to exceed expectation when music is involved. Sometimes we write songs, we sing about our feelings, we totally improvise on different instruments, we sing favorite songs together, and so on. These are just 2 settings that have a lot of personal meaning to me, and I am happy to answer more questions about music therapy and its benefits.

Today: As of right now, January 2026, I have been billed with an out of pocket cost, after loans, of $11,977 for the 14 credits I need this spring. This will be my last spring semester, then I have to complete a summer semester and a fall semester to graduate in December 2026. I have been working full-time through my course work and internship, and I have been saving throughout my education to pay whatever balance I can, but this bill is too much for me to pay alone. My summer courses will be for 6 credits (approximately $10,000 after enrollment fees / other school fees). My fall semester will be 3 credits (approximately $5,000 after fees). With that, I am asking for $25,000 to cover most of the cost of my education.

I am about to complete the final year of my education journey to become a Music Therapist. Please help me fund this portion of my education so I may go on to help as many people as I can with the gift of music and psychotherapy.

Thank you!! If you choose to donate I am so appreciative of your kindness. If you do not choose to donate, I hope you have learned a little something about this profession that means so much to me and the participants who receive it.

I will link a Music Therapy video posted by Children's National Hospital that does a great job of describing music therapy in 3 minutes. Hopefully this gives a little more insight in what I am striving to do. I do not have my own videos to share at this stage of my education.

National Children’s Hospital

Ashley Singing O Mio Babbino Caro 2024