Enriching lives through participation in music
Music Therapy Services of West Music
30 Years of Music Therapy Services: A Look Back
06/01/24
When West Music was founded in 1941 by musician, educator, and repair technician Pearl West, the dream was to break down barriers and get people involved in music-making. He didn’t want people just listening to music, but actively participating in making music.
Pearl West’s son, Steve, took over as president of West Music in 1980, and in 1992 he met a music therapist at a meeting of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). This led him to attend a music therapy conference where he felt “the energy, positiveness, and the market potential” in music therapy. Steve saw that music therapy exemplified the core passion of West Music by breaking down barriers to allow even more people to be involved in music-making. Steve returned from that music therapy conference enthusiastic to start a music therapy program! The music therapists he had met were genuine, passionate, and talented individuals – fun people with whom he wanted to work!
Kirsten Nelson, MA, MT-BC earned both her BM and MA
degrees in music therapy at the University of Iowa. She was the first music therapist hired at West Music, where she served as Director of Music Therapy for eight years.Following her time at West Music, Nelson’s clinical work focused on pediatric medical inpatients at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital where she worked as a music therapist for nearly 20 years.
Nelson is now an instructional professor and coordinator of clinical activities in music therapy at the University of Iowa.
Kirsten Nelson, MA, MT-BC was hired as West Music’s first music therapist in June of 1994. The position originally focused on solidifying the company’s niche in music therapy products and helping music therapist customers find the products they needed; however, Nelson’s duties soon expanded to increasing contractual music therapy services in the community and later expanding services to other West Music locations, including Cedar Rapids & the Quad Cities. As caseloads grew and services continued to expand, Nelson advocated for all therapists to be hired as full-time employees rather than contractors.
After Nelson left her administrative position to focus on clinical work in 2002, Paulette Milewski, MT-BC was hired as director of the department and she prioritized redesigning the department’s business model and service delivery standards. Milewski saw that diversification would be critical to the success of the department, and her efforts led to contracts with hospice organizations, schools, and group homes for adults with physical and intellectual disabilities. Under Milewski’s leadership the department more than doubled in size.
The music therapy department’s connections with the University of Iowa had been strong since the earliest days of the program. Under Milewski this relationship was strengthened as practicum students were supervised by music therapists from West Music, music therapy students were hired as adaptive lessons teachers, and in 2007 West Music was established as a clinical internship site for University of Iowa students! In 2010 this internship became a National Roster internship site with the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA).
The leadership of Milewski along with Clinical Services Supervisor Errin Frank, MT-BC and her successor Lisa Klostermann, MT-BC led to a standardization of processes in the department, as well as a higher standard of professionalism for the team.
These efforts paved the way for a new administrative system in 2007 when Kelly Carlson, MA, MT-BC became the first Director of Music Therapy Services dedicated solely to the music therapy department. At that time, the therapy team consisted of 6 therapists, and Carlson recognized the importance of growth within the department. She advocated increased wages and recognition of continued service and achievement within the department. The average tenure of West Music’s team of music therapists began to increase.
In 2008 Robin Walenta was named the new President of West Music. Walenta took a special interest in the music therapy department, just as Steve West had. Walenta and Carlson worked hard to increase local and national awareness of music therapy services at West Music through blogs, publications, and presentations. Walenta says, “West is committed to providing outstanding Music Therapy Services throughout the state of Iowa and Western Illinois. We will continue to add Board Certified Therapists to our team as the demand for our services increases.”
The most recent locations to launch music therapy services are Cedar Falls in 2010 & Urbandale in 2011. A second internship site was also established in the Quad Cities starting in 2013. Through the following years, the music therapy department continued to maintain its reputation of high-quality music therapy services in 5 locations: Coralville, Marion, the Quad Cities, Cedar Falls, and Des Moines.
Kelly Carlson, MA, MT-BC joined the West Music team in 2005 and has served in several roles including clinical music therapist, supervisor, and Director. Throughout her career, Carlson has worked with many types of clients. She especially enjoys helping people at the end of life by bringing joy and connection to families during some of life's most stressful moments.
In 2022, Carlson began pursuing her Ph.D. in Music Therapy with the ultimate goal of becoming a college professor. She says, "I am excited to share my passion for [music therapy] through training the next generation.
West Music and its team of music therapists advocated for state recognition of the profession by visiting legislators at the state Capitol in Des Moines, by hosting informational sessions across the state, and by inviting legislators to observe sessions and attend recreational music performances. This advocacy ultimately led to music therapists in Iowa receiving title protection in 2021!
As the world responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the music therapy team also adapted. They began offering remote services and they created a video subscription service called “Musical Connections.” These programs continued to support clients who were feeling isolated and disconnected. Some clients flourished to a greater extent when receiving remote services, and the story of one such success was recognized as the winner of 2021’s “Music Makes A Difference Award” from the National Association of Music Merchants.
2021 brought another change in leadership as Carlson returned to school for her Ph.D. Rachael Willeke, MT-BC took over as Director of Music Therapy Services after many years of working closely with Carlson. Rachel Burchett, MT-BC stepped into the new role of Assistant Director. Willeke and Burchett have focused on emerging from the pandemic more efficient than before, increasing awareness of the department, and finding new ways to support the team as they continue to foster a wonderful workplace for music therapists.
Steve West's son, Ryan, has become the third generation of Wests in the role of president of the company. With Walenta approaching retirement in 2024, Ryan maintains enthusiasm for music therapy at West Music and is ready to help sustain the program's growth into the next 30 years!
As of summer 2024, West Music employs 11 music therapists who serve individuals of all ages and abilities in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls, Des Moines, & the Quad Cities. They also have two National Roster Internship sites, and hope to hire an additional therapist soon!
It is evident that 30 years later, music therapy continues to fit in perfectly with West Music’s founding motivation to enrich lives through music participation. Steve says, “It’s natural! Music therapy helps us reach more people – it’s incredible!”
