Meet Lorrie Kubicek and Kimberly Khare

Q: Lorrie and Kimberly, you’re both music therapists. For someone new to it, what is music therapy?

We want to start by saying Hello Watertown and happy Pride! We’re so happy to be able to share the story of our Music Therapy dynamic duo-ness, including stories of our professional work, our connections to music, and our two decades of life and love in and for Watertown!

So … what is music therapy? It’s a great question, as there are many misnomers about music therapy. Music therapy is an evidence-based health care profession that uses music (or elements of music) to help individuals improve their health, functioning and well-being. It can help people of all ages manage their physical and mental health and enhance their quality of life. This work is done within a therapeutic relationship with board certified music therapists, like us.   

Its origin story is really cool! Although music as a form of healing and connection has been around since the beginning of humankind, the formalized profession was a product of musicians volunteering for WWII veterans in rehab and medical facilities back in the 1940s. Physicians and medical staff noticed the therapeutic effects and the first music therapy training programs developed soon after. This is where music therapy was born!

Music therapy looks different based on the specific population and goals you are working on. Music therapy can ​​reduce stress, pain, and anxiety, promote rehabilitation, build self advocacy, increase communication/expression, build and foster social connection, and more. Sessions can be active (for example, active music-making, songwriting, or learning an instrument), or receptive, which might include (for example, listening to music or using music to guide meditation or relaxation).

No previous music experience is needed to benefit from music therapy. 

Nicole note: Here's an article with more detail, and here's an article Lorrie wrote about music therapy for Harvard Health.

Q: How do each of you practice music therapy?

Lorrie: I’m a medical music therapist with 25 years in the field. In my first two decades I focused on pediatric patients in the general medical units and oncology. For the last 3 years, I shifted to adult oncology patients and patients on our inpatient psychiatric unit at Massachusetts General Hospital.

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With adult patients, I always start with learning more about how music is a part of their lives by asking them my 3 favorite questions:  

1. Have you ever played, touched, messed around with, or officially studied any musical instrument? Sing? Or Dance? 

2. If you could wake up tomorrow and magically play an instrument better than anyone, without any practicing, what would it be? 

3. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only bring one album or short playlist, what would it be?  

   
   

THEN, after some additional music discussion I ask them about what they are needing right now, to best support them in their treatment process (symptom management, relaxation, emotional support, increased energy, shift attention, lift mood, etc.). I then give them the music therapy options that I think can best support their goals based on our conversation, This conversation and connection is one of my favorite parts of my job -- its where the THERAPY in music therapy really comes into play. I need to create a safe space where patients can take the risk to enter into music, regardless of their perceived musical ability, to access all the scientifically proven and intuitively known benefits of this amazing modality. 

Kimberly: I have two jobs in the music therapy world. I’m an adjunct professor at Berklee College of Music, teaching clinical guitar and piano to music therapy students.  

My primary and full-time job is as a community-based music therapist at Next Step, working with young people living with serious illness and the lifelong impacts of chronic illness. I run a therapeutic songwriting and recording program that supports our young people in finding their original song, and in doing so, finding their voice, building their self-confidence, and experiencing safe space within themself and with others. Music is a creative way to get at the “mind weight” chronic illness and stress can bring. The original songs we write help us hear our thoughts and feelings in a healing way which supports growing our advocacy and learning to listen to, and trust, our own voice. 

Our programming is free for young people 16-29 with medical diagnoses. And as neighbors, I could use your help in reaching young people who are within our mission! We have a ton of programs - from youth leadership “Campferences,” to mentoring for learning to goal set, to studio work (music therapy) for developing advocacy and an affirming mindset. We are about helping our young people find their “I believe in me.”

Nicole note: Learn more about Kimberly’s work at Next Step and hear some of the songs from the studio. 

Q: How did music become so important to you both?

Kimberly:  Music has always been a safe, fun, and connecting experience for me. Being in choirs, bands and groups throughout my life has helped me create wonderful and lasting friendships, experience the joy, groove, and serious dance moves of being in community, and build working relationships that serve the wellness and healing of others. 

I found songwriting at an early age while taking piano lessons. I was practicing a song and then decided I had better ideas haha! Songwriting combined my love of singing, strumming and sharing. Finding the story through song had me gigging and playing out in my younger days, and led me to the work I do today. I play tons of instruments, from guitar to piano to singing to egg shakers to…well… put me in a music store and I want to try everything!

Lorrie: I’ve always loved to sing. I remember being very young and making up songs about how annoying my 6 older and 2 younger siblings were, or about fairies or the woods I used to play in. Then I started playing alto saxophone and became a band geek with a special love for singing Jazz music with the band! 

During college summers, I worked at Paul Newman’s “Hole in the Wall Gang Camp”. We found songs of inspiration to bring together the staff at the beginning and end of each magical session of work with kids with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other serious medical conditions. Using my voice to hold and help fuel this amazing work is another of my greatest memories. 

Then I met Kimberly! WOW!  Talk about an incredible musician! Singer. Guitarist. Pianist AND Songwriter. It is the latter that really got me! She wooed me with songs, written from her heart and perfectly capturing mine! 

Over the years, we have made music together thousands of times, professionally and personally. In fact, during the past three years, she's helped me bring my kiddo-centered music program to life and it has been an amazing adventure! 

Q: Lorrie, tell us about your program, Our Neighborhood ROCKS.

After I shifted to adult focused music therapy, I noticed a BIG HOLE in my little rainbow heart (thanks Kimberly for this phrase!). To help fill it, I combined my pediatric music therapy experience with my curiosity and connections to our neighborhood kiddos and created Our Neighborhood ROCKS, with Kimberly’s help. My goal was to use music to create neighborhood connections, and build community- and music-based play space. 

Our Neighborhood ROCKS! has created and facilitated 20+ neighborhood-centered events including large group concerts and interactive music making events, smaller group music playdates, birthday parties, regular groups at local preschools, and a slot in this year’s Watertown Porchfest!!  Groups tend to focus on kiddos from infant to age 6.

It is VERY family friendly and uses a lot of singing, dancing, instruments, and silliness to create an awesome and super fun neighborhood music party feel. I am so looking forward to starting some groups up again over the summer and upcoming fall. Combining my love of music and dance with my love of kiddos, Kimberly, AND Watertown, has been such an amazing gift to my heart and soul!

Nicole’s note: Learn more about Our Neighborhood ROCKS! and future neighborhood music events.

Q: When did you move to our neighborhood, and what brought you here?

We moved to Watertown twenty years ago this July! We came for the proximity to Boston, the close connection to the river and bike paths, so many trees, and this general feeling that good things will happen here. 

What we didn’t anticipate was finding ourselves in a new neighborhood that would quickly become our new community. A place where you connected with and supported your neighbors, where people cared for you because of all the different colors in your specific and personal rainbow heart. A place where you wanted to reach out and share pieces of yourself and your story so that others knew you and so you, in turn, could learn more about others. 

And we made incredible friends of all ages. Just by walking down the sweet streets of our neighborhood. We are so glad to call Watertown our home town! 

Q: What do you enjoy outside of music?

Kimberly: Walking around my neighborhood! Youll see me out and about most days, and I love stopping for sidewalk art or a quick chat or a first time meet or to admire a garden or to pet a puppet or kitty. You’ll probably see me hugging some trees - can’t help it! One of the main reasons we moved here is all the beautiful trees! Love animals. Love hearing people’s stories. Love my two ragdoll cats - they are often in our front windows. Lorrie is an AMAZING gardener - come check out her many gorgeous gardens. I am a BIG Star Wars fan and you can find “Star Wars Landia” in our front garden. And I love LIGHTS! Our home has many lights inside and outside to brighten our spirits.

Lorrie: Well -- beside music -- I love meditation, playing card/board games and quilting and weaving. I also love to walk from Watertown to Fresh Pond. It’s a 5 mile loop that brings me such joy! Let me know if you ever want to take a nice LONG walk together! Finally, I do love my Winsor Ave garden. I love that each boulder and each plant was lovingly placed and tended to by either me or our dear friend Claudine. I love that it has become a place that neighbors stop in their daily walks to school, with their pups, or for their health. And I love that Kimberly created a place to honor her love of kiddos and Star Wars! Feel free to come on by and see the rainbow lights and smell the flowers!

Kimberly and Lorrie