Music is more than just songs. For some, it can also be a powerful therapeutic tool. A Middleburg, Virginia, music therapy and arts organization is helping people with all abilities reach their goals. Through music therapy, A Place To Be promotes health outcomes for everyone, including neurodivergent, disabled, and marginalized individuals through individual therapy and community programming.

A Place To Be was founded in 2010 and quickly filled a gap in the Northern Virginia community, serving more than 400 families weekly through music therapy and performance opportunities. The organization’s clients may participate in individual or group therapy sessions that provide a variety of interactive and creative social-emotional opportunities for individuals with varying abilities. Throughout the year, individuals also have the opportunity to participate in inclusive theater performances, recitals, and film or music productions. As a cast member, clients work through a multi-layered creative process that involves memorization, movement, to ultimately play a part in something greater than themselves.

“We often say that A Place To Be sits at the intersection of the arts, healthcare, and human services,” said Kim Tapper, co-Founder and community director of A Place To Be.

Their clients are primarily youth and young adults with a variety of disabilities, medical, and mental health challenges, but the organization also works with adults recovering from medical challenges, such as a stroke or navigating other traumas. Through A Place To Be, these individuals find independence, belonging, and their voices.

Tapper, who combined her love of dance and choreography with psychology and expressive arts therapies, says that performing can provide their clients with a higher motivation to meet their goals.

“We started layering in performance with our clients and we were amazed to find that the art elevated the experience. In a way, art disguises the therapy because our clients are just having fun,” said Tapper.

When their clients find an escape in this therapeutic setting, Tapper says that it’s not unusual for the challenges they face in their everyday lives to fade away. Recently when she met with the parent of a client, the parent lauded that when their child is on stage they are better able to navigate change and uncertainty. 

“When you come here and you're in an arts performance, things change,” Tapper said, “If somebody missed their cue, or we change the blocking or the note wasn't hit correctly, there’s a lot we can’t predict on stage. And our performers never miss a beat.”

Many members of the A Place To Be community thrive on routine and predictability, but the COVID-19 pandemic transformed their worlds. The health crisis cancelled all of A Place To Be’s live performances and programs, but the program’s therapy component was quickly transitioned to telehealth where clients participated in virtual sessions, groups, camps, recitals, studio albums, films and the organization’s first animated show featuring voices and artwork by clients.

In 2020, A Place To Be also launched a six-part series called, “The Land of Music,” which helped youth understand the pandemic and lessen their anxiety. Thanks to donors and grant support, A Place To Be worked with local school counselors and special education teachers who referred their highest at-risk youth for eight weeks of free music therapy sessions to help them cope with the anxiety of the pandemic.

Unfortunately, after a few months of navigating the crisis, A Place To Be was forced to lay off staff members who had worked on the organization’s in-person performances in order to keep their doors open.

“The emotional impact, not only on the individuals that we had to furlough, but the rest of the team was really hard. It produced just further anxiety in the world of ‘what's going to happen to A Place To Be?’” said Tapper.

Fortunately grants, including a $100,000 American Rescue Plan Grant from the NEA and funds from the Loudon County government helped support four staff positions that had been furloughed as the organization was able to creatively bring back performances and some in-person participation.

For many clients, A Place To Be is one of their main social outlets, so A Place To Be found simple solutions to continue facilitating community. One outcome was opening a Zoom call for ten minutes three times a day for students to log on and give “Hallway Hellos” like they were moving between classrooms during a school day. Another was inviting clients in one at a time to film in front of a greenscreen, later the production team compiled all of the independent clips into a complete short film.

“This online space was so cool because the kids would get online and rehearse together then come in one by one to film, and then we had a watch party for the premiere. Isolation was hard for all of us, but for our folks it was hard for many of them to understand why. It was important for them to keep finding that community with us, so we tried to have opportunities to keep us connected and relevant as much as we could,” said Tapper.

One of the more creative efforts A Place To Be used to keep connected with their clients was to drive a Music Mobile to clients’ homes and play their favorite songs. Therapists and families reunited from a distance in masks or through window panes.

Looking forward, Tapper says that A Place To Be is recovering well from the pandemic and now faces a new, but exciting challenge.

“We have a very good problem to have. We have too many requests, too many demands, and our space just can't accommodate them,” said Tapper. Fortunately for the community, A Place To Be is expanding their physical space and a new location will open in Leesburg this summer, with a full run of shows kicking off in September.

Working with a population that may be immunocompromised also poses a set of challenges as the organization works to facilitate a sense of normalcy.

“Through the pandemic, our families and community saw that we really meant that we care, and we were willing to try anything to connect with people. We will continue to be mindful about the tools we offer and how we consider mental health and self-care and compassion. I’m really proud of this team,” said Tapper.

Her hope continues to be that A Place To Be will soon be able to double the amount of families served on a weekly basis, and to do so without burdening the staff.

“I think that living today takes a lot more processing and effort to find meaning out of really hard things, and then also finding that joy and beauty that makes it all meaningful to begin with. I’m grateful we get to do what we do because I think the arts is the only thing that helps us navigate that emotional landscape,” said Tapper.