About Us
Meet the Board
Originally from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Kate spent seven years practicing music therapy in a pediatric therapy clinic in Boise Idaho. She then moved to Seattle Washington and is a music therapist and music therapy coordinator at Music Center of the Northwest. She is focused on creating a therapeutic space where everyone can feel supported to explore, create and connect within music.
Kate received her Bachelor’s of Music in Music Therapy from Baldwin Wallace University and has been a board certified music therapist since 2013.
President
Kate Schnieder, MT-BC/MTL (She/Her)
Sean McNally, MS, LCAT, MT-BC (He/Him)
Secretary
Sean McNally, MS, LCAT, MT-BC, is a Seattle-based Research Music Therapist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the Integrative Medicine & Wellness Service. His work focuses on developing and studying music-based interventions for individuals affected by cancer, with an emphasis on anxiety reduction and improving quality of life through both receptive and active music therapy approaches. Sean has led and contributed to multiple clinical research initiatives, including trials exploring collaborative songwriting and, more recently, the integration of AI-generated music into therapeutic processes. His work has been presented at national conferences, including the Society of Integrative Oncology, and aims to bridge clinical care, research, and emerging music technologies to expand access to mental health support
The initial documentation of music therapy in Washington state begins with a Seattle Times newspaper article, “Fun, games part of children’s therapy,” published on September 25th, 1977. It focused on the work of music therapist, Jennarose Rantz (pictured left), at Children’s Orthopedic (Now Seattle Children’s).
Over the next 20 years, music therapy developed in Washington State more slowly than its counterparts in the Midwest and East Coast. However, it continued to grow steadily. In 1989, the Washington Music Therapy Association held a conference in Seattle, and again, in 1991. Regionally, the University of Washington hosted the Western Region American Music Therapy Conference in 1995.
As the new millennium approached, Music Works Northwest began music therapy programming in Bellevue, WA. The development of music therapy grew rapidly over the early 2000s. As a result, the Washington State Music Therapy Taskforce (“The Taskforce”) formed and began the fight to gain licensure for music therapists.
In 2012, The Wilson Trust through the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) awarded a grant to establish the first music therapist dedicated for a cancer care unit. This grant continued to support the music therapy community in future years. In 2015, PNW Music Therapy began a contract with Swedish Multiple Sclerosis Center. After the grant funding ended, both Swedish facilities agreed to continue funding for their music therapy programs.
Through the persistent advocacy from the WA State Music Therapy Task Force and supporting community members, a bill was introduced in January 2023 (HB1247/SB5214) to license music therapists in Washington state. It passed through the House in February 2023 and the Senate in April 2023. SHB 1247 was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee on April 25, 2023. This bill creates a music therapy license within the Department of Health and establishes a Music Therapy Advisory Committee to assist the Department in matters concerning the license. To learn more about the WA State Music Therapy Task Force’s work and continued advocacy efforts, visit musictherapy4all.com.
Our History
