Music Therapists

Katelyn Morris, MT-BC

Katelyn Morris graduated from Illinois State University with her Bachelors of Arts in Music Therapy. She grew up on a beef cattle farm in southern Illinois with music and theater being major factors in her life. She instantly fell in love with Music Therapy (MUTH) the moment she heard about it. Throughout her college career, she worked with many populations including adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, older adults with dementia, and teenagers in a juvenile detention center. She also volunteered at “The Autism Place”, an after school program for children with autism. She then moved to Indiana and completed her MUTH internship at Opportunities for Positive Growth. Katelyn has recently acquired her board certification (MT-BC), and will be working remotely in Fishers and surrounding areas. She is excited to begin working in the professional world and grow alongside the other therapists at Pure Abilities. Katelyn’s main goals are to foster creativity, promote independence, and inspire individualism for persons with disabilities!

Jessica Balagna, MM, MT-BC

Jessica Balagna graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2015 with a bachelor of arts in music on a violin and a minor in psychology. She graduated from Illinois State University in 2020 with her masters degree in music therapy. She completed her music therapy internship at Lawrence Hall Youth Services in Chicago, Illinois. There she worked with youth who have experienced severe trauma and had severe emotional and behavioral needs. Jessica also worked as an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Technician for two years prior to working professionally as a music therapist. At the ABA clinic, she worked with children with Autism from ages 3 to 20 years old. She comes from a cognitive behavioral background and often incorporates ABA techniques in her music therapy practice. Jessica is originally from Muskegon, Michigan, right on the shore of Lake Michigan. She credits her sister, Sara, who is on the Autism spectrum, for her passion for music therapy and for people with disabilities. Thanks to Sara, Jessica was guided by other families and friends in the special needs community to find music therapy. Jessica also grew up in a multi-cultural home and focused her graduate project on the Hispanic and Latino culture in music therapy. Jessica is passionate about using music to improve the wellbeing and independence of others and to be an advocate for those without a voice.

Maddie McGinnis, MT-BC

Maddie discovered music therapy at Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts, a select summer program for high school students, and quickly realized her passion for the field. Maddie later attended the University of Louisville and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music therapy. Maddie’s main instrument is the saxophone, and she was involved in the university’s wind ensemble, symphonic band, saxophone ensemble, and marching band throughout her college years. Maddie loves to sing, and was happy to learn how to play percussion instruments, the guitar, the piano, and the ukulele during her time at UofL. She completed her music therapy internship with Louisville Expressive Therapies, where she worked with populations including mental health settings, clients with substance use disorder, early childhood settings, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Maddie continued to work in the music therapy field after becoming board-certified, and spent the first year of her career with a company named Louisville Center for Therapy and Personal Sustainability. Maddie loves working with all ages, but she adores working with children and seeing their creativity shine through music interventions. She lives in Louisville, KY, and will be serving clients in the Indiana area close by. Maddie’s goal as a music therapist is to serve her clients and their specific needs, while helping them achieve their individualized goals using the uniqueness of music therapy!

Rachel Turnbill, MT-BC

Rachel Turnbill is a board-certified music therapist and recent graduate from the University of Louisville with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Music Therapy and Minor in Psychology. Rachel grew up in Greenwood, Indiana and fell in love with music at an early age. Receiving classical piano training since kindergarten, Rachel was heavily involved in school choirs, vocal jazz, dance, marching band, and musical theater before pursuing music therapy as her profession. In her undergraduate years, Rachel worked with many populations, including adolescents with Autism, young adults with Down Syndrome, children with motor speech disorders, and adults receiving treatment in both in-patient and out-patient hospital settings. She completed her internship with Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Kentucky, where she gained diverse experience with children and adults in hematology/oncology units, neurological rehabilitation, palliative/hospice care, med/surg units, and neonatal intensive care. Rachel moved back to her hometown following internship and is excited to give back to the Southside community through music therapy services with Pure Abilities. Rachel is passionate about helping all individuals achieve their highest potentials of self-worth, independence, and wellbeing through the gift of music.

Elaina Cozart, MT-BC

Elaina is a board-certified music therapist in the Indianapolis area. Originally from southern Illinois, Elaina became involved with music at a young age through playing the piano as well as participating in choirs and bands playing the flute. Elaina graduated from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy in 2016. During her time at Western, Elaina had the opportunity to work with a variety of populations, including children in early intervention, special education classrooms, adults with dementia, and adults in a day program. She completed her internship in the Chicago area for an agency serving adults with developmental disabilities. Since 2016, Elaina has lived in Indiana working with the disability community through the Medicaid waiver program, and has worked with people of all ages. Elaina believes music is a powerful human phenomenon that can promote personal growth and connection to each other.

Noriah Uribe-Matanick, MT-BC

Noriah graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Therapy. With a lifelong passion for the arts, especially through choir and musical theater, Noriah discovered music therapy as the perfect fusion of a love for music and a strong belief in the inherent value of every individual.

During her academic journey, Noriah gained diverse experience working at a residential facility for youth with varying needs, including substance abuse, sexually acting-out behaviors, and conduct disorders. Additionally, she completed practicum placements in Head Start programs, behavior management classrooms, clinical settings with individuals on the Autism spectrum, and conducted group therapy sessions in retirement homes and assisted living facilities.

Her internship at The Music Therapy Center of California, specializing in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT), provided the opportunity to work with clients across the lifespan, from preschoolers to older adults, with diagnoses such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, and other neurological disorders.

Professionally, Noriah has worked in an inpatient acute care behavioral health hospital, addressing complex diagnoses like personality disorders, substance use disorders, and psychotic disorders. She also provided end-of-life care in hospice and worked in a clinic setting serving children and adolescents with neurologic and developmental disorders.

Now based in Indiana, Noriah is excited to continue her music therapy journey at Pure Abilities. Her primary goal is to promote dignity, foster confidence, strengthen autonomy and instill value through the therapeutic power of music.