Caila Conklin, MT-BC (she/her/hers) is a board certified music therapist and interdisciplinary creative, passionate about the process of meeting people where they are. In her work as a music therapist, Caila strives to build adaptive music-based experiences through which people of all backgrounds, abilities, and life stages can thrive. Over the years of developing her style as a music therapist, Caila has honed her practice rooted in the belief that music holds power to unite and alchemize us.

After completing her undergraduate studies in Music Therapy and Psychology at Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI), Caila placed roots in Lansing where she has served as a music therapist in various community and healthcare-based organizations. Currently, she provides music therapy services for Corewell Health’s Cancer Care program at Lemmen Holton Cancer Pavilion in Grand Rapids and Corewell’s regional cancer centers throughout West Michigan. Outside of her work as a music therapist, Caila performs locally and is an active volunteer with various theatre organizations, as well as having served as a chorus member of Sistrum, Lansing’s Women’s Chorus.

Statement of Interest:
As a child, I was always drawn to gathering with others to create art; composing songs, developing short plays, musicking with whoever was willing. Over the course of my adolescence I developed an affinity for providing care to vulnerable populations, which led to years spent working in nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. As I approached the time to apply to schools for advancing my education, I anticipated auditioning to study music with various programs, and was prompted by my high school band instructor to read about the field of music therapy. Following my initial research, I felt compelled to learn more and jumped into my studies at Western Michigan University shortly after that.

This Creative Fellow role excites me for many reasons. I am a strong believer in the transformative force of individuals empowered and connected to one another. I feel that music and art are perfect catalysts of change and bridging gaps between individuals to build community. Having spent a majority of  my professional career working to demystify the ways in which music can be applied to incite positive change on the individual and collective level, I am thrilled at the opportunity to amplify and demonstrate this message in West Michigan. I also find community-based work deeply important, as well as the work of expanding and educating others about the field of music therapy. As it is a younger profession, there are often misconceptions and any opportunity to provide further understanding of its applications is a welcome one!