To Whom It May Concern,

Since a cycling accident in 2020 that left me paralyzed with a traumatic brain injury, I have been rehabilitated with many forms of therapy, including physical, occupational, speech, and recreational therapies (including art) at the famous Shepherd Center in Atlanta and at Carilion here in Roanoke. All of these formats felt essential to my recovery. Oddly, even the Shepherd Center did not have a music therapist.

Because my wife knows how much I love music, she searched for music therapy and discovered Anderson. Because Anderson had won a grant to provide free individual and group music therapy, I was able to work one-on-one with phenomenal therapists who happened to be amazing musicians. They helped me regain some of my love of percussion and taught me how to play piano and guitar, which helped me focus my mind on learning new skills. After the first 12-week session, I was able to repeat, and it resulted in the completion a song for my wife that I began long ago. This meant that I was synthesizing writing, playing, singing, and even learning how to record music using Garage Band. I'm not ready for the Grand Ole Opry, but it reignited a creative spark in me. For 12 weeks, Anderson even helped my family come together to sing songs, learn percussion, which is the first time my family has been involved directly in any aspect of my therapy. I cannot overstate the significance of this development.

Meanwhile, the online group that Anderson therapists have conducted continues to be a bedrock element in my recovery. I have been stimulated and challenged by the various modalities that have included rewriting song lyrics and using percussion instruments in ways that compel us to think with both sides of our brains. Moreover, we connect as a group, share songs and stories, and leave each hour feeling much better twice a week. It is the only group I work with, and I have been involved since 2023. We care about each other, and those of us with TBIs desperately need that kind of camaraderie and brain massage.

Recently, Anderson teamed up with Carilion to offer an opportunity for some TBI patients to sing together with a group of therapists and even family members in preparation for a public concert. I once sang in a choir. I never sang that well, but I had a big voice. My SCI limits my ability to sing well because I cannot control my core and lungs like I once did. Nonetheless, the process has helped me regain a bit of my voice, while enjoying the whole process with my family, TBI friends, and therapists.

All these therapeutic elements have helped me overcome much of my loss. Sometimes, I feel like my injuries led me, however unlikely, to a silver lining of qualifying for this blissful brain spa called Anderson Music Therapy. But calling Anderson a brain spa might come off glib or undermine it as non-essential or unprofessional. In fact, I have worked with most of the staff, either one-on-one or in a group setting. All of them have degrees in music therapy and are licensed. They all employ the same high standards and achieve remarkable results with us. I feel confident that Anderson Music Therapy is worthy of full licensure and accreditation.

I would be happy to elaborate if necessary.

Robert Robillard

robillr@gmail.com