Creating Connection, Transforming Lives
We create meaningful, deep connections with people who have experienced trauma, and we help them carry home that ability to reconnect — improving the lives of partners, caregivers, and communities.
We create meaningful, deep connections with people who have experienced trauma, and we help them carry home that ability to reconnect — improving the lives of partners, caregivers, and communities.
Our Mission:
Our mission is to help heal those who have experienced trauma. We accomplish this through our life-changing music therapy retreats by:
Mallory Even
Continuing Education Director
Natalie Wlodarczyk, Ph.D.
Retreat Leader
Natalie Wlodarczyk, Ph.D., MT-BC is Professor and Director of Music Therapy at Drury University in Springfield, MO, where she has taught since 2010. Dr. Wlodarczyk is an active clinician with expertise in the areas of grief and loss, intergenerational programming, mental health, and veterans’ support. She is the founder and director of the Drury Intergenerational Rock Band, pairing college students with older adult members of the community to rehearse and perform a program of popular music while improving cross-age attitudes and promoting positive views of aging. Dr. Wlodarczyk has published in the Journal of Music Therapy, Music Therapy Perspectives, and Progress in Palliative Care, authored several book chapters on a variety of topics, and is co-author of the text Music Therapy and Geriatric Populations: A Handbook for Practicing Music Therapists and Healthcare Professionals. She served with the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) from 2010-2020 and was Chair of the CBMT Board of Directors from 2018-2020. Dr. Wlodarczyk is also an accomplished songwriter and has released several albums of original music with her duo The Shandies.
Maddie Offenberger
Continuing Community Leader
Philip Levy
President
Ken Hammerle
Treasurer
Chuck Costanza
Chuck Costanza brings more than 30 years of international business and government experience to his role as Executive VP of Client Engagement at Global Guardian. Chuck helps corporate clients identify and mitigate risks associated with their foreign and domestic business operations—and assists in the implementation of a full range of duty of care services, emergency and medical response, and other custom security solutions. Prior to joining Global Guardian, Chuck was a senior advisor at the US Department of State, providing strategic assessments of how climate will shape America’s security, to include emergent geopolitical threats as well as energy and water access issues. Prior to entering government, Chuck ran a boutique consultancy, which provided economic and political risk assessments and market entry strategies for climate-related products and renewable energy. His clients ranged from Fortune 500 to startup companies. He led engagements related to climate risk insurance, biofuels, high performance enzymes, and energy efficiency. Chuck also worked for the World Bank, where he led a team to conduct the first three privatizations of Ukrainian collective farms. Chuck speaks Russian and German and holds degrees from Harvard University and the College of the Holy Cross.
Bianca Ford, MT-BC
Known professionally as “Ms. BeeBee”, Bianca Ford has been a passionate Mental Health and
Trauma focused Music Therapist since 2017. Bianca initially began her studies to become a journalist, majoring in Mass Communications in 2006. It would only take one semester in that major for her to realize it wasn’t a fit. She changed majors at the end of the following spring semester and began working to receive what would later become certification in Music Therapy. Since completing coursework and receiving National Board Certification, Bianca has worked hard to improve the quality of life for individuals in psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment facilities who are battling the effects of trauma. Inspired by her own challenges with trauma induced mental health challenges, Bianca is able to fuse creativity, musicality and therapeutic techniques to foster a healing environment that is life- changing for every client she encounters. She currently lives in Nashville, TN and works at the Nashville VA.
Rich Holly
Chris Nole
Damian O'Doherty
Dr. Jackie Pair
Jackie Pair is a 30-year retired Army Veteran and is currently working as a Vocational Development Specialist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Acudetox Specialist, and as an employment specialist with the VA Hospitals in Nashville, Murfreesboro and Chattanooga, TN. Her primary focus is veteran employment and homeless issues as well as post-traumatic stress disorder while using alternative treatments. She is married to John (a military retiree) and has one daughter and three grandchildren. Her military and civilian backgrounds include veterinary medicine, computer systems, recruiting, adjunct teaching, acudetox, as well as equal opportunity and human resources. Jackie has two Bachelor of Science degrees, one from Cameron University in Sociology and the other from Southern Illinois University in Workforce Education, Training & Development. She possesses a graduate certification in Organizational Leadership, two Master of Science degrees in Social Work from the University of Oklahoma and HR Management from Chapman University in Orange, CA. She possesses a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) from Stanford University in Stanford, CA. She is completing a Doctoral Degree in Leadership, Research and Education(EdD) with Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN. Dr. Pair recently completed a certification as an Acudetox Specialist.
Her volunteer efforts include Senior Vice Commander and event coordinator for Disabled Veterans of America Chpt #3 Nashville, she is a Member the USO of Nashville and is on the action board of Volunteers of America Mid-States. Dr. Pair has been a member of PGA Hope which is a part of her programs for alternative treatments for over three years. She is also a member of the Women Veterans of America as well as Wounded Warriors. Dr. Pair was adjunct faculty with Austin Peay University and National College in Nashville. She is a member of the Order of the Eastern Stars and the Daughters of Isis as well as a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Pi Zeta Grad Chapter. Dr. Pair is also a member of the military Sorority Nu Gamma Epsilon which embodies sisterhood, service, charity, and goodwill regarding female military veterans. She is active on the praise and worship team at Scenic View Baptist Church in Nashville, TN.
Lesa Prime, US Air Force MSgt (Ret)
Dr. Blythe Lagasse
Professor at Colorado State University
RA Beattie
Marketing & Artist Relations Director, Breedlove Guitars
Michael Fitzpatrick
Noted Cellist and Composer, Founder of Millenia Music, and recipient of the Prince Charles Award for Outstanding Musicianship conferred by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales
Mack Bailey has been a musician since the age of eight. He toured with various groups including the Hard Travelers, the Limeliters, a musical tribute to John Denver featuring John’s band members, and as a duo with his wife, Rachel Levy.
In 2011, Mack went back to school to pursue his masters in music therapy at Colorado State University. After finishing the program and completing his internship at Colorado Children’s Hospital, Mack became board certified in the field. He started his own music therapy practice in Aspen, CO.
In 2019, he founded (then named) Music Therapy of the Rockies as a 501c3 nonprofit organization focusing on mental health, music therapy research and techniques, and helping military veterans re-frame their military experience. Read the origin story of the nonprofit here.
Mack’s personal story includes a time of deep depression in which he did not seek support and found himself ready to end his life. He credits writing a song at the 11th hour with saving his life. Through his education in neurologic music therapy, he became interested in how music rewired his brain.
Mack started working with veterans through Challenge Aspen in 2014, where he incorporated therapeutic songwriting as a means of self-expression and reframing their story. There were many powerful moments within the sessions and it became apparent that through structured, evidence-based techniques, the elements of music were instrumental in rewiring how the brain processed emotions, self-expression, and behaviors.
Mack began developing a full curriculum of the research and studies to show that this belief could be replicated. With much success, Mack implemented retreats in Nashville (at Amy Grant and Vince Gill’s farm) and in Cleveland, even being featured on CNN and Amy Grant’s Holiday TV Special.
In 2024, the name was updated to Music Therapy Retreats to reflect the national presence this organization has, with retreats now being held across the United States.
Mack founded Music Therapy Retreats with a mission to help veterans and people who have experienced trauma, and to teach other music therapists the proven skills that have been positively affecting people’s lives. Mack is also dedicated to furthering music therapy research and mental health in his local community of Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado.
We rely on the support and generosity of like-minded companies and organizations who share our values and are committed to helping people with trauma.
Interested in sponsoring a retreat or supporting our mission in a bigger way? We’d love to hear from you. Please send an email to: info@musictherapyretreats.org
Robert and Lexie Potamkin
Jack and Diane Kennedy
Snowmass Rotary
Michael and Linda Trageser
Amy Grant and Vince Gill
Lampton Family Foundation
Slifer Smith and Frampton
For all media inquiries, please contact our founder Mack Bailey at mack@musictherapyretreats.org
Held 26 retreats in 5 locations around the United States. Retreat locations include: Nashville, TN; Dickerson, MD; Milford, Iowa; Cleveland, OH; Atlanta, GA; and more
Served 151 veterans with music therapy practices and helped them turn their stories into songs
Trained 64 music therapists in the “Music and the PTSD Brain” continuing education program
Your support will make an incredible impact on people healing from trauma through music therapy.
Music Therapy Retreats (MTR, formerly Music Therapy of the Rockies), is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and our mission is to help heal those who have experienced trauma. Federal Tax ID 83-1795782. P.O. Box 3536, Aspen, CO 81612. info@musictherapyretreats.org
Music Therapy of the Rockies has changed its name to Music Therapy Retreats and we're celebrating with a new logo and branding.
