After a stint teaching high school band and general music in the Tempe public schools, I enrolled in the ASU music therapy equivalency program and finished the coursework in 2004. I completed my internship with Karen Skipper in Orange County, CA, where I started my private practice and became a music therapist and administrator at Arts and Services for Disabled, Inc. in Long Beach. My wife and I moved back home to Tempe in 2006 to start our family, and our son is now 1 years old and loves light bulbs and music, especially dad's big djembe drum! I am an NMT, and a qualified vendor for the State of Arizona DES/DDD, which allows me to serve over 40 individual kids and adults with developmental disabilities. I have also facilitated a number of drum circles and community groups for individuals with special needs, and am providing regular music therapy for a few older adult groups throughout the valley, as well. My company, Intempo, LLC, provides contract music therapy services to over 1000 people in 4 different states, and I am currently collaborating with music therapists and other professionals from across the US to start a national non-profit to help many more people in need of services. I am looking forward to finally completing my MMT and music therapy research at Temple University in the spring and was proud to serve as WRAMTA 2nd Vice President and Webmaster from 2006-2007.

AzMTA Vice-President: Michael Plunkett, MT-BC

Michael Plunkett is a music therapist who lives and works in the Greater Phoenix area. He graduated with a Bachelors in Music Therapy from Arizona State University in 2009. Michael completed his internship with MusicWorx of California under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Reuer where he worked with diverse populations ranging from hospitalized adults and children, to substance abuse recovery, children and adults with developmental disabilities, and various wellness groups. He has since returned to the valley to provide therapy for children with developmental disabilities with Music Therapy Works and to serve as the Director of Music at Gateway Academy, a private K-12 school specializing in meeting the needs of students with high-functioning autism and asperger's. He also operates a private music therapy practice, Sun Beat Music, and often collaborates with AZRhythmConnection in drum circle events throughout the local community.

AzMTA Secretary/Treasurer: Marijane Nguyen, MT-BC

Marijane Nguyen became a board-certified music therapist in January 2009 after completing the music therapy equivalency at Arizona State University in 2008. She fulfilled her internship at Banner Desert Medical Center in Tempe, Arizona. Marijane graduated from Centenary College of Shreveport, Louisiana in 1988 with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. Prior to pursuing music therapy, Marijane taught piano for 10 years and accompanied various school choirs in California and Arizona. She began her music therapy career by providing home-based therapy services for children with developmental disabilities. She currently provides group music therapy for Totem Learning Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, a private day school specializing in individual educational therapy for children with learning disabilities. Marijane continues to teach piano and is also a trained HealthRHYTHMS® Facilitator.