Jennifer Townsend MMT, MT-BC
Manager of Creative Arts Therapies
Center for Performing Arts Medicine
Smith and Tommy Chair for Music and Creative Arts Therapies
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care
Houston Methodist Academic Institute
Intrigued by how prevalent music is to the human experience, Jennifer Townsend began studying the impact of music on health as a teenager and hasn’t stopped. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in music therapy from Sam Houston State University, she began working with pediatric patients who had disorders of consciousness. Her experiences with this population and their families led her to further develop her understanding of how to use music for healing and pushed her to obtain a master’s degree in music therapy from Temple University.
After over a decade of working in pediatrics, Jennifer now works in adult medical care. As the Manager for Creative Arts Therapies at Houston Methodist, she pilots programming in order to grow the footprint of creative arts therapy throughout the hospital, participates and runs studies in research related to music therapy and music medicine, and provides clinical supervision to the creative arts therapy staff. Jennifer embraces an integrative philosophy that guides her practice and research. To this end, she has published articles relating to technology in music therapy, music therapy in epilepsy and neonatal treatment, music therapy for delirium and neurological constructs of music to guide practice and application.
Additionally, she has a chapter on Medically Fragile Children in the Guidelines for Music Therapy Practice in Pediatrics. She presents regularly at national and international conferences and forums to share research findings and best practices in the field. Jennifer’s passion for arts in healthcare pushes her to advocate continuously at local, state, and national levels. She serves on the Texas State Task Force for Recognition of the MT-BC and regularly attends the Americans for the Arts National hill day. Her service doesn’t end there as she continuously seeks opportunities to connect and serve arts and health organizations through board and committee positions as well as teaching courses in the University of Houston’s Arts Leadership and degree.
Jefferson “Todd” Frazier
Todd Frazier is the Gerald H. Dubin, M. D. Presidential Distinguished Centennial Director in the Art of Medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital’s System Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM). A composer and graduate from the Eastman and Juilliard Schools of Music, Frazier believes the arts offer a unique and dynamic common denominator in strategic collaboration that inspires innovation and transformation, while keeping us firmly in tune with our humanity. He has spent 30+ years forging and supporting education, research and accessibility collaborations between education, medicine, and arts & culture communities in America, creating several new institutions. leading to hundreds of new employment opportunities for collaborative artists, and becoming an active researcher, speaker, advocate and author in the field of Arts in Health.
The mission of CPAM is to effectively translate the collaborative potential of arts and medicine to the holistic healthcare environment of the Houston Methodist System of 8 hospitals. To achieve its mission CPAM supports collaborative areas of; specialized health care and wellness education for performing and visual artists; purposeful integration of the performing and visual arts into the hospital environment; clinical therapy that utilizes the arts in support of patient and hospital goals; research that harnesses the broadest potential of the arts in therapy, rehabilitation and human performance; and education and outreach that connects the arts in health field across disciplines, inspiring creative thinking and discovery. Since joining CPAM in 2011, Frazier has led the center to become one of the largest and most comprehensive programs of its kind in the nation, receiving the 2023 Texas Medal of the Arts Award from the Texas Cultural Trust, “spotlighting Texas leaders who fuel our state’s economy, improve our health and well-being, and enrich our cultural heritage”, the 2019 International Hamilton Award from the National Organization for Arts in Health, “celebrating the best use of the arts in employee engagement”, and the 2017 Business Council for the Arts Award from Americans for the Arts, “recognizing the best businesses partnering with the arts in America”.
As a composer, Frazier has a love for writing and studying sacred choral music, exploring the music of J. S. Bach, and composing music inspired by historical events and extra musical materials with a goal of illuminating words, ideas and experiences to inspire and motivate listeners. The most recent examples from a body of over 100 compositions are “Buffalo Altar; A Texas Symphony”, a story about Texas for orchestra and narrator with writer Stephen Harrigan and actor Barry Corbin, “Save the World: In Memoriam Richard Smalley”, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the discovery of nanotechnology; “Breath of Life”, an opera in two acts set in a hospital and intended to bridge medical and arts communities through the story of a man’s second chance for life through a heart transplant procedure, and “We Hold These Truths” an oratorio based on the life of Thomas Jefferson, where the first movement, based on the Declaration of Independence, received its premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington D. C. by the National Symphony Orchestra with soprano Renee Fleming and conductor Christoph Eschenbach.
Frazier is the founding President of the National Organization for Arts in Health, founder of American Festival for the Arts Summer Music Conservatory, and co-founder of Houston Arts Partners. He has been recognized by numerous organizations including the American Academy of Arts and Letters and on the occasion of the Juilliard School’s 100th anniversary in 2006, Frazier was recognized as one of 100 distinguished alumni and profiled in the Juilliard Journal’s “A Quiet Revolution: Juilliard Alumni and The Transformation of Education in America Through the Arts.” In 2016 he was awarded the Luminary Award from the Eastman School of Music “recognizing individuals who have given extraordinary service to music and the arts at the community and national levels”, and in 2022 he was awarded the Eastman Centennial Award “recognizing individuals who exemplify Eastman’s mission and legacy through their commitment to artistry, scholarship, leadership, community engagement, and philanthropy.”
John Head MM, MT-BC
John Head is a board-certified music therapist with a keen focus on researching the therapeutic effects of music within behavioral health and medical contexts. Throughout his career, he has been committed to integrating evidence-based practices into music therapy methods, particularly within behavioral health contexts.
Having embarked on his clinical journey in 2016, John has skillfully blended evidence base psychotherapy practices with music therapy methods. His academic background includes an MM in Music Therapy from Sam Houston State University and an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
Beyond his clinical work, John is a published contributor to research, with articles in peer-reviewed journals spanning topics such as music therapy’s role in mental health treatment and the adaptation of clinical practices to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Actively engaged in research projects related to music therapy, he also finds fulfillment in mentoring and educating aspiring music therapists and mental health professionals.
Currently, John serves as a Senior Music Therapist within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the Center for Performing Arts Medicine. In this role, he provides vital mental health services to both employees and community members alike.
Motivated by a genuine desire to enact positive change, John Head blends his passion, expertise, and unwavering dedication within the dynamic field of music therapy and mental health care.
Patricia Winter PhD, MT-BC
Patricia (Trish) Winter, PhD, is a Board-Certified Music Therapist with many years of experience as a clinical music therapist, music therapy educator, and researcher. She has worked across the developmental continuum focusing on interprofessional collaboration with speech-language pathologists, special educators, neuroscientists, creative arts therapists, music technologists, and community engagement specialists. Dr. Winter’s research has included a focus on music therapy and speech-language pathology for speech development in very young children, collaborative efforts with educators in Malawi, Africa in support of service provision for children with disabilities, and music processing of people with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias using EEG technology.
Stephi Cham MA, MT-BC
Stephi Cham (she/her) is a board-certified music therapist, editor, and author. Stephi wrote the Great Asian Americans series (Capstone Press) and received her MA in Publishing with an editorial concentration from Rosemont College. Her work centers compassionate communication, information accessibility, and ethical guidance, and she is on the board of directors for the LGBTQ+ Editors Association. Her work has been published in Strange Horizons and Publishers Weekly. She is an Editor at Houston Methodist and copy editor at Approaches: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy.
Virginia Gray MT-BC
Virginia B. Gray, MT-BC, has been a board-certified music therapist at the Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM) at Houston Methodist (HM) since 2016. As Clinical Education for Creative Arts Therapies and Research Coordinator, she formulates and implements music therapy continuing education curricula for CPAM’s Creative Arts Therapies (CAT) team, HM staff, and allied health and medical professionals in the community.
As a research coordinator for the multi-site music therapy ventilation liberation study, Virginia has significantly contributed to music therapy and arts in healthcare. Her academic writing includes peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations, and collaborative research projects. Her research focuses on the clinical applications of music therapy in critical care, the bio-psychological effects of music, and the integration of creative arts therapies in medical settings.
Virginia has demonstrated adaptability and resilience in her clinical work at Houston Methodist. She initiated the music therapy program at Houston Methodist Continuing Care LTACH in Katy. She later transitioned to the Houston Methodist Medical Center, triaging all music therapy orders for inpatient acute and critical care units. During the pandemic, she provided essential care for COVID-19-positive patients and their families, showcasing her strength and capability in times of adversity.
Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from the University of The Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Virginia has pursued advanced training in several specialized areas, including the Houston Methodist Academic Academy’s Clinical Educator Pathway and Research Coordinator Training, underscoring her commitment to evidence-based practice and rigorous research methodologies. Her training also includes the Music Therapy Assessment Tool for Awareness in Disorders of Consciousness, Neurologic Music Therapy, Music Therapy in Palliative Care, Trauma-Informed Care, and The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery in Music.
This diverse and advanced training equips Virginia with the expertise to apply research-based interventions in clinical settings, develop and evaluate therapeutic programs, and contribute to the growing knowledge in music therapy and healthcare.
Virginia is also dedicated to research. She actively participates in multidisciplinary research teams and mentors emerging researchers in music therapy and creative arts therapies. Her work continues to advance the understanding and application of music therapy in healthcare, significantly contributing to clinical practice and academic research.