Patients & Families Music Therapy Services

Elaine Chen, MT-BC, joined the Music Therapy Program at Boston Children’s Hospital in December 2025. She holds a master’s degree in music therapy from Molloy University and a bachelor’s degree in music and health science from Stony Brook University, both in New York. Elaine completed her internship in a special education school, working with children of all ages with autism and developmental delays. Elaine is classically trained in piano, her primary instrument, and teaches piano part-time. Her music therapy approach is humanistic and person-centered. She celebrates each child’s strengths and tailors sessions to the unique needs of children and families. She is passionate about using music to foster emotional expression, engagement, and growth, creating meaningful and joyful experiences for every child.

• Email: Elaine.Chen@childrens.harvard.edu

LeeAnn Guidry, MMT, MT-BC, NMT, joined the Music Therapy team in December 2024. She graduated from Loyola University of New Orleans with a master’s degree in music therapy and holds a bachelor’s degree in Arts and humanities from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Before joining Boston Children’s, LeeAnn worked with patients across the lifespan, specializing in Early Intervention, neurorehabilitation, and end-of-life care. She has also provided clinical supervision to music therapy students and is passionate about continuing education and research. LeeAnn primarily supports patients and families in the Oncology, Hematology, and Bone Marrow Transplant units.

• Email address: LeeAnn.Guidry@childrens.harvard.edu

MG Hurley joined the Music Therapy team in 2024. They graduated from Montclair State University with a bachelor’s degree in music therapy and completed their clinical internship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. MG draws from humanistic and anti-oppressive theories to provide high-quality care for patients and families. They primarily support patients and families in Cardiology.

• Email address: MG.Hurley@childrens.harvard.edu

Hayley Jang is a music therapist who joined the Music Therapy team in 2024. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music therapy from Berklee College of Music and a master’s degree in music therapy from New York University, where she completed her training at the Nordoff-Robbins Center. As a Level 1 Certified Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapist, Hayley has specialized training in working with neurodivergent individuals. She employs a music-centered, person-centered, strengths-based, and holistic approach to her work. Hayley is dedicated to trauma-informed and family-centered care, ensuring her practice supports and empowers both patients and their families.

• Email address: Hayley.Jang@childrens.harvard.edu

Che-Ching Lin joined the Music Therapy Program in January 2023. He graduated from Lesley University with a master’s degree in music therapy and has a background in brain science and nursing in Taiwan. Before joining Boston Children’s, Che-Ching worked with elders with dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. He is trained in neurologic music therapy and primarily serves the Medicine Patient Services cohort at Boston Children’s Hospital.

• Email address: Che-Ching.Lin@childrens.harvard.edu

Pu (Melody) Liu joined the Music Therapy Program in 2024. She holds a master’s degree in music therapy from Colorado State University and has advanced training in neurologic music therapy. Melody founded a music therapy program in China, providing specialized care to patients with traumatic brain injuries and strokes, serving populations ranging from children to the elderly. She primarily supports patients and families in the Medicine Patient Services cohort at Boston Children’s Hospital.

• Email address: Pu.Liu@childrens.harvard.edu

Tess Martens, MT-BC, joined the Music Therapy team in 2025. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in music therapy and completed her clinical internship at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. Tess additionally has clinical experience in stroke rehabilitation, early education, inpatient mental health, NICU, and hospice music therapy. She employs a strength-based, family-centered, and humanistic approach in her practice. She primarily works in the Cardiology units at Boston Children’s Hospital.

• Email address: Tess.Martens@childrens.harvard.edu

Lauren Padden joined the music therapy team in December 2025. Lauren graduated from Temple University with a bachelor's degree in music therapy and completed her clinical internship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Lauren employs a strength-based, humanistic, and trauma-informed approach to her practice, providing each patient and family with genuine, supportive care. She primarily works on the inpatient surgical and complex surgical units.

• Email: Lauren.Padden@childrens.harvard.edu

Dana Shafranek, MT-BC, joined the Music Therapy team in 2024. She graduated from Montclair State University in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in music therapy and has a background in percussion. Dana completed her clinical internship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and has experience in early intervention. She primarily supports patients and families in the inpatient surgical and complex surgical units at Boston Children’s Hospital.

• Email address: Dana.Shafranek@childrens.harvard.edu

Hannah Skillman joined the Music Therapy Program in December 2025. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music therapy from Temple University with a minor in cognitive neuroscience and has advanced training in Neurologic Music Therapy. Hannah completed her clinical internship at The Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Md., gaining experience working with neurodivergent individuals and children with brain disorders and injuries and spinal cord disorders and injuries. Hannah employs a family- and person-centered approach in her practice. At Boston Children's, she primarily supports patients and families in the inpatient oncology, hematology, and hematopoietic stem cell transplant units.

• Email: Hannah.Skillman@childrens.harvard.edu

Minxue (Mint) T Gao is a music therapist at Boston Children's Hospital, where she has been a dedicated member of the Music Therapy Program since 2022. Mint earned her master’s degree in music therapy from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in music therapy and piano performance. She holds certifications in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) and Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT), and has specialized training in the Nordoff-Robbins approach. Mint is passionate about advancing the field, and she is actively engaged in research to explore innovative applications of music therapy in clinical settings.

• Email address: Minxue.Tan@childrens.harvard.edu

Erin Vadala has been a part of the Music Therapy Program since January 2023. She is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, and she completed her clinical internship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. As a clinician, Erin seeks to implement anti-oppressive practices into her work, integrating an awareness of structural and social inequities and their impact on patients’ wellbeing into her music therapy practice. Erin works with patients in the Hematology/Oncology inpatient care areas.

• Email address: Erin.Vadala@childrens.harvard.edu