Margo Drohan is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy of Science, Nursing at the University of Rhode Island. She has degrees from the Cuyahoga Falls School of Nursing (OH), and the Lehman College, City University of New York (BS and MS in Nursing), all with honors. She is a Nurse Practitioner specializing in pediatrics and family health. Ms. Drohan has been featured in Who’s Who in American Nursing since 1986 and in Who’s Who in Medicine & Health Care since 1999.

Her current affiliation is with Hospice Care in the Berkshires, Pittsfield MA. Her previous primary care experience was in NY and MA and included internships in an under-served neighborhood clinic, in home care, and in a multi-hospital system, and positions in a residential treatment facility for disabled children and adults, a private family practice, a residential treatment school for emotionally disturbed children, and residential social milieu therapy for disabled adults.

From 1994-99 Ms. Drohan was Associate Editor and quarterly columnist for Alternative Health Practitioner, the Journal of Complementary and Natural Care”. Her articles have been published in professional journals and encyclopedias. In schools and medical centers in NY and MA she has been a consultant in the areas of curriculum, practice, and marketing, as well as a member of task forces and boards of directors for efforts promoting holistic nursing, family as client, and community
supported medicine.

Previous teaching positions include Master of Science Tract and Clinical Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Amherst (1992-2005); and Program Coordinator for Complementary Care Certification and for Massage Therapy Degrees at Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield MA.

Since 1996, Ms. Drohan has worked with The Music for Healing& Transition Program, Inc., an educational certificate program offered to musicians across the USA and scheduled in weekend modules with required mentored practicum experience. Her roles have included Board of Directors; Interim Executive Director; Curriculum Consultant, and Lead Teacher covering such topics as understanding medical issues like hospital equipment and procedures, pharmacology, diseases and causation, injuries, symptom management, care of the dying, as well as healing
philosophies, cultural paradigms, and the physics and effects of sound and music on the human body. Ms. Drohan’s professional presentations include many topics on the effectiveness of music in therapeutic situations, for example creating healing environments, pain relief in children, therapeutic intervention, and enhancing group therapy.

Marlena BabZ Schilke received an A.L.B. degree in Natural Sciences from Harvard University. She currently works in sleep disorders medicine for Sleep Health Centers Inc. at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston MA and for Sleep Cures of Framingham MA, analyzing sleep recordings. Her previous positions in Boston area hospitals and institutions include work in polysomnography, electrophysiology, and other research into changes in states of consciousness that include sleep, alertness, and hypnosis. She has also done quality assurance for immunologic medical testing kits, patent research, preparation of scientific journal articles, economic research into energy-efficiency, graphic arts, and desktop publishing.

In addition, Ms. Schilke is a founding member of the Historical Harp Society (HHS), serving as president from 2002-2006. The purpose of the HHS is to cultivate, sponsor, and enable appreciation of the art, history, literature, and uses of historical harps among performers, harp makers, and the general public. She has helped coordinate the yearly HHS workshop and conference, and founded the biannual Boston Early Harp Symposium with Cynthia Price-Glynn of The Boston Conservatory.

Ms. Schilke plays medieval, renaissance, and folk harps as a soloist and with a variety of performing groups including Urban Myth (a Boston area based world historical blend ensemble) and the Shelburne Addition (for contra dances in northern NH). She was a member of the Sacred Harp Ensemble (early American sacred music), accompanist for the Westford Chorus (of Westford MA) and MotherTongue (an earth spirituality musical ensemble that performed at the 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions). Ms. Schilke also performs on many other instruments including the tuba, sousaphone, mandolin, ukelin, tromboon, percussion, washtub bass, and Baltic zither. She teaches historical harp, brass, and percussion.

Ms. Schilke’s musical and medical interests and skills converge in her studies and practice of a wide spectrum of healing and well-being modalities.This includes becoming a Reiki practitioner and being ordained in the Church of the Loving Servant in 1986. Her private practice includes sound and energy healing, biofeedback, and hypnosis.

Rev. Schilke is the Executive Director of Chapel Arts New England, a former Methodist Church building in Gorham NH which now features an art gallery and offers many events and activities such as concerts, recitals, weddings, tea parties, hymn sings, contra dances, music and art lessons, whistling and harmonica contests.The Chapel also houses BabZ' Harp Haven, which sells small affordable harps, exotic percussion and fine reproductions of historical harps.

Dr. Michael Sperber received a B.A. degree in Psychology from Oberlin College (USA) and an M.D. degree at the Free University of Brussels (Belgium). After a Rotating Internship in Washington, D.C. he moved to the Boston area for his Psychiatric Residencies and for his Fellowships (Teaching, Research, and Clinical) at the Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry. He was an Instructor there as well as a Lecturer at Harvard University on Social Relations.

Dr. Sperber’s current institutional affiliation is McLean Hospital in Belmont MA where he is a Psychiatric Consultant, a role he previously filled with the Direct Relief Foundation at St. Jude Hospital, St. Lucia BWI; at Heritage Hospital, Somerville MA; for Project USA at the Public Health Service Hospital, Navajo Reservation, Tuba City AZ; and for the Sheriff’s Department of Middlesex County MA. Other positions have included Senior Psychiatrist for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, and the Medical Director for the Family Services of Greater Boston. Articles by Dr. Sperber have been published in many medical journals and magazines.

In addition, he is a poet and artist with curiosity and expertise about the confluence of creativity and psychology. This has resulted in articles and presentations about authors James Joyce, Anton Chekov, Joseph Conrad, and Albert Camus, as well as landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Dr. Sperber’s most recent book is “Henry David Thoreau: Cycles and Psyche”. Dr. Sperber is also interested in biomusicology, a new field of medical research and practice that is studying the neurological and psychological effects of hearing and of playing music.

Sarajane Williams, a licensed psychologist, received her M.A. degree in counseling psychology from Kutztown University (PA). For over 30 years she has filled various roles in the healing arts including nurse, cardiopulmonary technologist, director of a cardiac catherization laboratory, and biofeedback therapist in a chronic pain center.

Since 1991, Ms. Williams has provided Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy for clients in her psychology practice, a treatment she pioneered and teaches. Her book “Good Vibrations: Principles of Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy” chronicles her research and experience.

She has enabled therapeutic harpists throughout the USA and beyond to share and further their knowledge and experiences by first organizing the initial International Healing Harps Symposium in 1995, and then subsequently creating, publishing, editing, and contributing to “The Harp Therapy Journal” which appears quarterly. She is a charter member of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Musicians (NCBTM) which was formed to create standards of practice to be followed by programs that train therapeutic musicians.

In addition, Ms. Williams is a professional harpist, harp teacher, and composer. Some of her CDs and compositions have been effective in reducing pain and stabilizing vital signs. Her book “The Mythic Harp” presents stories of the harp as a healing instrument from ancient times and from all over the world. She performs in The Williams Duo with her guitarist husband. Together they own and operate Planet Harp, a store in Macungie PA that serves and supplies harpists of all interests and genres.

Executive Director of GentleMUSES

Cynthia Price-Glynn grew up in Wichita, Kansas. She has a B.A. from Pomona College (visual arts), a B.M. from the University of Kansas (harp performance), and an M.M. from the New England Conservatory (harp performance). For many years she was a freelance musician in Boston playing in all the major orchestras and ensembles as well as in the musical theaters, and for touring Broadway shows and ballet companies. She has been Principal and Solo Harpist with Boston Ballet since 1976. Since 1986 she has been Chair of the Harp Department at The Boston Conservatory, teaching harp, chamber music, pedagogy, and career skills. Her recordings include the award-winning “Lullabies” and “Musical Backgrounds”, three CDs with the Boston Ballet Orchestra, and two CDs with the highly acclaimed Latin American ensemble ANDANZAS.

As co-founder and Executive Director of the GentleMUSES (www.gentlemuses.org) she coordinates a consortium of harpists who play therapeutic music at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, in partnership with The Boston Conservatory. In February 2006 Ms. Price-Glynn was invited to be an associate member of The National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musicians, a group of pioneers and professionals in the movement that is creating standards of practice for programs that train therapeutic musicians.

Since the late 1980s, Ms. Price-Glynn has researched, written, directed, and produced audio-programs which have been supported by The American Truths Foundation, Inc. since 2002. Her collaborators for the albums on history and human rights include the New England Native American Institute and the United Nations Association of Greater Boston (see www.americantruths.com). She collaborated with the Roland Hayes School of Music (a Boston public high school) for the “Everyone is Beautiful” CD album and Book that complement her KindredCOLORS exhibit (see www.kindredcolors.org).