A Letter From Us to You: Harmony Garden Updates and Changes
Dear clients & parents/guardians,
My name is Jaime Lawrence. I’m the owner of Harmony Garden Music Therapy Services. Let me start out by saying THANK YOU! Thank you for staying with us, starting with us, or waiting for us during this ever-changing time of COVID-19 regulations. I am writing to you to be transparent in letting you know what Harmony Garden is currently going through and to let you know our plans moving forward.
We have been through MANY transitions since the beginning of the year. We kicked off the new year with a move across town to our new music therapy clinic. We then celebrated the first week in March after hiring our newly graduated music therapy intern as well as our very first administrative assistant. We didn’t know that our work reality would be turned upside down, but due to COVID-19, we lost over 75% of our billable services in only a matter of days. If you aren’t aware, we have a robust early childhood music program, work in childcare facilities, group homes for special needs, retirement/elder care facilities, and in hospice and palliative care. These offsite contracts are in addition to our individual and group music therapy sessions that take place regularly in our office.
We made the immediate transition to telehealth with the clients who were able to and I was able to secure PPP (Paycheck Protection Plan) loan funds which provided a little cushion for two months of operating costs. These transitions have not been easy on any of the employees at Harmony Garden. There have been layoffs, rehires, a second round of layoffs, cut hours, and now two of our employees have resigned from Harmony Garden to focus on other life transitions both personally and professionally.
Bekah Moilanen, MT-BC is currently on layoff, hopeful to return to Harmony Garden one day, when there is more work and it is safe for her to do so for her and her family. Macayla Statler, MT-BC has resigned in order to focus on finding a way to transition life from Michigan to Tennessee (her home state). Hannah Avery, MT-BC has also resigned to focus on finding a work/life balance at Gull Lake Ministries with her husband. All three of the music therapists mentioned put their heart into Harmony Garden. They are all amazing musicians and clinicians, and I’m saddened deeply to see them go. I know that many of our clients and families will be sad as well.
We realize the irony, but the message of that video is the most important. “Some things never change, like how we love to make music with you…” These words have NEVER been so relevant. Kara Lewis, MT-BC and I are still here going strong and building a plan to ensure that everyone who is in need of music therapy services will continue to be covered. It is YOU and your families who keep us going. Making music with YOU keeps us going.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Jaime Lawrence & Kara Lewis
