Spring 2026 MTAM Conference

Community and Resilience: Helping Minnesota Heal Through Song

Click Here to Register!

Saturday, April 25th, 2026

9:00am-3:30pm

1930 Como Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55108
(a Saint Paul Public Schools space)

Join us for the MTAM Spring Conference as we learn how to hold space for and support members of our community through music therapy.

Together, we will strengthen the MTAM community by making music with fellow music therapists while learning practical healing techniques for the populations we serve. We will also explore trauma-informed care and disaster response, and consider meaningful ways to support the Minnesotans in our care during this historic time.

This conference will be recorded and available for further access for approximately 30 days.

Please register by April 23rd, 2026

Total number of CMTE Credits: 4 (this fulfills 1 ethics credit).

Registration Details

Pricing
Professional Member IN PERSON………………………………………………………………$45.00
Professional Member RECORDED………………..…………………………………………….$35.00
Student Member IN PERSON….…………………………………………………………………..$1.00
Student Member RECORDED…………………..…………………………………………………$1.00
Non-member option with CMTEs IN PERSON…………………………………………………$70.00
Non-member option with CMTEs RECORDED………………………..……………………….$60.00
Non-Member option with no CMTEs IN PERSON……………………………………………..$35.00
Non-Member option with no CMTEs RECORDED………………..……………………………$30.00

***If you are a member of another official state music therapy organization, you can select the
MTAM member options even if you are not a member of MTAM.

Lunch from West Indies Soul Food: Choice of BBQ Chicken or Vegan Curry
Standard Lunch…………………………………………………………………………………….$16.50
Student Lunch……………………………………………………………………………………….FREE

Please list any dietary restrictions on your registration form.

Membership:
2025 MTAM Professional Membership…………………………………………………………..$25.00
Complimentary 2025 MTAM Student Membership………………………………………………FREE

For questions regarding registration, please email
conference@musictherapymn.com.

If cost is preventing you from attending conference, please reach out!

Conference Policies

Cancellation and Refund Policy:
Refunds for cancellations are made available by written request only and must be mailed to the MTAM treasurer. Email conference@musictherapymn.com for details.
Full refunds cannot be made.
50% of fees will be refunded if the request is postmarked by April 23rd, 2026.
No refunds will be made after April 23rd, 2026.
Refunds will be processed within 45 days of the conference.

Grievance Policy and Procedure:
Participants of Continuing Music Therapy Education opportunities are entitled to submit a grievance in writing to Music Therapy Association of Minnesota (MTAM) in regard to any Continuing Education event within 14 days of completing the opportunity. The MTAM Executive Board will confirm receipt of the submission within 14 days with a possible request for additional information and respond with a resolution within 30 days to the submitted grievance. The grievance will be considered on an individual basis and appropriate measures will be carried out upon agreement from the Executive Board. If the issue is not resolved, the participant has the right to appeal to the CBMT Continuing Education Committee. A copy of this policy will be provided in promotional materials for Continued Education opportunities.

Community and Resilience: Helping Minnesota Heal through Song is approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) for four (4) continuing music therapy education credits, including one (1) ethics credit for in-person and four (4) continuing music therapy education credits, including one (1) ethics credit for recorded. The Music Therapy Association of Minnesota (MTAM), provider #P-052, maintains responsibility for program quality and adherence to CBMT policies and criteria.

2026 Spring MTAM Conference Agenda

8:00 am – 9:00 am: Registration and Check-in

9:00 am – 11:00 am: Jen Sokira (joining us live via video conference*)

11:00-11:10 am: Break

11:10am – 12:20 pm: Lunch

12:20 pm – 1:20 pm: MTAM Business Meeting (open to all conference attendees)

1:20 pm – 1:30 pm: Break

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Annie Schlaefer and Linnea Champ of Singing Resistance

*We gave careful thought to the decision to have Jen join us via video conference rather than in person. In the end, we felt it made the most sense to redirect the funds that would have gone toward airfare and lodging back into supporting our community at this time. We appreciate everyone’s understanding as we do our best to make thoughtful choices for the MTAM community!

Learning Objectives

1. The learner will identify the foundations of Trauma-Informed Care.
CBMT Domain 2D-9

2. The learner will recognize how to apply the basic principles of Psychological First Aid.
CBMT Domain 1C

3. The learner will discern strategies to manage their own potential compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout.
CBMT Domain 5B-8

4. The learner will build a practical toolkit of ready-to-carry trauma-informed songs.
CBMT Domain 2D-5

5. The learner will recognize how to introduce and utilize songs in ways that are empowering to vulnerable clients.
CBMT Domain 3A-10

6. The learner will practice using group singing as a trauma-informed therapeutic intervention.
CBMT Domain 3A-7

Presenter Bios

Jennifer Sokira, EdD, LCAT, MT-BC (she/her) founded Connecticut Music Therapy Services, LLC in 2005. Her clinical work focuses on music psychotherapy with individuals healing from grief, trauma, and PTSD. She is a Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery (FAMI) and has completed multiple levels of Brainspotting training as well as advanced training in
Complicated Grief Treatment.
Jennifer previously served as Clinical Director and music therapist at the Resiliency Center of Newtown, supporting individuals impacted by the 2012 Sandy Hook tragedy from 2013–2020. She recently completed her term as Vice President of the American Music Therapy Association and has also served as President of the New England Region and as a member of the AMTA
Ethics Board.
She teaches at Southern Connecticut State University and Quinnipiac University and is co-owner and Director of Educational Programming for EnlightenCE, where she developed the Certificate in Trauma-Informed Music Therapy. Jennifer holds a BS in Music Therapy from Duquesne University, an MM in Music Therapy from Temple University, and an EdD from Alverno College with research focused on trauma-informed care in music therapy education.

Annie Schlaefer (she/her), a Community Song-Leader, has been collecting songs and facilitating song circles for 13 years in various communities (Northern Minnesota, Maine, Wisconsin) and has been co-facilitating a weekly local community song circle in Minneapolis with Linnea for 4+ years. She learned about this style of singing in 2012 in Decorah, Iowa from a local song-leader and now mentor, Liz Rog. Annie, Linnea, and Liz now facilitate song-leader trainings together around the region. Annie is a Speech-Language Pathologist in St. Paul Public Schools and loves to play pick-up sports with friends, garden and explore the outdoors.

Linnea Champ (she/her), a Community Song-Leader, co-facilitates a weekly local community song circle, “Sing As You Are,”, in Minneapolis since 2021, and was introduced to this style of singing in 2015. Linnea works in public health, and enjoys running, biking, and playing the piano.