We recently connected with Kate Beever and have shared our conversation below.

Kate, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?

I was wrapping up my internship at a cancer hospital in a major city and I knew I wanted to move back to my home state, but there were no jobs in my industry. In fact, there was no one else with my job (music therapist) working in my home state! So I knew I’d have to start my own business, and that meant educating myself on all the aspects that go along with business ownership- marketing, websites, legalities, scheduling, ethics. I also knew I wouldn’t be able to just jump in, so I got a ‘side gig’ (40 hours a week) at a law firm working for creative patent attorneys in litigation. I actually loved that job, and it almost made me switch careers and apply to law school… but I knew where my passion lay, so I stayed the course. I built my brand, I started connecting with people in healthcare and educating them about my field. I did a ton of inservice presentations, marketing events, and even created my own conference at the state house to advocate for my field. I would leave the law firm on my lunch break for meetings, and work on Saturdays with the first few clients I was able to connect with. After about a year, I felt it was time to jump into the deep end and leave my ‘day job’- which was bittersweet, but everyone at the law firm was so supportive of what I was doing, it made it easier to feel like I was making the right decision. Because no one was working in my field in the area, I found mentors in other trades- the coffee industry, the construction industry, and with visual art therapists. I also read a lot of books about creative entrepreneurship, and I saw that there was a huge need for what I was offering- people just didn’t even know it existed! I am really happy I ended up starting a business- I didn’t set out going to grad school hoping to become a business owner, but the experience has been amazing. I’ve had such a wide range of opportunities to create partnerships and new programs, collaborating with folks across sectors. And I’d heard that if you can make it 5 years in a business, you can start to relax. I’m now in year 15, and I don’t know that I’m relaxed- but I’m still going!

Kate, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started as a percussionist, originally orchestral but then got into playing percussion/drums with bands- Motown, psychedelic rock, pop and jazz music. I’d never planned to be a full time touring musician; I knew I wanted to go into music therapy ever since writing a research paper about it in high school. But I do love playing and performing music, so I’ve had both short and long stints as a traveling musician and still enjoying playing throughout the week when my work schedule allows.
As a music therapist, I work mainly in a hospital, splitting my time between pediatric palliative care and adult neurorehab. Right now my schedule is fairly firm in those settings, but throughout my 15 years in private practice I’ve worked in nursing homes, correctional facilities, cancer support centers, and a Deaf preschool. I get to use music to help people with illnesses and disabilities express themselves, feel heard, manage their symptoms, and regain speech and movement. Every day is different, every day is meaningful, and every day is creative!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Something like ten years ago, I watched a short film on Vimeo called “Overview” by Planetary Collective (producer Steve Kennedy and director Guy Reid). It’s kind of old news now that every millionaire is allowed to go to space, but at the time this video was profound. I’d grown up in rural Maine and would often step outside to gaze at the stars and wonder. The Overview film interviewed astronauts who have experienced the Overview Effect, seeing earth from space and realizing how small we are. I hadn’t considered this until I saw the film, and now this perspective has become a part of my own toolkit for coping. When I find myself overly focused on myself and the stressors of my work or my business, I practice a ‘zooming meditation’, where I lie on the ground outside and then imagine myself leaving my body and looking down at myself, getting higher and higher until I am a tiny speck. If other thoughts start to creep in, I just start the zoom again. We are but a speck!

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Patience, persistence, positivity. Sometimes you have to wait for all the people who said “no” to your idea to be retire. Sometimes you have to explain what you do over- and over- and over. And you have to assume the best, and prepare for the worst. You don’t have to practice toxic positivity, but even if your nature is to see the glass as half empty, pretending it’s half full is going to make it all feel a little easier.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mainemusicandhealth.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mainemusicandhealth
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katebeever/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KateBeever
• Other: https://katebeever.bandcamp.com/album/rewild