We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Summer Lall a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Summer, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

When I was a freshman at Berklee College of Music in Boston, I asked a graduating senior if she recommended any courses. She told me to take Intro to Music Therapy and said had she known about it years ago, she would have gone into the field. I took her advice. From the very first class, I was moved to tears by how they were able to put into words everything I felt about music but struggled to articulate. My brain was rapidly trying to keep up with all that I was learning about the healing power of sound. It resonated with me so deeply, it felt like coming home. I am so grateful to my colleague for helping set me on a path that led to where I am now, with the opportunity to connect with my community through music and make a living engaging in something I truly feel called to do.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a Board Certified Music Therapist and the founder of two businesses: CradleSong Birthing and Rhythm & Truth. CradleSong Birthing specializes in providing music therapy services from pregnancy to preschool. This includes music therapy assisted childbirth which my Sound Birthing mentor Mary DiCamillo taught me in 2014. She inspired me to train as a birth and postpartum doula that same year to enhance my learning. It’s been such an honor supporting families during this incredibly sacred and life altering time. I also had the opportunity to experience from the other side when I was pregnant with my child in 2021, for her delivery in 2022 and in the early postpartum period. Birth can be incredibly joyful but it can also be traumatic. There is such a wide gap between the deep need and the help families receive while navigating this monumental shift. I personally really struggled during this time and music and my community helped me immensely. Our society is lacking in Rite of Passage rituals / ceremonies and often we can feel rushed from one life event to the next, without taking the time to truly honor the experience. CradleSong hopes to fill that chasm so that more families can move graceful and authentically through the intensity of emotions that often comes alongside massive change.

Rhythm & Truth Music Therapy specializes in providing youth mental heath services through music and art therapy. Adolescents is another period of rapid change and growth. It’s also a time when we select and use music to express our identity, beliefs and struggles. Teens are wildly misunderstood and often treated unfairly in society. Through songwriting, beat-making / production, recording, drum circles, sound baths, mindfulness and lyric analysis, we find creative out-of-the-box ways to foster connections, build trust and encourage courageous expression. I find the work so fulfilling and am inspired by our young people everyday.

I have recently moved into a mentorship role in order to help support the next generation of healers and educators. For those working with similar populations who want to deepen their practice, I developed the four Resistance to Resilience online training programs to teach professionals best practices in using music to empower youth. I am also the U.S. representative for the Rhythm2Recovery therapeutic drumming program as well as a HeartMath Certified Trainer. I am passionate about increasing our outreach through coaching professionals interested in this powerful and unique work.

Personally, I have practiced music therapy in schools, shelters, daycares, foster camps, yoga studios, correctional facilities, group homes, treatment centers, hospice and hospitals. Every experience has taught me something of value and reminds me of our shared humanity. In addition to the broad local outreach, music has allowed me to travel to over 20 countries around the globe. It’s truly a universal language. When I am not practicing music therapy, I am is writing, recording or performing with my Alternative R&B duo PWR CPL or making up silly songs with my daughter, hoping to inspire positive change through music however I can.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

In order to succeed in the field of music therapy or any related discipline, I believe coming from a place of love and curiosity is essential. In this highly scientific day time (and don’t get me wrong, I love a good research article and there is PLENTY in support of the efficacy of music for healing) we often shy away from admitting that we are here to simply honor one another’s humanity. So much of this work is about connection, listening and empathy. When we remove the mantle of being the expert, we can authentically connect with the individuals we are working with, based on a shared experience of being so very…human. My intuition has also played a vital role in my work. I over-plan and then leave a healthy amount of room for improvisation, exploration and fluidity. The best sessions are music-led, and the music never ceases to surprise me.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Something I’m unlearning is the notion that we need to be ON all the time and say YES all the time. I am defining my boundaries and values and making friends with Being, spaciousness and surrender. Becoming a Mama is teaching me so much about releasing control and going with the flow. Often times, that’s where the magic happens.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rhythmandtruth.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhythmandtruth/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhythmandtruth/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/summerlall/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cradlesongbirth
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPgdX2ScquTKqPl8Qt62c8A
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rhythm-and-truth-music-therapy-los-angeles?osq=rhythm+and+truth
• Other: CradleSong: https://www.cradlesongbirthing.com/ PWR CPL: https://www.pwrcpl.com/

Image Credits
@sunnyparkphoto