Staff

At MusicWorks, our innovative and creative staff provides caring and effective support to all of our clients.

       Staff

Lori O’Leary, MBAExecutive Director

Lori O’Leary brings over three decades of general business experience, strategic planning and the ability to build strong professional relationships to MusicWorks. In 2006, Lori began the process to convert MusicWorks to a nonprofit agency to raise funds for families that could not afford music therapy for their children with challenges. Simultaneously, she worked closely with “Mr. Jerry” to craft presentations to local managed care organizations (MCOs) to secure Medical Assistance funding for children. In 2009, MusicWorks served its first client under MA as a nonparticipating provider. Lori worked tirelessly towards becoming an in-network provider for Magellan Behavioral Health in 2012. MusicWorks is the first music therapy service provider in the country to be credentialed by Magellan.

For the O’Learys, MusicWorks is truly a family created by their entire family. Ms. O’Leary’s proudest moments are working along with her husband since 2002 to supply music therapy services to individuals of all ages, reporting to her son, Patrick, as he leads an ingenious database project for MusicWorks and organizing her daughter, Mariel, and her team of friends to continually volunteer their time to prepare presentation packages, new client folders and represent MusicWorks at community resource fairs.

Jerry O’Leary, MA, MT-BCDirector of Music Therapy

Jerry O’Leary combines his years of music performance experience as a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, theatrical performer / director and music therapist to lead the clinical team at MusicWorks. Mr. Jerry, as he is known to his clients, is personable, empathetic and a well-respected music therapist. He offers a compassionate ear and creative mind to develop innovative music therapy techniques to help clients from children to adults overcome challenges. At MusicWorks, we look for the little miracles, and Mr. Jerry truly believes that Music Works Wonders. He shares his passion with the MusicWorks clinicians and staff to offer MusicWorks’ clients a truly unique, encouraging and achieving experience. He shares a personal and deep motivation to help people who face cognitive, behavioral, developmental and emotional challenges. Mr. Jerry loves MusicWorks and all the wonderful benefits that music therapy delivers to everyone.

Brenda Norris, MT-BCMusic Therapist

Brenda Norris has worked part-time for MusicWorks since 2009. She achieved her Board Certification in 1994 and has over two decades of experience as a music therapist. She has worked at the Elwyn Developmental Center with children ages 3-5 primarily on the autism spectrum. Prior to MusicWorks, she worked for 10 years at the Suburban Music School, providing music therapy in a community outreach program to preschoolers and elementary school students in the Chester-Upland School District. Brenda has her Bachelor’s degree in music therapy from Elizabethtown College and also performs as a professional musician with “Celtic Women & Friends.” She sings, plays guitar and piano and teaches both piano and guitar to children.

Emily Byrnes, MT-BCMusic Therapist

Emily Byrnes is a graduate of Temple University’s Music Therapy Program with a concentration in classical voice. She became a Board Certified Music Therapist in October 2017 and has been working at MusicWorks ever since. Emily started as a fieldwork student at MusicWorks in 2016 and grew to become a music therapist at our agency. Previously, she interned at Shriner’s Hospital for Children, Northbrook Behavioral Health Hospital and the Bucks County Intermediate Unit, using music therapy to help clients of all ages in the medical rehabilitative, developmental and psychiatric areas of practice. For years, she has worked with her brother, Teddy, a young man with autism, in order to promote verbal communication through music. He has grown to become a singer and engages in open mic nights and talent shows with the help of Emily accompanying him on piano or guitar. She also performs at open mic nights and family functions on weekends and enjoys making music with others.

Jacob Mauersberg, MT-BCMusic Therapist

Jacob Mauersberg earned his Bachelor’s degree in music therapy at Temple University and Board Certification in 2018. His clinical internship was completed with Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care in King of Prussia, PA. Throughout his education, he was able to craft his therapeutic skills with many different populations, including children and young adults with cerebral palsy and other developmental diagnoses. He has worked in the area of adult and geriatric psychiatry. Originally hailing from southern Maryland, Jake has been playing music since starting piano at age 5. After auditioning into the percussion studio at Temple University, he was a member of the percussion ensemble, concert band, wind symphony and opera orchestra. Additionally, he spent time playing with several musical projects on drums and piano, crossing genres. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, family, friends, and producing music from home.

Schuyler Redden, MT-BCMusic Therapist

Schuyler Redden received her Bachelor’s degree in music therapy in May 2018 at Temple University and later that year passed her Board Certification. Schuyler completed her music therapy internships at Camp Pegasus, working with children with autism spectrum disorders and at Camilla Hall working with the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She currently provides music therapy services to children and teens at Saint Katherine School and works with seniors in individual and group settings throughout Delaware County. Schuyler has a strong musical background in flute, guitar, piano, and voice.

Hannah Baggott, MT-BCMusic Therapist

Hannah Baggott is a Board Certified Music Therapist and a graduate of Immaculata University’s Music Therapy Program. She interned with Penn Medicine’s Hospice, using music therapy to help those nearing end of life in the medical and psychiatric areas of practice. She also used music therapy in bereavement support groups. Throughout her time at Immaculata, she also worked with children in the developmental and psychiatric areas of practice. Hannah is excited to be a new member of the MusicWorks team.

Patrick O’LearyTechnology Coordinator

Patrick O’Leary was born into music therapy. His parents started MusicWorks when he was 5 years old. Patrick grew to understand the world of special needs from a child’s perspective. He became fascinated with the world of computers and at age 14, provided a much-needed service for MusicWorks by developing the agency’s database. During high school, he led three teams of Villanova juniors and seniors over 18 months in a project to construct a Salesforce database for MusicWorks to more easily manage client information, and he also managed social media. He is involved in supervision and operation of MusicWorks front desk. He has produced short-subject videos using movie-editing technology (iMovie) for MusicWorks to use in donor campaigns. Patrick is employed full-time as a Salesforce Developer at CRM Science and now volunteers his time at MusicWorks. He is responsible for compiling and analyzing client progress data demonstrating viability of music therapy to solicit grant funding and support for MusicWorks.

Janelle GordonAdministrative Assistant

Janelle Gordon graduated from Holy Family University with a degree in sociology. She started her career in Little Flower High School’s Guidance Department, providing assistance to students with behavioral health needs. Janelle then began working for Mental Health Management, Inc., serving adults living with serious mental illness and developmental disabilities within Philadelphia Prison System. Services included group therapy and individual counseling. She has spent time in several administrative positions both within and out of the behavioral health field. Janelle loves to assist others and will do her best to be a bright part of your day.

Lydia DavisAdministrative Assistant

Lydia brings a wealth of experience to MusicWorks as our Weekend Administrative Assistant in the Havertown treatment center. She currently works at the Pennsylvania Convention Center as a Sales Assistant. Lydia earned a Bachelor’s degree in project management from DeVry University. She has been employed as a senior customer service representative in the retail fashion industry, a business administrator for an accounting firm and patient services/customer relations in the health care industry. MusicWorks is happy to have Lydia support our weekend team of music therapists in delivering music therapy services to some of our youngest and oldest clients.

Mariel O’LearyAdministrative Support

Mariel O’Leary developed firsthand experience with children and adults with challenges. MusicWorks was almost 4 years old when she was born. As a young girl, she was told of a client named Megan who just wanted birthday cards for her birthday. Mariel organized friends, Girl Scouts, school groups and teams to hand-make cards and deliver boxes of cards to Megan! She grew to volunteer her time at events, resource fairs and community days. As an administrative helper, she prepares client folders and presentation packages and supports MusicWorks on evenings and weekends at community functions. Mariel graduated from Holy Child School at Rosemont in May 2019 and is currently at Merion Mercy Academy. She has always been a true team player at MusicWorks.