https://www.musictreeboston.com/meet-kiera daily 0.75 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/5c5b5759-56af-45e2-a189-73964b23ca31/IMG_1485.jpeg Meet Kiera - Founder & Director Kiera Thompson is a locally renowned music teacher, an expressive and music therapist, and mental health counselor. Kiera has been teaching in the Greater Boston area for 20 years. She established The Music Tree of Boston in 2017 to expand her reach of music services while building a like-minded community. Her work as a music teacher and clinician is family focused, with an emphasis on supporting children, adolescents, and adults with developmental disabilities in residential school settings and in their homes. She has presented her work and research at several regional and international music therapy conferences. Kiera established two music therapy programs at The Perkins School for the Blind, working with their DeafBlind students for 3 years, and in their infant/toddler classroom for 9 years. She currently is an active board member of the Massachusetts Music Therapy Alliance, as well as the New England Conservatory of Music Alumni Council. Music Tree families know that Kiera is also an outstanding performer. Born and raised in the suburbs of Washington DC, she is the daughter of highly-regarded collaborative pianist and cultural diplomat, Burnett Thompson, who instilled the principles of musical excellence in her at an early age. She studied clarinet performance at a competitive level throughout her youth, and has advanced degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music and Lesley University. Kiera actively performs with many local community orchestras, including The Apollo Ensemble of Boston, and the Brookline Symphony Orchestra; and has performed on many grand concert hall stages, such as The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Carnegie Hall in New York City, Helmut-List Halle in Austria, and The Shanghai Performing Arts Center in China, just to name a few! https://www.musictreeboston.com/services daily 0.75 2022-04-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/1648847210294-6GQX4L34Y19ZOMOOWYIM/unsplash-image-QKIcW_4Qlqw.jpg Our Services - Music Lessons Music Tree lessons are designed to help students learn and explore their instrument while developing comprehensive note-reading and musicianship skills. Our approach allows for student-led discovery of musical interests, direction, and inspiration. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/422c6cc1-b945-4282-92aa-c5e32fb35727/musictherapyphoto.png Our Services - Music Therapy The Music Tree of Boston provides individualized and group music therapy options for clients of all ages, in their homes as well as in recreational day-center programs. We highlight familiar songs, a variety of instruments, and improvisational activities, to help strengthen social skills, communication, cognition and motor functioning. Our approach uses live music-making that’s designed to work through challenges while also being very fun and engaging. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/1648852804061-NTUHI6R0VEW7SNDD1AAP/unsplash-image-YYXqBwvdoeI.jpg Our Services - Events Looking for some fun, family-friendly music? The Music Tree has an extended network of talented musicians who are available to perform at your event. From birthday parties to Holiday Cookie Swaps, we can curate a specialized live music playlist, just for you! https://www.musictreeboston.com/home daily 1.0 2023-06-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/218606b7-f159-46c1-8b41-26f0d4c85c51/unsplash-image-LZ3O2Q4Me0Q.jpg Home - Music Lessons https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/bee55d53-e21e-410b-91ca-d60ce7776773/musictherapyphoto.jpg Home - Music Therapy https://www.musictreeboston.com/philosophy daily 0.75 2023-07-18 https://www.musictreeboston.com/our-team daily 0.75 2026-03-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/64bb0753-c940-46a4-ada0-8d9d729b1aa0/Paula+Chase+headshot+photo.jpg Our Team - Paula Chase, MM Tobias Keene, D.D.S. Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Dr. Tobias Keene brings a bit of unabashed Southern hospitality to all his patients. He moved to Washington, D.C. over thirty years ago as a freshman at Ivy College. Right after graduation, he attended World University’s School of Dentistry. Before opening Keene Dental in 1994, he worked for free clinics and some of the finest practices in the District. He is part of the 123 Dental Association and stays up-to-date on the latest dental discoveries. When not striving to keep his patients happy and healthy, he’s enjoys hiking with his family in Rock Creek Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/83537db9-57fc-4c92-9f88-ac5780349e4e/Michael+Dodson_Photo.png Our Team - Mike Dodson, MM Mike is a versatile musician who has been teaching piano, guitar, and electric bass at The Music Tree since September 2021. He began playing and studying the guitar at age 8 and has been creating music ever since. Mike received his Master of Music degree in Music Production, Technology and Innovation at Berklee Valencia, where he studied production with Emmy award winning producer Pablo Munguia. When he’s not teaching, Mike produces, writes, and records music for local artists in the Boston area, and is on the Production team at Bijou Nightclub. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/f7d6f98a-a11e-4d5b-850a-5000c94b97f9/Tannielle+Joseph+pic.jpg Our Team - Tannielle Joseph, MT-BC Tannielle is a vocalist, pianist, and board-certified music therapist, offering both music therapy services and in-home music lessons at The Music Tree of Boston. She received her Bachelor of Music Therapy degree from Berklee College of Music, and has recently been certified as a Neurological Music Therapist. Outside of individualized sessions, Tannielle also conducts music therapy groups for people of all ages and abilities, ranging from infant/toddler and early childhood to assisted living music programs. Tannielle is a fantastic vocalist and pianist, and is the lead singer of a local Boston-based band “TSTOP” that performs at venues such as The House of Blues. Tannielle has a broad musical background in classical singing, musical theatre, and classical piano, as well as other genres like rock, pop, and jazz. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/a3fa230b-3723-48fb-ab12-0738a1ac0e64/Sylvia+Studer-Woodard+pic.jpg Our Team - Sylvia Studer-Woodard Sylvia Studer-Woodard is a classically trained pianist, and offers piano lessons at The Music Tree of Boston. She began her piano studies at age 7, and her love for music motivated her to take lessons throughout high school. Sylvia was inspired to share her passion for music after college and began teaching at a local music store in 2001. Since then she has taught piano lessons at various organizations and music programs. Sylvia is committed to giving her students a solid foundation of music education while fostering a shared admiration for the piano. Sylvia is also bi-lingual in Swiss German/English and enjoys utilizing this skill as a piano accompanist for vocalists. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/deb60100-4b43-4b04-8d7c-7ccfff892a0f/Brooke+Tjarks+Headshot+3.jpg Our Team - Brooke Tjarks, MB Brooke Tjarks is an independent consultant based out of Manhattan, and has been involved with The Music Tree’s development and mission for over 6 years. She has advised public and private companies of all sizes across various sectors, working with clients such as Morgan Stanley, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, to name a few. Brooke holds both a Bachelor’s in Science and a Master’s in Business degree from Pepperdine University, as well as a research based Masters from Harvard University. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/085e16e8-09f5-4ff6-b82f-e9874ae209f9/Marcela.jpeg Our Team - Marcela Bastida Marcela is a jazz composer, song-arranger, and pianist originally from Mexico City. She is a graduate of Universidad Anahuac and the Berklee College of Music where she studied piano performance and composition. Marcela helps develop assistive technology that supports visually impaired students during their music lessons, inspiring others to overcome adversity through the power of music. After teaching remote music lessons at The Music Tree for over a year, Marcela took the role of Community Engage Programs Coordinator at the Community Music Center of Boston. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/f92d36d0-15e1-47df-94bb-f5cd2e020552/LoganDeFranco_pic1.jpg Our Team - Logan DeFranco Logan is a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in guitar and vocals. He worked with many students and families at The Music Tree of Boston for 5 years on guitar, electric bass, ukulele, voice and piano. Logan is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music where he studied music business, acoustics, and electronics. He currently is the Manager of a Marathon Sports location in the Boston area that he helped open and launch. Logan is an avid runner, performs regularly as the lead singer of a Brooklyn-based band, enjoys screen printing, and spending time with his family and friends! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/a31074f9-5102-435a-8aa3-5f761232c233/Jen+Lentz+_+photo.jpeg Our Team - Jennifer Lentz, MT-BC Tobias Keene, D.D.S. Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Dr. Tobias Keene brings a bit of unabashed Southern hospitality to all his patients. He moved to Washington, D.C. over thirty years ago as a freshman at Ivy College. Right after graduation, he attended World University’s School of Dentistry. Before opening Keene Dental in 1994, he worked for free clinics and some of the finest practices in the District. He is part of the 123 Dental Association and stays up-to-date on the latest dental discoveries. When not striving to keep his patients happy and healthy, he’s enjoys hiking with his family in Rock Creek Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/bda9fa4f-495f-4038-b1ee-573238be38e9/Christian_1.jpg Our Team - Christian Marrero Christian is an accomplished professional trumpet player. He offers piano lessons and instruction on all instruments within the brass family. He is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music, where he studied with Sean Jones and Tiger Okoshi. Christian is a loving husband and father of three daughters. “I believe a good father makes a great music teacher because the principles are the same– be a good communicator, show love and respect, and apply practical wisdom.” Christian taught remote music lessons at The Music Tree for 1.5 years, and then went back to live musical performances on Broadway in New York City. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/231f1f59-e82d-4e52-a4af-18d9f83f9519/KM_headshot2.jpg Our Team - Kevin Metzger Kevin Metzger is a piano and guitar teacher, who teaches remotely from Austin, Texas. He is a graduate of Syracuse University and the New England Conservatory, where he earned fellowships for both teaching and performing. Kevin performs regularly in the local scene in Austin, and has toured nationally as a rock and jazz sideman. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/ef2d72f9-30b1-4fd3-912b-f0bdab499e04/james.jpg Our Team - James Richardson Tobias Keene, D.D.S. Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Dr. Tobias Keene brings a bit of unabashed Southern hospitality to all his patients. He moved to Washington, D.C. over thirty years ago as a freshman at Ivy College. Right after graduation, he attended World University’s School of Dentistry. Before opening Keene Dental in 1994, he worked for free clinics and some of the finest practices in the District. He is part of the 123 Dental Association and stays up-to-date on the latest dental discoveries. When not striving to keep his patients happy and healthy, he’s enjoys hiking with his family in Rock Creek Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/79a2b305-64da-492f-8386-1473a602559f/Sona+Minasian+Headshot.jpeg Our Team - Sona Minasian Sona is also an accomplished singer, performing with several groups like the Southern Tier Singers’ Collective in New York. He has served as choral director at Forest Home Chapel UMC, and interim co-director for Transpose: Ithaca Queer Singers Alliance. After teaching piano lessons at The Music Tree of Boston, Sona was appointed as Music Director for the Northshore Unitarian Universalist Church in Danvers, MA, and later as a South Shore Children’s Choir fellow. Sona graduated from Ithaca College receiving a Bachelor’s in Music Education degree with concentrations in piano and voice, while specializing in collaborative piano music as well as Armenian folk music. https://www.musictreeboston.com/testimonials daily 0.75 2023-07-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/1648845029272-IG7YDHLNEQEHRUZXSVKD/unsplash-image-swUFSM8lpZw.jpg Testimonials “My kids have really learned and enjoyed so much with The Music Tree of Boston. We love the recitals and we can see big progress on their skills and discipline.” – Music Tree parent, Sherborn MA https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/1648845103567-RMURDJMBEFE9IGL1MAK4/unsplash-image-iPFFj80uaW4.jpg Testimonials “My child was initially too anxious and noncompliant to sit and participate in music therapy, but now goes to the piano and stays there for the full session.” – Music Tree parent, Natick MA https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/623a56c187293f71fbdc2b40/cc4d44a5-02ec-4874-bec0-7585ba8147bb/musictherapy.png Testimonials “It feels like a caring family run business where the teachers have a vested interest in challenging the child at their pace of learning, and cultivating a next generation of talent.” -Music Tree parent, Wellesley MA https://www.musictreeboston.com/music-match daily 0.75 2022-09-13 https://www.musictreeboston.com/register daily 0.75 2024-08-08