Bridging Art and Science: How Philanthropy and Passion Built UC Berkeley’s Music Therapy Pipeline

July 28, 2026

by Alexander Rony

UC Berkeley lecturer Melanie Acosta remembers when everything changed for her. She was working as a professional singer in New York City at the time of the September 11, 2001, attacks. At the time, Acosta felt the only people doing meaningful work were the first responders.

Not long after, Acosta got a job on the “Broadway Celebrates America” tour. The cast would travel to different towns, perform a concert about resilience, then talk to audience members in the lobby afterwards. People would open up about how they were trying to cope in the aftermath of 9/11. Many tears were shed.

Acosta described the experience as deeply moving, and she sought out other ways to use her skills to connect with and heal people.

“I went on this quest to find what I can do with music, because it seemed so meaningful,” said Acosta. “Then, I was watching a morning program, and they had a story about a boy with autism. The child learned to connect and open up his world through a combination of auditory and music therapy. Through his therapies, he discovered jazz music, and the program showed him playing amazing music and talking about his favorite musicians. They opened up this way of communicating with him through music, and I thought that was amazing. I had never heard of music therapy up to that point.”

Acosta pivoted her career toward music therapy, focusing at first on children with autism before branching out as she discovered different therapeutic approaches. She now lectures at UC Berkeley as well.

On the left, a woman holding a guitar and smiling. On the right, a child sings into a microphone while a woman plays the guitar.

MELANIE ACOSTA LEARNED TO USE MUSIC TO HELP PATIENTS.

Photos courtesy of Melanie Acosta

Music therapy is an evidence-based clinical practice in which trained professionals treat individual patient needs with musical interventions. For example, music therapists use instruments to help their patients regain key motor functions by playing, or they may work with families to use singing to calm infants and help them cope with extended pediatric care. Music therapy is a medical tool that can be absolutely vital to a patient’s healthy recovery, similar to physical or speech therapy.

“It really touches people in a different way,” said Acosta. “What drives music therapists into the field in the first place is this desire to help people.”

Acosta easily could have been describing Kylie Cloutier, who just graduated from UC Berkeley in May. Cloutier always had a love for music and a passion for helping others, but it wasn’t until she took Acosta’s “Introduction to Music Therapy” course that Cloutier considered becoming a music therapist.

A woman in a black shirt holds a flute; a quote by Kylie Cloutier: "It felt like the perfect application of music into a field that was interesting to me."

KYLIE CLOUTIER IS A FLUTIST INTERESTED IN PURSUING MUSIC THERAPY.

Photos courtesy of Kylie Cloutier

“It felt like the perfect application of music into a field that was interesting to me,” said Cloutier. “What really drew me in were the personal stories from music therapists who shared what achievements could be reached with their clients and just how powerful music can be in a therapeutic setting. I was amazed that music — something I had dedicated a majority of my life to practicing and learning — could have such a profound impact on the mental health, medical recovery, and well-being of others, and I wanted to explore as much as I could of the field.”

A former UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra flutist, Cloutier was fascinated by music therapy’s focus on other people, as opposed to herself as a performer. She would go on to take Acosta’s more advanced “Inside Music Therapy” course and graduate with degrees in both music and psychology.

Cloutier is now exploring a career in music therapy, something that never would have happened were it not for UC Berkeley’s expansion into the field over the past few years.

Laura and Gregg Perloff helped Acosta launch UC Berkeley’s music therapy program in 2019. Like Cloutier, the Perloffs love music and helping others. Laura is a pilates instructor with a background in dance. Gregg founded Another Planet Entertainment, the production company behind concerts at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre, Oakland’s Fox Theater, and San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music Festival, among others.

As Another Planet Entertainment grew, Gregg asked Laura how she wanted to give back. Laura thought about it and said Children’s Hospital Oakland (now UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital), which had treated their then-teenage son after he had a stroke. Gregg wanted to tie their donation back to music in some way, and Laura recalled how music helped their son during his recovery. That idea led the Perloffs to launch a pilot and eventually endow UCSF’s music therapy program, which is now one of the most well-regarded programs in the nation.

A couple smiles in front of a landmark and some steps

GREGG AND LAURA PERLOFF HELPED KICKSTART UC BERKELEY'S MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM.

Photo courtesy of Laura Perloff

“Once I saw what music therapy really was and how it could be in every department of the hospital — it worked with neurology, physical therapy, and oncology — we realized we needed it to grow,” said Laura.

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital now has several full-time music therapists who offer thousands of sessions a year in every department of the hospital except outpatient services.

Laura was amazed by the testimonials she heard. Kids were playing drums to learn how to move their hands. They were singing and playing kazoos to improve their breathing. An occupational therapist and music therapist helped a child recovering from a stroke regain their speech through song.

“There are so many different ways that it is used,” marveled Laura. “It’s absolutely phenomenal.”

Some children spend months or even years in the hospital. Music bridges language and cultural barriers, offering comfort during stressful hospital stays. Many medical practitioners also see music therapy as a less invasive approach than pharmaceutical drugs or surgeries, especially for children.

Of course, older adults can benefit from music therapy, too. Few activities beat music for engaging the brain. Veterans’ hospitals use music to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Patients with Parkinson’s disease are trained to sing songs in their heads to help them walk more naturally. Some groups convene Alzheimer’s patients for musical performances using instruments they used to play; aides often report mental and physical improvement over the next day or two.

In these cases, music therapy might not cure patients’ disorders or reverse their aging process, but it can improve their quality of life.

The Perloffs were thrilled with UCSF’s music therapists, but they felt there was a missing piece in the training pipeline. Students studying music, psychology, and pre-med courses rarely knew that music therapy was an option for treating patients and a potential career path for themselves. The Perloffs decided to invest in UC Berkeley, where Laura served as a foundation trustee and where Gregg earned his master’s in city and regional planning.

“I want musicians to know that they have choices,” said Laura. “You can be clinical and still play your music.”

“My ultimate dream would be that they would have a music therapy major,” continued Laura.

A major track certainly would have interested Victoria Otvos. When she was in high school, she took a career survey that suggested she become a music therapist. Oddly, the survey results showed a video of someone playing music for an elephant, but it was enough to pique her interest.

When she arrived at Berkeley, Otvos asked her advisor about music therapy and was directed to Acosta’s courses.

“Once I took the course with Melanie, I knew for sure that I was really interested in music therapy,” said Otvos. “Melanie’s a great teacher, but the coursework itself was inspiring to me.”

After graduating with a degree in music and a summer minor in clinical and counseling psychology, Otvos worked for a year at a residential treatment facility for teens with a wide range of diagnoses and mental health rehabilitation needs. She had a positive experience running a music group that aimed to increase group cohesion among residents, inspiring her to pursue formal training in music therapy.

A woman smiles while holding a guitar; a quote from Victoria Otvos that reads, “Once I took the course with Melanie, I knew for sure that I was really interested in music therapy.”

VICTORIA OTVOS IS WORKING ON HER MUSIC THERAPY CERTIFICATION.

Photos courtesy of Victoria Otvos

Otvos is now working on her music therapy certification through Cal State University, Northridge. The process is rigorous, including further training in music, counseling, science, and research. After completing her coursework and a minimum of 1,200 hours of clinical training, Otvos will need to pass a board certification exam and continue to re-certify every five years.

Otvos would have loved more courses at UC Berkeley. She mentioned how she could have benefited from more guest lecturers, specialized training in different music therapy techniques, and shadowing experiences with working music therapists. Still, she felt that her academic background prepared her well for her current path.

Otvos actually ran into Acosta back in April at a music therapy conference. The organizers announced that Otvos received a scholarship, and as she stood up, the two spotted each other. They excitedly caught each other up on their latest endeavors.

Berkeley’s music therapy program has grown in important ways over the past few years. The courses now count toward College of Letters & Science graduation requirements for arts and literature and for social and behavioral sciences. This shift has attracted a broader range of students, according to Acosta. Both of her introductory courses this fall are overenrolled.

“I’m always excited to advocate for music therapy because I feel like the more people who know about it, the better and the more apt people are to use it and to understand that it’s out there,” said Acosta.

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