Meet Our Team

Born and raised in Anderson, IN, Kirby Gilliam decided to become a board-certified music therapist after working as a music educator in the public school system. Kirby saw the power of music in addressing non-musical needs of her students and believed her community needed this service.  Kirby started PlainSong as a way to serve her community through music. Kirby works with individuals with intellectual and development disabilities, geriatrics, dementia patients, mental health patients, and more. When Kirby is not working, she enjoys spending her free time with her husband Steven, children Eliza and Henry, and her two dogs, Dexter and Dinah.

Steven received his BSN from Indiana University and has an extensive background in the medical field. He has worked in multiple medical settings including EMS, ICU, home health care, and medical education and compliance. He comes to PlainSong as a health care advocate working to aid families with resources, and also works with therapists to ensure medical compliance and high quality client care. In addition to his vast medical knowledge, Steven brings unique talents to PlainSong as he works to build new instruments and music therapy tools with the collaboration of music therapists to better individualize therapy for clients. He enjoys spending time with his family, carpentry, and learning new skills outside of work. 

Sarah, a board-certified music therapist, was born and raised in Anderson, IN. She received her bachelor’s degree in music therapy from University of Louisville after completing an internship at Bi-County Services in Bluffton, IN. Sarah works with students at all levels of training including high schoolers interested in the field, music therapy practicum students, and interns.  Sarah ensures that all students are given opportunities to learn and grow into extraordinary therapists through individualized supervision and providing unique learning experiences. Sarah believes that music can be a life long activity for everyone! Sarah has worked with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for the last 12 years. She loves seeing clients get excited about music! Sarah lives in Anderson with her husband, Chris, and children, Caroline and Jackson.

Stephanie has been making music and performing her entire life! She personally experienced the power of music therapy in her own family, which led her to want to use her gifts of music to help others in their journey of growth and wellness. 

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A humanistic therapist, she uses her various skills and experiences to assist her clients in creating unique plans to achieve their goals.  Stephanie has experience working with clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, hospice and pediatrics.  

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Stephanie graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2009 with a B.A. in Voice and from St. Mary of the Woods College in 2017 with her Music Therapy Equivalency degree. 

Tatiana received their bachelor's degree in music therapy with a minor in gerontology from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. They completed their internship with Capital City Hospice in Columbus, Ohio. They have experience working in hospice, intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as geriatrics. In their sessions, they use a humanistic framework to help clients achieve goals. 

Meira has lived most of her life in Indiana and graduated with a bachelor's degree in music therapy from Indiana Wesleyan University. She was raised by two music educators and was prepared to become one herself before discovering her passion for music therapy. Meira loves the opportunity to use music as a tool to help others grow and to learn from each person she works with. She has experience working with children, teens, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as seniors receiving hospice care. When she isn’t working, Meira enjoys crocheting and watching hilariously bad movies.

Kieryn was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Kieryn first found her love for music at the age of 8,
when she began to learn the viola and violin. Kieryn attended Butler University and earned a bachelor's
degree in Viola Performance in 2017. Next, Kieryn began her journey towards becoming a board-certified music therapist and earned her Music Therapy Equivalency certificate at Saint Mary of the Woods College in July 2022. Kieryn served as an intern with Dynamic Music Services in Indianapolis, Indiana from January-July 2022 and earned her board certification in August 2022. Kieryn joined the Dynamic Music Services team in August 2022 and remained until July 2023. After purchasing a home in Anderson, Indiana, Kieryn joined the PlainSong Music Services team in August of 2023.

Kieryn has experience working with children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, seniors, memory care, hospice, and young adults with a mental health focus. Kieryn takes pride in providing a humanistic approach to her music therapy sessions and strives to create adaptable musical spaces that support her clients' needs from moment to moment. Kieryn also continues her passion with viola and violin by including these instruments within her music therapy sessions in a variety of ways as well as offering lessons.

Mya grew up in Anderson, IN and received her bachelor's degree in music therapy from Indiana Wesleyan University. She has been passionate about music therapy ever since a service-learning trip she took to Zambia, and she loves the ability to learn and grow constantly with new research in the field.

Mya operates from a person-centered perspective and uses music as a tool to help clients reach goals tailored to their needs. She completed her internship hours at University of Colorado Health, a hospital in Denver, and at PlainSong Music Services, so she has experience with a wide variety of populations and treatment durations.

Mya is also skilled in web design and will be using her talents to expand and maintain PlainSong’s website. When she’s not working, she enjoys fiction books, crochet, sunshine, board games, and spending time with loved ones.

Originally from Goshen, Indiana, Melissa’s musical journey began with piano lessons, marching band, and winter percussion. She moved to Marion to earn her bachelor’s degree in music therapy from Indiana Wesleyan University. Melissa completed her coursework in April of 2023 before fulfilling an internship placement at PlainSong Music Services and earning her board certification. Throughout her clinical experience, Melissa has worked with diverse populations, including intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health, and addiction recovery. Melissa practices with an eclectic approach primarily consisting of cognitive-behavioral and humanistic techniques to guide clients toward meeting their goals. Outside of music, Melissa enjoys painting, sewing, eating ice cream, and watching baseball with her husband Luke.

Lydia interned at Expressive Therapies and received her degree from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in March 2024. During her internship, she fostered an interest in creative collaboration when working with art therapists and aspires to continue growing her understanding of creative arts therapy collaboration. As a budding professional with a humanistic approach, she strives to create an open, authentic, and playful environment with her clients to help reach their highest potential. Lydia has a passion for utilizing creative, collaborative, and improvisational methods within sessions to meet clients where they are and encourage them to explore new facets of themselves and their environment. She loves the versatility that music therapy provides and is enthusiastic about fostering connections within sessions.

Hallie earned her bachelor’s degree in music therapy with a minor in honors humanities from Indiana Wesleyan University and completed her internship at Opportunities for Positive Growth in Fishers, Indiana. Originally from Orlando, FL, Hallie’s love for music budded as a young child when she learned to play the piano. This passion continually expanded as she noticed the impact music has on human lives and well-being.

Hallie practices with a person-centered approach, striving to know and support each person in their individual interests and abilities. She aims to support each person’s pursuit of their goals and dreams using music. She has experience working with early childhood development, mental health care, addiction recovery, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. When she’s not working, Hallie enjoys reading, spending time with loved ones, exploring local coffee shops, learning and composing piano music, and creating art.

Dakota Maurer grew up in Michigan and always had a love for music. In school, she learned piano and violin and played in a youth orchestra. After high school, she earned a bachelor's degree in both music therapy and psychology at Western Michigan University. In college, she primarily played piano, but continued violin in the university's orchestra. Dakota then moved to Indiana to complete her clinical internship, working with individuals with Autism and other disabilities. Dakota utilizes a person-centered approach based on the belief that each person has what they need inside of them, and a therapist can help draw that out. Dakota loves playing with her dog, spending time outside, and going to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

Trisha started in 2021 as PlainSong's part-time office coordinator. She ensures that anyone interested in services is taken care of, and she sets up new services for clients. Trisha also makes sure that things are running smoothly for the practice: taking care of schedules, social media projects, and more! While Trisha started working for Plainsong in 2021, she has been involved with PlainSong from its conception in 2016 when her daughter began taking guitar lessons.  Trisha is a full time preschool teacher at Southview Preschool in Anderson. 

Liz Carter is an Anderson native who has over 10 years of experience teaching music. Her current position at Daleville Jr/Sr High School includes directing 7th, 8th, and High School Bands and High School Choir, as well as teaching Music History and Theory and General Music to middle schoolers. She is also a co-founder and director of the Cowan-Daleville Unified marching band. Liz graduated with her bachelor's degree in Music Education in 2016 from Ball State University and remains active as a clinician and private teacher. She is excited to join PlainSong and teach in this new setting! Liz currently lives in Anderson with her husband Alex, their daughter Ellie, and beagles Mabel and Tilly.

Merribeth Bruning has her doctoral degree from Ball State University with a major in Elementary Education and cognates in Early Childhood and Music. She enjoys sharing music with students of all ages, as well as providing preschool “music camp” sessions for young beginners. Private lessons, group lessons, and studio recitals provide opportunities for students to grow individually and to share music collectively. Merribeth embeds music theory and a variety of music genres to provide opportunities for students to understand and enjoy music from multiple perspectives.

Talema started working for PlainSong in August 2023 as a custodian.  She makes sure that PlainSong is clean and welcoming on a daily basis. Talema was first introduced to PlainSong when her son started music therapy services there. She enjoys seeing the positive effects of music therapy and how happy clients are after their sessions. Talema was born and raised in Anderson, Indiana, but has lived in Alexandia for the past 18.5 years. When not working, Talema loves to read and spend time with family.

We are currently seeking the next MT-BC to join our team! Our diverse caseload and exciting career opportunities may be exactly what you're looking for! Learn more by visiting our Careers page. We hope to hear from you soon!