April 2025
Hello -
April 10th-15th is World Music Therapy Week, a great time for us to highlight the power of music therapy. Sponsored by the World Federation of Music Therapy, this week raises awareness about the importance of music therapy worldwide, especially in developing countries where access to mental health resources can be limited.
Music therapy uses music to help people with various physical, emotional, and social needs. It offers a unique way for individuals to express themselves and connect with others. At NMTS, our board-certified music therapists provide inclusive programs for all ages and abilities, creating a safe space for healing and growth.
Join us in celebrating World Music Therapy Week by sharing your stories and engaging with our social media. Together, we can spread the message of hope and inclusion that music therapy brings to our community.
Thank you for your support of NMTS and our mission to create lasting change through music!
Manal Toppozada, Executive Director and Founder
Spring is Here and There’s Music in the Air
NMTS is looking forward to our annual Spring Recital where musicians, singers, songwriters and dancers will take the stage.
Each year there’s an eclectic mix of talent as the performers share what they’ve been working on in their sessions with their friends and family.
Some will be taking the spotlight for the first time, while others have been performing for years, but ALL of them have been working hard to prepare for the recital.
The event is free (but donations are always welcome!)
There are two performances, one at 11:30 am, and another at 1 pm.
Lunch is on us at our annual High Notes Society fundraiser. We are excited to give you an update on what your support has made possible over the past year. We want to share with you the future plans for growth including new programs and partnerships in the year ahead.
Friday, May 16, 2025
Doors and Lunch | 11:30
Program | 12:00-12:50
(Free - RSVP required)
To RSVP, scan the QR code, call 775.324.5521, or Email wendy@nmtsreno.org
Get your hands dirty and help us fill our new Courtyard Garden planter beds, with our friends from Soulful Seeds, Tuesday, May 6th from 11:00 am, to 1:30 pm.
Everything we plant will be edible, and ready for harvest at the end of the season!
Sign up here to be a part of the fun!
Gloves and tools will be provided, and lunch will be served to all participants.
We hope to see you there!
Special thanks to our friends at Anthem, Waste Management, and Western Turf & Hardscapes.
#GiveGrowGather
A “Thank You” to Our Biggest Supporters
On Friday, March 14th, the Jerry Smith Auditorium was transformed into a bayou-themed paradise as NMTS hosted “An Evening in New Orleans,” our annual appreciation event for our biggest supporters and volunteers. We are incredibly grateful for all of our supporters and especially our High Notes Society members, our monthly Music Maker givers, our corporate sponsors and those who support NMTS as givers and regular volunteers. If you are interested in becoming more involved with NMTS, please reach out to Wendy at wendy@nmtsreno.org.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
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10:00 - 11:00 am at NMTS
Come join your fellow music lovers in an informal jam session! All levels are welcome. Feel free to bring your own instruments or borrow one of ours. Open to all ages and ability levels!
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Join NMTS at “The Biggest Little Easter Egg Hunt & Resource Fair” at the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, Saturday, April 12th from 9 am - 1 pm.
This “rain or shine” event features a “Sensory Friendly Hour” at the Resource Fair from 9 - 10 am, The Down Syndrome Network of Northern Nevada sponsors an “All Ages Adaptive Egg Hunt”, tailored for those with disabilities or sensory sensitivities, at 10 am, and an “All Day Calm Room” sponsored by the Reno Children’s Center.
Free Parking available at the El Rancho Drive-In.
Get more information here.
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11:15 am - 12:00 pm in the NMTS east parking lot
Through the Senior Nutrition & Wellness (SNW) program (formerly Commodity Supplemental Food Program/CSFP), the Food Bank of Northern Nevada provides a monthly box of nutritious pantry staples to low-income seniors 60 years and over.
They’ll be in the MNTS east parking lot the 2nd Monday of every month from 11:15 am to 12 noon.
(Clients are asked to complete a CSFP application at their first visit, to determine program eligibility. If approved, your application will be valid for 3 years, pending an annual verbal recertification. In order to quality, a recipient must be 60 years of age or older, a resident of Nevada and have an income under 130% of the Federal Poverty Line.)
Get more info here
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Navigating the Road to Independence is an event designed to support young people with special healthcare needs and disabilities, along with their families and professionals, as they take steps toward adulthood. This event offers essential tools, resources, and connections to help navigate key areas like healthcare, education, employment, and independence.
For more information and registration, click here.
The Note-Ables will perform at 5pm.
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NOTE NEW TIME
10:00 - 10:30 am in the NMTS east parking lot
The Food Bank of Northern Nevada brings its “Produce on Wheels” program to the east parking lot of NMTS from 10:15 - 11:00 am on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
If you’re age 60 or older, come by and get some free produce!
(You must be a Nevada resident, have a valid ID, and be willing to complete a brief Intake Form and Survey.)
Get more info here
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4:30 - 5:30 pm at NMTS
Led by Yoga Your Way LLC founder, Nichole Schembre. Enjoy a meditative experience that bathes you in sound waves produced by instruments such as crystal singing bowls, percussion, and chimes.
FREE - Ages 12+
Comfy dress code. Blankets and mat encouraged.
Space is limited! Please RSVP here
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12:00 - 1:00 pm at NMTS
NMTS is always looking for people who enjoy spending time giving back to their community. If you are interested in learning more about our programs and volunteer opportunities, please register for our next Volunteer Orientation (12-1pm on the 4th Friday of each month) by contacting dena@nmtsreno.org or calling 775.324.5521.
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5:30 - 6:45 pm at NMTS
Break out your formal wear, and get ready to bust a move!
It’s “Prom Night” at NMTS for this Fun Friday Night Event.
Event ends at 6:45 p.m. Pick up is no later than 7 p.m. This is an all ages event and individuals under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Event is free but there is a suggested $5 donation to NMTS.
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Join NMTS, and the Reno Drum Tribe Community Circle for a Drum Circle in the Jerry Smith Auditorium from 4 - 7 pm..
Bring drums, percussion and your love of the beats and sacred sound.
Staff Playlist April 2025
April begins with a day of humor, so we asked the staff to choose a song that makes them laugh.
Elizabeth - “Henry the VII, I Am” by Herman’s Hermits
Iiiiiii’m Enery the EIGHTH I AM, ENERY THE EIGHTH I AM I AM. The Brits . . . amIright?
Jon - “David Duchovny” by Bree Sharp
”X-Files” mania may have peaked with this song, but the video put it over the edge. Created by a couple of Duchovny’s colleagues on the show, it incorporates on-the-fly video of people (some famous, some not) lip-synching the song. Singer / songwriter Sharp said "The song is about David, but it's also about the way fantasy and reality blur, and how giddy, hot and excellent that can be."
Nate - “Your New Morning Alarm” by Mark Rebillet (NSFW)
Marc Rebillet is what, I imagine, hitting your funny bone would sound like. The dude is very talented and very intense and silly.
Sharon - “Blow ‘Em Away” by David Wilcox
Wendy - “What You Need w/ Lyrics Born” by Galactic
Not only do the lyrics crack me up (I take gold cards, Chase cards, green cards, the race cards, And any legal tender with a white man in the center), but it combines artists from two of my favorite places, the Bay Area (Lyrics Born) and NOLA (Galactic). Apparently, this song was on an old video game, but I know it from my obsession with Galactic.
Sam - “I’m the Greatest Star” from “Funny Girl” by Barbara Streisand
I’m choosing “I’m the Greatest Star” from Funny Girl. The video is hilarious.
Whether it’s a meeting of ten or a gathering of 100 or more, NMTS has a space that will suit your needs.
Our facility at 2590 Orovada Street in Reno is fully accessible, and is near the Oddie Blvd exit on the 395 freeway, with plenty of parking available.
From the Jerry Smith Auditorium (capacity 100 - 150) to our conference and education rooms (capacity 20), and everything in between, NMTS facilities have what you need, with state-of-the art audio and video to make your presentations easy and effective.
For more information, email Dena Sweigart or call 775.324.5521.
March Thank Yous
Thank you to our March donors:
Kendra Bertschy, Duane Boreham, Betty Brown, Kendall Caster, City of Reno Arts and Culture, Sarah Deardorff, Theresa Desautels, Wendy and John Firestone, Heather Gage, Lindsey Gross, Michael and Stephanie Hix, Lucille Knight, KPS3, Peter Lenz, Blake London, Joe Macaluso, Marshall R Matley Foundation, Jeanette Martin, Stephen Martin, Mary Ann McCauley, Janet Mckillip, Cara Montoya, Whitney Pomi, Q&D Construction, Pat Ragains, Millard Reed, Pam Miller Russell, Dave Stockman, Vanda Tarlea, Tim Young, Jessica Zeigler
The NMTS monthly Music Makers giving crew:
Dodie Bryant, Michelle Burke, Jody Call, Skyler Dillon, Leslie Doukas, Tiffany Dunseath, Cheryl Eckert, Wendy and John Firestone, MaryLee Fulkerson, CeCelia Gable, Heather Gage, Rachel Gattuso, Mary Jo Gieseke, Karen Golonka, Carrie Harding, Beverly Hennen, Sharon Hickox and Jennie Tibben, Daniel Hickox-Young, Jonathan Hickox-Young, Andy Hughes, Dina Hunsberger, Sandy Jacob, Ana Johnson, Nadia Khan, Lucille Knight, Michael Lahnala, Brad Lund and Trudy Miller, Deanna Lyons, Pam Macy, Lynda Mahorter, Olga Mesina, LuAnn Miller, Mary Miller, Sophie Moeller, Pauline Mooers, Lee Moran, Meghan Ochs, Lisa A Rizzoli, Pam Miller Russell, Cindy Sabatini, Jake and Rachel Steinman, Jeannie Steinman, Judith Stewart, Sarah and Nate Toney, Ken and Doreen Vogel, Don and Lori Welsh, Gina Wertz, Jonathan Wilson, Sandra Young, Tim Young and Jodie Barker
Thank you volunteers:
Danelle Archuleta-Moser, Kendra Bertschy, Jeff Bloyd, Kendall Caster, Char Choate, Matthew Cotton, Jacob Davis, Cheryl Eckert, Matt Ennis, Shane Forster, Aaron Furumoto, Laura Furumoto, Mark Geeson, Mike Hix, Michael Lahnala, Andrea Lenz, Blake London, Tony Martin, Mary Ann McCauley, Greg McNie, Dr. Olga Mesina, Nanette Mueller, Whitney Pomi, Pat Ragains, Dan Rigby, Kelly Rigby, Lisa Rizzoli, Veruka Saiki, Stephanie Schoen, Rebecca Shipley, Jake Steinman, Dave Stockman, Bill Sutman, Pat Sutman, Lindsey Tromerhauser, Ken Vogel, Laila Wilson