Music Therapy

Ali ‘Grace’ Rapetti graduated Suma Cum Laude from the Berklee College of Music with a degree in music therapy.  She has served as a certified music therapist for over a decade, working with varied populations and demographics. She has experience creating her own end-of-life music therapy program  for a large local hospice & palliative care organization in the Upper Valley, as well as offering private music therapy sessions throughout the community and online. She offers individual and group sessions (up to eight members) either in person or via Zoom.

​

 

 

PATIENT TESTIMONIALS
“A day that will never be forgotten, is when a music therapist came into the room with

her guitar to offer comfort. I was unsure what this meant. After all, I had never been exposed

to hospice care before. Apparently, the previous day, this music therapist came in and asked if

there was particular music my dad enjoyed. His wife suggested a song that she and my dad

had danced to at their wedding less than two years prior. She learned the song and she was there the next day, while I was in the room. At this point, my dad was quickly losing his sense of reality, and his awareness was declining fast. I wasn’t sure I would be able to have another lucid moment with my father.
The therapist, Grace, sang this song my dad requested. Her voice was beautiful, and the effect
on my father was priceless. The fear seemed to fade from his face and a genuine smile
took over. After fighting back the tears, I had that lucid conversation with him that I
did not think was possible at the time. I had the opportunity to tell my dad I loved him
and I knew he heard and understood everything I was saying. Even as a professional
musician, I would never have believed that music executed at the right time would have
such a positively compelling effect. I was impressed by how caring Grace truly was, even
though we started off as pure strangers. In one song, I felt like she was family....as did
my father, and his wife. I realized that Ali has a powerful gift. There are many people
every day that have to go through the process of letting go of someone close. And those
final days can be extremely difficult to deal with. Any comfort that can be awarded is
taken with gratitude. With her music therapy, Grace gave my father, his wife, and I a
chance to be at peace. I am thankful that I was there when she walked into the room
that day. But more importantly, I hope I am not the only one that benefits from the gift
that Grace has.“
-Michael Nightengale,

Nightengale Sound, ABC
 

" I would like to share a story about a very special day in my life. My wife was in the

hospice house nearing the end of her lengthy battle with ovarian cancer. This day is

particularly memorable because our two boys were able to
visit with her as she was having what turned out to be her last good day. We heard a

gentle knock on the door, it opened and in came a nice woman named Grace. After dis-
cussing music, my wife asked to hear Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”. Grace

knocked it out of the park- she was spectacular. To my surprise, my wife was actively
involved in the music, singing, dancing, and taking the whole last chorus all by herself.
Grace continued to take music requests from the rest of us, and then once more from my
wife. Grace played a wide variety of music with us and did a great job. Her personality was

as amazing as her music talents. When Grace walked out of that room we were all so hap-
py that she had come by, I immediately found my way to the office of the hospice house

to tell them they need to keep her available to the patients. I am so happy that Grace
found her way into our lives at such a precious time. My wife passed away just three
days later. When I reflect back I always smile when thinking of that “last good day”

 I strongly recommend her as a music therapist..”
-Steven D. Cynewski