Music therapist helps others tell stories

Erin Ebnet found her voice through music. Now she uses her talents to help others.

The Sauk Rapids woman, who was raised in St. Joseph and is a 2001 Apollo High School graduate, is a music therapist. She was inspired to seek her profession after she broke her pelvis during an inline skating accident in college.

The 32-year-old musician released her first CD last year, called "May You Find." She started some of the music during recovery from her accident, so the album took more than a decade to make. And although she enjoys performing in front of audiences — she recently was part of a show at Pioneer Place on Fifth — she's found her passion interacting with people in need of music therapy.

Over the years, that's included a variety of clients, from inmates to, most recently, people in hospice care.

"I love performing, I love playing on stage, but for me personally, being able to be at that bedside ... I can't find a better use of my time," Ebnet said.

Before the accident, she took piano lessons and sang in choir. In high school, Ebnet focused more on art than music.

But the healing time after the accident, including months on crutches, reawakened the musical creativity in her. Being dependent on her parents again was a trying time for the college student.

"I had a lot of time in isolation," she said. "It's given me perspective into the line of work I do now. A lot of the patients I go and visit, they're very isolated." Some of them tell her they've been looking forward to her visit all week.

Peter Meyer, a music therapist and adjunct faculty member at St. Cloud State University, has mentored Ebnet. He says it's her genuine nature that helps her connect with clients.

"She's very empathetic with her clients," adding that can she can put "herself into other people's shoes," he said.

Finding her passion

Ebnet didn't want to spend her recovery time in front of a computer. She volunteered at her old school, Kennedy Elementary. The experience "made me realize I wanted to work with people."

She researched and learned about music therapy, prompting her to switch majors and colleges. She finished her music therapy studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Music therapists work with a variety of populations to address non-musical goals. They can sing and play various instruments, although Ebnet mostly brings her guitar because it's easily portable.

They may work with patients who are experiencing anxiety or depression. Or they aid patients in pain by helping them refocus their energy on external stimuli — the music.

It also means being a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to musical styles. As Ebnet notes, "not everybody likes Johnny Cash," although she said many people in this area do.

Telling their stories

Sometimes Ebnet does life-review projects with patients in which she interviews them. "That's really my favorite use of songwriting is allowing other people to share their stories through music. That's where I really see myself."

When asked what she loves about her job, she said hospice care stands out.

"It's unbelievably rewarding. I'm spending, in many cases, the final months, days, weeks and hours with my hospice patients and their families, being able to share those moments ... it's hard even to describe it," Ebnet said.

As for a second CD? It's possible, but Ebnet says, "I feel like I've been able to share my story." She wants to continue to help others do the same.

Follow Kate on Twitter @copygirlkate, or call 259-3620.

More online

Learn more at ErinEbnet.com, or to learn about music therapy, go to MusicTherapy.org.