Dr. James D. Walters, and Associate Professor Danielle Lydia Sheather Jenna Kellogg explore how music therapy and adaptive dance do far more than entertain — they help with communication, regulation, memory, and quality of life in ways traditional care often misses. Jenna Kellogg, board certified music therapist and adaptive dance educator, shares how she uses movement and music to help children and adults with complex needs, developmental disabilities, and medically fragile conditions access expression, connection, and healing. Alongside Dr. James D. Walters and Associate Professor Danielle Lydia Sheather, the conversation gets real about what these therapies actually do — and why they deserve a seat at the healthcare table. You’ll discover how Jenna builds person-centered adapted dance classes, why rhythm and melody can unlock recall in people living with neurodegenerative challenges, and what music therapy looks like in practice across ages two to eighties. She breaks down the difference between “singing to make people feel better” and evidence-based therapy, and explains how tools like DIR floor time, trauma-informed care, and co-treatment with speech, OT, and PT expand what is possible for clients. The episode also digs into the power of advocacy — for patients, caregivers, and practitioners — and the frustration of a system that still too often dismisses the arts as optional instead of essential. Jenna shares what it took to find her path, how mentors shaped her career, and why so many students never realize that performance can lead to therapy, not just the stage. If you care about healthcare, the arts, or helping people communicate in ways words alone can’t, this one is for you. Essential listening for therapists, educators, caregivers, dancers, musicians, and anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how creative practice can transform care. Jenna Kellogg is a board certified music therapist and adaptive dance educator based in Rochester, New York, working with individuals across the lifespan in community and clinical settings. Dr. James D. Walters is a chiropractor and host of The Dance Up, and Danielle Lydia Sheather is an Associate Professor of Dance, both focused on cultural competency between dance and healthcare. Musical contributions by Alexandra Ausman @tamawhat , Graphic Design by Dr. Kelsey Elliot. Views expressed in this podcast solely reflect the authors’ and guests’ views and not any organization to which an affiliation might be present.
