Meet the Team!

Music Therapist

Peri Strongwater, MA, MT-BC (she/her) is a music therapist, program manager and organization enthusiast.  In addition to running Strongwater Studios, she works at Mass Eye & Ear Hospital in Boston where she is their first board-certified music therapist. You will likely see her with a guitar in hand, but she also plays the violin, viola, ukulele and piano.
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Peri's career began after completing her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Music at Skidmore College in 2011. Initially working as a film/TV composer in NYC, she soon realized that her favorite part of music was making it with other people. She moved to Boston in 2013, and in 2015 launched Strongwater Studios, offering music services and programming to the community.  This led her to pursue a master's degree in Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Music Therapy from Lesley University in 2018.

During her academic journey, Peri gained valuable experience through various clinical placements and work experience. She worked with geriatric patients in Assisted Living and Memory Care Assisted Living, and Pelham Academy, a therapeutic residential school that provides treatment and education to adolescent females with emotional/behavioral issues, mental health disorders and complex trauma histories. She launched her small business, Strongwater Studios, in 2015 where she facilitated intergenerational music groups, recreational programming, special events and early childhood development programs.  She has also worked as a music therapist in psychiatric units at Mass General Hospital and HRI Hospital, and as an outpatient community mental health clinician at Eliot Community Human Services. 

As a member of the American Music Therapy Association and the New England Music Therapy Association, Peri is committed to professional growth and sharing her knowledge with others. She has presented at local and regional conferences, covering topics such as neuroscience and music, music for patients with hearing loss, voicework, and session structure + planning procedures for music therapy sessions. In April 2023, she presented "Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology in the Key of C" at the NERAMTA conference. Peri has also been invited to guest lecture at Boston University and Berklee School of Music.

Peri loves hard rock, emo music, broadway / showtunes, fully orchestrated movie scores and bluegrass. Her favorite composers are Bernstein, Dvorak, Tchaikofsky, Beethoven, Alan Menken, James Horner and Stephen Schwartz.  Favorite artists include Umphrey's McGee, Papadosio, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Husky, 1860, Something Corporate, Jeff Buckley and Evanescence.  Her favorite soundtrack is sometimes Rent, but it also could be Wicked, Tick Tick.. Boom!, the Lion King or The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Peri loves to make music with her adorable son, who's favorite songs include ABCD and  Baa Baa Black Sheep. Other hobbies and interests include playing with her dog Finley, making to-do lists and eating ice cream.

(Updated July 2023)

Music Specialist

Taylor Marsyla (he/they) is a non-binary voice teacher with a passion for providing affirming voice lessons.

Taylor received their BA from Southeast Missouri State University in 2016, as a double major in Vocal Music Education and Vocal Music Performance. Taylor has been teaching private voice lessons since graduating and taught high school choir and elementary music. Taylor found that they enjoyed the meaningful benefits music brought to their students and wanted to expand upon that idea. Taylor decided to pursue a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling with a Specialization in Music Therapy at Lesley University. Taylor interned as a music therapist at Mass Eye and Ear Hospital, primarily working with trans and non-binary patients using music as a tool for gender affirming work with the voice. As part of their final year at Lesley, they will be interning at Bournewood Hospital.

Taylor has extensive experience providing voice lessons for gender diverse individuals and has been a part of various LGBTQIA+ advocacy concerts. Taylor plans to create a non-profit organization centered around providing quality mental health care for LGBTQIA+ individuals in rural areas of the country.

In addition to singing, Taylor plays the piano, guitar, saxophone, and oboe. Taylor loves songwriting almost as much as they love playing video games. They spend most of their time playing Dungeons and Dragons with their twin and friends. 

Voice lessons with Taylor include the use of exercises tailored (no pun intended) to your specific vocal goals. Goals may include: vocal flexibility, sustainability, maintenance, range expansion, genre exploration, and expansion of expressive qualities among any other personal objective. Lessons will also include learning and singing music you love and chose to work on.

Music Therapist

Nicole Frederick (she/her) has been teaching privately since 2008. After receiving her Bachelor's in Music Education at the Crane School of Music in 2014, Nicole taught Elementary Music in Boston for two years. She recently completed her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, specializing in Music Therapy, at Lesley University.
 
Nicole grew up in a musical home. Her parents encouraged her pursuit of music, starting her on violin when she was 4. She continued her studies of violin through school and in a private orchestra, which challenged her to express music in new ways. This experience led her to pursue music professionally. 
 
While studying at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, Nicole completed a specialization in Special Education, where she was introduced to Music Therapy. Her experience teaching in Boston developed her interest in meeting alternative goals using music, encouraging her to pursue her Masters in Music Therapy.
 
Nicole enjoys exploring music with all ages, in a variety of settings. She has performed with several pit orchestras and professional orchestras, but particularly enjoys playing in chamber groups. She also enjoys outdoor activities, reading, being creative in the kitchen, and yoga.
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​Teaching Strengths: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Guitar, Ukulele, Piano