2026 Cadence of Life: Music Therapy in Hospice and Palliative Care

Cadence of Life: Music Therapy in Hospice and Palliative Care

Saturday, April 25, 2026

“So I think there is again this word love. It’s capable of so many transformations that it can then be something quite practical. And it all comes down to it’s all celebration. Adventure and celebration. Music is the one way in which you can imagine that world music that speaks to the human soul, but originates somewhere else, that tells the music, the human soul, that you originate somewhere else. This is the voice of home.”

Clive Robbins, 2005

SYMPOSIUM OVERVIEW

Explore the important role of music therapy in end-of-life care with sessions covering program development, interdisciplinary advocacy and grief support. The event also features student-composed recording projects that transform a person’s heartbeat into a musical legacy and sensory connection for the ones they love.

WELCOME

On behalf of University of the Pacific and the Conservatory of Music, we warmly welcome you to Cadence of Life: Music Therapy in Hospice and Palliative Care. We are honored that you are here today to witness how music therapists bring comfort, hope and healing during life's most precious and fragile moments. This special event aims to highlight the work of music therapists in hospice and palliative care. We hope that these inspiring professionals will ignite a passion in our students, clinicians, community partners and our growing conservatory family to become passionate advocates for the transformative power of music therapy in these sacred spaces.

SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE

The symposium will feature presentations from practicing clinicians. A total of six Continuing Music Therapy Education (CMTE) credits will be available for eligible participants.

8:00 – 8:45 am, Registration

8:45 – 9:00 am, Opening Remarks

9:00 – 9:50 am, Session #1

Location: Faye Spanos Concert Hall lobby

Location: Faye Spanos Concert Hall stage

Location: Faye Spanos Concert Hall stage

Title: Building a Legacy: Creating a Music Therapy Program in Hospice and Palliative Care

Presenter: Stacey Stinson, MA, MT-BC

A clinical overview of music therapy in end-of-life care, alongside a framework to establish a new hospice music therapy program. It will provide a roadmap to move from initial consultation and planning to full clinical integration.

10:00 – 10:50 am, Session #2

Location: Faye Spanos Concert Hall stage

Title: Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Advocacy

Presenter: Genessee Tudino, MT-BC

An exploration of integrating music therapy into the existing hospice team model, highlights of different approaches to interdisciplinary collaboration, and recommendations for advocating for music therapy with other hospice disciplines.

11:00 – 11:50 am, Session #3

Title: Music Therapy and Bereavement

Presenter: Christian Tudino, MT-BC

Location: Faye Spanos Concert Hall stage

This presentation will cover different frameworks for grief and bereavement and how music can be applied when supporting clients through grief after a loss.

12:00 – 1:30 pm, Lunch

Location: Instrumental Rehearsal Hall and conservatory grounds

A boxed lunch is provided for all pre-registrants.

1:30 – 3:20 pm, Session #4

Title: And The Beat Goes On!

Presenter: Brian Schreck, MA, MT-BC

Location: Faye Spanos Concert Hall stage

Learn about Brian Schreck's ACPR (Amplified Cardiopulmonary Recording) framework through his work with University of the Pacific's music therapy students. Attendees will examine its clinical uses, experiential learning results, and its role in progressing music therapy skills and professional growth. The focus will be on competencies in assessment, treatment planning, execution and ongoing professional development, illustrating how ACPR-based practice enhances clinical decision-making and promotes ethical, client-centered care.

3:30 – 4:30 pm, Session #5

Title: Roundtable Discussion

Location: Faye Spanos Concert Hall stage

The culminating roundtable provides a strategic roadmap for developing and advocating for music therapy programs within the nuanced landscape of hospice and palliative care. Explore best practices for interdisciplinary collaboration and diverse clinical perspectives on grief, ensuring a holistic approach to patient and family bereavement. The session also dives into the practical application of ACPRs, equipping practitioners with specialized interventions to enhance comfort and quality of life during the end-of-life journey.

4:30 – 5:00 pm, Closing Remarks

Location: Faye Spanos Concert Hall stage

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Attendees will describe one way in which music therapy interventions can address the needs of patients and families receiving hospice and palliative care.

Attendees will describe one way to evaluate outcomes of music therapy services delivered to patients and families receiving hospice and palliative care.

CBMT BOARD CERTIFICATION DOMAINS

Knowledge 2D2; Task 23

Knowledge 4A6; Tasks 45, 46

PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES

Brian Schreck, MA, MT-BC, is a board-certified music therapist who has been professionally serving people with wide range of medical illnesses since 2004. Schreck received a Bachelor of Arts in music therapy from Berklee College of Music in Boston and a Master of Arts in music therapy from New York University. He pioneered music therapy services at St. Vincent’s Catholic Hospital Medical Center in Manhattan, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the Norton Cancer Institute's Legacy Lab in Louisville, KY.

Schreck has a passion for palliative care and for supporting patients and their families through the end-of-life and into bereavement. He uses the sounds of a patient's life to create innovative and individualized recordings and projects. Specific techniques include using stethoscopes and microphones to capture internal sounds to connect with the external world through ongoing clinical and therapeutic support. Schreck strives to improve the quality of life for every patient and family through the ongoing use of music therapy.

Stacey Stinson, MA, MT-BC, is a board-certified music therapist with over a decade of experience supporting people at the end of life. She has advanced training in hospice and palliative music therapy, and she pioneered both new music therapy programs and specialized projects. In 2025, she launched her private practice, Music Therapy with Stacey, LLC. As a music therapist, Stinson supports clients' quality of life through person-centered clinical care and enjoys consulting with organizations to create sustainable, impactful new music therapy programs.

Christian Tudino, MT-BC, has worked in end-of-life care for about ten years, and currently finds himself working for AccentCare Hospice’s Bereavement Center. In this role, Tudino provides support for bereaved clients over the phone, in grief groups, or at Camp Kangaroo, a camp for children who have experienced the death of a loved one.

Genessee Tudino, MT-BC, is a board-certified music therapist currently working for Suncrest Hospice, covering the greater Sacramento area. With almost 10 years of working in this field of expertise, Tudino has a diverse clinical background providing music therapy services for patients from infancy to older adulthood, and everything in between! Her professional interests include continuing her work in medical music therapy and pursuing avenues of professional growth.

FEES AND POLICIES

• Fees:

Fee: $60.00 for eligible participants wanting to earn 6 CMTEs for the Saturday Symposium. Fees are paid the morning of the symposium (Saturday, April 25, from 8 to 8:45 am) by check or cash.

NOTE: Availability of lunch may be limited, so register by April 21.

• Attendance Requirements to Claim CMTEs: Participants must attend all five (5) sessions during the symposium in their entirety to claim six (6) CMTEs – no partial credit will be awarded for attending a portion of the day.

• No Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites to attend/participate in “Cadence of Life: Music Therapy in Hospice and Palliative Care.”

• Cancellation and Grievance Policy: If this course is cancelled for any reason, please contact Dr. Eric G. Waldon (ewaldon@pacific.edu) for information about a refund. Participants taking CMTE courses provided by University of the Pacific may file a grievance regarding: promotional and marketing materials, stated learning objectives, instructor qualifications, course schedule, course format, and course fees or policies. Grievances must be submitted in writing to Continuing Education Director Eric G. Waldon, Ph.D., MT-BC (ewaldon@pacific.edu) within thirty (30) days after the course has ended.

The written grievance must include: the title of the course, the presenter’s name, the date of the course, and the reason(s) for the grievance. One may expect a response within thirty (30) days following receipt of the grievance. The CMTE participant may file an appeal of the response (via email) within thirty (30) days. The appeal must include: a description of the original grievance, the response to that grievance, and reasons for the appeal. University of the Pacific will respond to this appeal within thirty (30) days. In the event that the grievance cannot be resolved satisfactorily, participants have the right to have the grievance reviewed by the Continuing Education Committee of CBMT (www.cbmt.org).

• Statement of Relationship: “Cadence of Life: Music Therapy in Hospice and Palliative Care” is approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) for six (6) units of Continuing Music Therapy Education credits. University of the Pacific (#P-139) maintains responsibility for program quality and adherence to CBMT policies and criteria.

This symposium is sponsored in part by Kong Family Music Therapy Endowment The Audree O’Connell Music Therapy Fund The Eleanor Vogel Music Therapy Endowment and University Archives.

Pacific.edu/Conservatory