For children who live with life-altering medical conditions and often find themselves in and out of the hospital for procedures and treatments, a music therapy session is one of the only places where they can truly let loose to speak, or sing, their truth.
That’s the case for 19-year-old Highland, Illinois, resident Abby Schrage, who started writing songs at age 11 with the assistance of music therapist Tracie Sandheinrich. At her first music therapy session, Schrage was receiving proton radiation treatment for a brain tumor.
“As we're going through the whole process, I started feeling lifted,” she said. “I was feeling empowered because I could express my emotions through song that [are] hard to express through other things.”
Sandheinrich and Jaime Kennington co-founded the Song Society in 2023 to serve as many people like Schrage as possible. The St. Louis nonprofit offers free music therapy, songwriting and recording and performance experiences for children, teens and families affected by cancer, chronic illnesses and disabilities.
“These clients are going through some pretty traumatic experiences, [and] music really can be a positive container for those feelings to exist,” Sandheinrich said. “The board-certified music therapist helps them process those feelings in a supportive way and turn it into a song. Then, at the end of the session, after going through the recording process, they have their own original song.”
Music therapy can reduce stress and anxiety, improve memory, elevate someone’s mood and can even help with pain management and physical rehabilitation. Clinical research, Sandheinrich said, has also shown the power of performance in taking a therapeutic experience to the next level.
Schrage has performed her original songs at several performances with the Song Society. In 2023, she received a standing ovation at an event put on by the St. Louis Men's Group Against Cancer.
“I didn't know that I was strong and could do these things, but I realized, by going through this, I was strong and able to do anything,” she said. “I feel proud of myself. I feel brave. I feel that I'm an inspiration for others because I am doing this.”
Abby Schrage; her mom, Jill Schrage; and Tracie Sandheinrich joined St. Louis on the Air to talk about the late effects of cancer treatment, the power of therapeutic songwriting and the mission of the Song Society. Hear the conversation on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast, or by clicking the play button below.
Related Event
What: Rockin’ at the Rite - a LIGHT & Song Experience benefit concert
When: 6 p.m. Jan. 13
Where: Scottish Rite Cathedral
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Ulaa Kuziez is our production intern. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
