About Cadence Kids Music Therapy, LLC

My name is Carra Bates and I am a board certified music therapist, practicing for the last 15 years. I am excited to be providing music therapy services for the St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana area starting in Fall 2022!

I was born in New Orleans and attended Louise S. McGehee School as young child, which is where my love of music truly grew. Growing up, I sang in choirs and enjoyed playing piano. When I was in middle school, my family moved to the Northshore in Covington, where I attended St. Peter School and later, St. Scholastica Academy for high school. During this time, I expanded my musical horizons by learning how to play guitar and joining the church music ministry. I also sang yearly in my high school choir and participated in honor chorus at both the district and state levels. I graduated high school in 2002 and was accepted into the music therapy program at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX. 

In 2004, I transferred to Maryville University in St. Louis, MO, and graduated in 2006 with a bachelor of science degree in music therapy. In 2008, I completed my music therapy internship in the St. Louis County schools in Missouri, where I gained experience working with children with a variety of disabilities between k-12th grade. From 2008-2022, I provided music therapy services to children between the ages of preschool - 21yrs. within the St. Louis County school system. During this time, I also received a masters degree in special education from Fontbonne University.

In summer 2022, I moved with my 3 children, from St. Louis, MO back to my home state of Louisiana to be near family. I started Cadence Kids Music Therapy to assist children with varied abilities & disabilities in making progress toward individual goals by using evidence-based music therapy interventions to facilitate learning, increase overall functioning in a variety of areas and to foster a love of music and creativity. 

Music Therapy uses music to help individuals achieve non-musical goals. Children can benefit from music therapy in a variety of areas including, but not limited to, developmental skills, social/emotional skills, cognitive skills, academics, speech/language, motor skills, attention to task, mood, motivation, and more!