Miss Kat Wright

Kat is a Board-Certified Music Therapist and a Woodwind and Piano instructor. A self-described “navy brat,” Kat’s upbringing in a military family fostered a rich childhood of traveling all over the country from Hawaii, Kansas, Rhode Island, and Jacksonville, Florida. Her family eventually settled down in Gulf Breeze when she was 10 years old. Kat’s passion for music started at an early age. Growing up, Kat’s older siblings played saxophone, bassoon and piano. This inspired her to start taking piano lessons at the age of 5 and then join the band at Gulf Breeze Middle School, where she learned how to play the flute and piccolo. When Kat’s older sister came home from a tour of Florida State University’s School of Music, she told Kat about their music therapy program. Kat later wrote a paper about music therapy in 8^th grade ,when she was assigned to research a career path she was interested in pursuing.

After graduating from Gulf Breeze High School in 2011, Kat attended the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!), where she marched with the Million Dollar Band as a member of the piccolo section. She graduated with honors and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy in 2015. Her clinical internship took place within the Mobile County Public School system in Mobile, AL where she provided music therapy services to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Kat and her internship supervisor were based out of the Mobile Regional School for the Deaf and Blind ,where she learned how to effectively incorporate sign language into her practice. Before relocating back to the Gulf Breeze area in 2020, Kat moved to Lafayette, IN, where she provided one-on-one music therapy services through the Medicaid Waiver to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with ages ranging from 1-78 years old.

One of Kat’s favorite things about Minds on Music is their research minded approach to teaching music (#ForABetterBrain), starting as early as infancy with the MOM and Me class. As a music therapist, Kat knows music has been scientifically proven to affect the brain differently than any other stimulus, and how it can positively impact a person’s life in every aspect. When not working or practicing her flute or piano, Kat enjoys hiking and backpack camping in the back-country, kayaking, and hanging out on the beach with her husband, Jake and her Australian Shepherd, Ravel.

Ms. Kat also writes a music therapy blog, The Brain Blog.