Stoked on steem: a Music Therapist eager to use Steemit as a platform for discussion on music and science.

My name is Kayla. I am a board-certified Music Therapist with an interest in molecular and cognitive neuorsciences and I believe cryptocurrency has an important role in the future.

First, just a little bit about who I am:

1. I work in Las Vegas as a licensed practicing/board certified music therapist with individuals with all ages on the autism spectrum, Down syndrome, at-risk youth, memory care & dementia, and various other disabilities. You're probably wondering what music therapy is. In fact I get asked what music therapy is almost every day, no hyperbole, and that's okay because I love to talk about it and advocate for it! In the nutshelliest way I can put it, music therapy is the use of music as a medium to achieve progress toward clinical, non-musical goals. Please please please ask me more if you are curious!
2. I was born and raised in Las Vegas and contrary to popular belief did not live or grow up in a casino.
3. I play the following instruments (some far better than others): violin, guitar, piano, ukulele, mandolin, and my vocal chords. In college I tried to start a kazoo choir...for some reason it didn't catch on...most likely because a group of kazoos sounding all at once would be the soundtrack to the gates of hell opening up.
4. I have auditory synaesthesia where I see colors when listening to music.
5. I co-host a podcast called "Forget Dis!" that aims to spread awareness on how able people with disabilities are.
6. I have a dog named Poppy (pictured above) who is glued to my hip and likes to adventure around the mountains with me.

I'm not going to bore you any further with the minutiae of my life. So why am I here on Steemit?

Bitcoin certainly sparked my interest back in 2010 but alas, I did not act on it and am now kicking myself. With a renewed interest in cryptocurrency and it's community I find myself here on Steemit excited that such a platform exists and feeling fortunate that I get to be a part of a bigger movement in this zeitgeist. I would like to take the opportunity to use this platform for the following:

• Storytelling marrying science! This might be the nerdiest thing you've heard all day but I love reading research journals. I want to synthesize the most up to date scientific research and literature on music and neuroscience and weaving in my personal and professional experiences and stories. Believe me when I say that there is so much untapped knowledge on these subjects and still so much more to discover. Academia schmacademia; music and science are for the masses!
• Saucy, in-depth music theory discussion and how to analyze your favorite music and think about it from new perspectives.
• Articles on music and culture, science, therapy, cognition, and psychology.
• Supporting each other's creative endeavors! I realize this is a major cornerstone of the Steemit community and am so excited to contribute what I can.

Enough about me, I want to hear from you! Leave a comment with your top 5 favorite albums, artists, and/or songs.