November 2025
“Music Breaks Barriers…”
About seven million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, and that number may double by 2050. Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia, which affects memory, language, problem-solving, and daily life. As dementia grows, so does the need for ways to support both the mind and quality of life.
At NMTS, research and experience meet. A 2025 review in Brain Sciences found that singing and choir participation improve speech, thinking skills, and mood (ResearchGate, 2025). Our therapists and instructors see this every day - music sparks the brain, lifts spirits, and helps people connect, even as memories fade.
This knowledge inspired NMTS to start our new Senior Choir program, a space for older adults to find joy and community through singing. Adaptive Music Instructor Allie Cheney pushed for this program, inspired partly by her grandmother, who had dementia but always remembered her favorite songs. “Music breaks barriers,” Allie says.
During Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, programs like the Senior Choir show how music supports emotional well-being and belonging. For many people with dementia, and for their caregivers, shared music offers joy and connection. NMTS continues to explore how music can bring people together and honor each person’s journey. If you have an idea for a new class, group, or program, please don't hesitate to reach out!
— Manal Toppozada, Executive Director and Founder
Honoring Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
Radical Generosity is the Way →
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Giving Tuesday is a global day of radical generosity—a reminder that when we give together, we grow together. It’s a celebration of compassion, inclusion, and community.
At NMTS, those values are at the heart of everything we do. We believe in the value of every person’s voice, and Giving Tuesday is our chance to amplify that belief—creating opportunities for connection, joy, and healing through adaptive music, music therapy, and neurologic music therapy.
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You can Play It Forward in ways that resonate with you:
Give: Your contribution supports inclusive, responsive, and data-driven programs that meet people where they are.
Volunteer: Join us in creating spaces of connection and belonging across our community.
Share: Help spread the word so more people can access life-changing music experiences.
When you Play It Forward, you help us remain flexible, compassionate, and community-based—meeting the evolving needs of our world through the power of music.
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This year, your generosity goes even further.
For every $1 donated, $2 will be matched—tripling your impact up to $10,000!That means your support will stretch threefold to help us:
Amplify voices through adaptive and neurologic music therapy programs.
Build inclusion by creating spaces where everyone belongs.
Drive change with responsive, data-informed services that meet real community needs.
Foster healing and connection through the transformative power of music.
Every contribution helps us keep the rhythm of our mission alive—addressing physical, social, and mental health needs through creativity, compassion, and community.
When you give this Giving Tuesday, you don’t just play a part—you Play It Forward. 🎶
Interested in Giving Early?
Click the button below or text “renomusic” to 50155
Every act of giving creates a ripple.
At Note-Able Music Therapy Services, generosity doesn’t just sustain our programs—it sustains possibility. Every donation, every volunteer hour, and every act of kindness fuels our mission to address physical, social, and mental health needs in our community through the power of music.
This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join us and Play It Forward—because when you give, you’re not just supporting music therapy; you’re helping real people of all ages and abilities find their voice, their rhythm, and their place in the world.
Tune in for Giving Tuesday!
We’ll be sending out special emails you won’t want to miss—each one includes a heartfelt gift from us to you.
The Making of Dance Dance Detective!
From Rehearsal to Curtain Call:
On Saturday, October 25th, the NMTS Musical Connections class took the stage at Reno Little Theatre for their original production — Dance Dance Detective!
Led by Music Therapist and instructor Sam White, joined by community volunteers and accompanied by The Note-Ables, participants brought to life a joyful, music-filled mystery that celebrated creativity, courage, and connection.
Dance Dance Detective was born in part from Sam’s interest in exploring how theatre and music therapy could come together. Before joining NMTS, Sam worked in Chicago as a music director at a community center that supported accessible theatre arts. That experience inspired her to create a space where people could step onto the stage feeling safe, confident, and free to express themselves.
With Sam’s guidance, the class spent more than a year bringing that vision to life—writing songs and scripts, designing costumes and props, and embracing the creative process every step of the way. All the while, participants built confidence, learned to collaborate in new ways, stepped outside their comfort zones, and grew both individually and together.
As the first original NMTS production, Dance Dance Detective stands as a testament to what’s possible when creativity and inclusion come together. Participants, staff, volunteers, and supporters all helped make this dream a reality—with a special thank-you to Reno Little Theatre for generously donating their stage and helping our performers share their artistry with the community.
We hope this is only the beginning. If you’d like to support future productions like Dance Dance Detective, we’d love to hear from you. Beautiful things like this come to life through community partnership, donations, and the belief that music and the arts have the power to bring people together.
’Tis the Season to Give Back: Nominate a Local Nonprofit!
This season of giving, our friends at Sparks SCHEELS are investing $50,000 back into the community — and you can help decide where it goes!
Scheels will award five local nonprofits $10,000 each through their Community Partner Grant, supporting organizations that make a difference in education, youth athletics, human services, conservation, and veterans’ affairs.
Nominate your favorite nonprofit (like Note-Able Music Therapy Services!) before November 15, 2025, and help uplift the organizations that make Reno-Sparks stronger, more inclusive, and more connected.
When you shop at Scheels, you’re not just getting great gear — you’re helping create opportunities and inspire generosity across our community.
Click the button below to submit your nomination.
Something for Everyone Here.
Did you know just how much happens here at Note-Able Music Therapy Services? From babies to older adults, individuals to entire organizations — there’s truly something for everyone.
Whether it’s therapy, learning, performing, or just finding joy — NMTS meets people where they are and helps them shine through the power of music.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
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4:00 - 6:00 pm at NMTS | FREE | 5$ Suggested Donation
Let’s celebrate the season with our annual Fall Showcase!
Join us for an afternoon of performances by NMTS’s talented Local Vocals, Senior Choir, Exploring Music Classes I–III, and Electronic Music Class!
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11:00 - 11:30 am at NMTS
Through the Senior Nutrition & Wellness (SNW) program (formerly Commodity Supplemental Food Program/CSFP), the Food Bank of Northern Nevada provides a monthly box of nutritious pantry staples to low-income seniors 60 years and over.
They’ll be at MNTS the 2nd Monday of every month from 11:00 am to 11:30 am.
(Clients are asked to complete a CSFP application at their first visit, to determine program eligibility. If approved, your application will be valid for 3 years, pending an annual verbal recertification. In order to quality, a recipient must be 60 years of age or older, a resident of Nevada and have an income under 130% of the Federal Poverty Line.)
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10:00 - 10:30 am at NMTS
The Food Bank of Northern Nevada brings its “Produce on Wheels” program to the front round-about of NMTS from 10:15 - 11:00 am on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
If you’re age 60 or older, come by and get some free produce!
(You must be a Nevada resident, have a valid ID, and be willing to complete a brief Intake Form and Survey.)
Get more info here
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5:30 pm - 6:45 pm at NMTS
It’s time to shine!
Come join us for Open Mic Friday Fun Night where you get the chance to sing, dance, or play an instrument to your hearts content!
Event ends at 6:45 p.m. Pick up is no later than 7 p.m. This is an all ages event and individuals under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Event is free but there is a suggested $5 donation to NMTS.
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NMTS will be closed on Thursday in observance of Thanksgiving and on Friday for Family Day. Wishing everyone a joyful and note-able Thanksgiving! 🎶
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9:00 am - 5:00 pm
GET READY FOR GIVING TUESDAY!!!
Join millions in the global generosity movement.
Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity that inspires people everywhere to give back through kindness, connection, and community. At NMTS, we celebrate this day with our own theme — Play It Forward — a reminder that every act of giving creates ripples of joy and possibility through music.
When you Play It Forward, you help bring inclusive music programs to life for people of all ages and abilities. Whether it’s a donation, volunteering your time, or simply sharing our mission, your support helps keep the music playing for everyone.
Sign up for our monthly newsletter and be the first to know about events and happenings at NMTS!
October Thank Yous
Thank you to our October donors:
Tom and Ginny Braun, Cynthia Lake Charitable Trust, Sharon Duste, John and Wendy Firestone, Katie Grace Foundation, Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation, Michael and Stephanie Hix, Estelle J. Kelsey Foundation, Mary Ann McCauley, Julia Ratti and James Cavanaugh, The Nell J. Redfield Foundation, Reno Little Theater, St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Ken & Doreen Vogel, Sue Wagner.
The NMTS monthly Music Makers giving crew:
Barb Anderson, Susan Boner, Susan Boskoff, Dodie Bryant, Jody Call, Skyler Dillon, Leslie Doukas, Tiffany Dunseath, Cheryl Eckert, Wendy and John Firestone, Mary Lee Fulkerson, CeCelia Gable, Heather Gage, Rachel Gattuso, Karen Golonka, Carrie Harding, Beverly Hennen, Sharon Hickox and Jennifer Tibben, Daniel Hickox-Young, Jonathan Hickox-Young, Andy Hughes, Dina Hunsberger, Sandy Jacob and Mel Minarek, Ana Johnson, Nadia Khan, Lucille Knight, Michael Lahnala, Brad Lund and Trudy Miller, Deanna Lyons, Pam Macy, Melanie Mahan, Lynda Mahorter, Laurie Martin, Stephen Martin, Olga Mesina, LuAnn Miller, Mary Miller, Sophie Moeller, Pauline Mooers, Miguel Morales, Lee Moran, Meghan Ochs, Lisa A. Rizzoli, Cindy Sabatini, Jake and Rachel Steinman, Jeannie Steinman, Judith Stewart, Sarah and Nate Toney, Lindsey Tromerhauser, Elizabeth Van Zijl, Ken and Doreen Vogel, Lori and Don Welsh, Gina Wertz, Jonathan Wilson and Manal Toppozada, Sandra Young, Tim Young and Jodie Barker.
Thank you to our October volunteers:
Jeff Bloyd, Jeff Bonilla, Juliana Carmona, Matthew Cotton, Helen De La Cruz, Cheryl Eckert, Matt Ennis, Mark Geeson, Tashina Habibian, Kathleen Haupt, Jaidyn James, Michael Lahnala, Crystal Marquez, Tony Martin, Greg McNie, Paul McGuire, Jasmin Morales, Pat Ragains, Patti Rodriguez, Veruka Saiki, Cameron Scholes, Rebecca Shipley, Bill Sutman, Pat Sutman, Kat Thomas, Mya Ubhoff, Ken Vogel.
