Meet the Team

Mercedes Shook, MT-BC, is a native of Fort Worth, Texas. Before beginning her internship at Heart and Harmony, she completed her coursework for her Bachelor’s of Music Therapy and minor in Psychology at Texas Woman’s University. During her time at Texas Woman’s University she sang in the Chamber Ensemble and Concert Choir, where she performed for international tours and choral conferences.

Mercedes has served as president for the Southwestern American Music Therapy Association for Students and secretary for the American Music Therapy Association for Students. Mercedes’ practicum experience includes pediatric patients, adults with dementia, adult TBI patients, school-based groups with developmentally disabled adolescents, and autistic adults.

Mercedes enjoys playing trivia, crocheting, and spending time with her cat, Gizmo. When not at work, Mercedes can be found eating a basket of chips and queso at the local Mexican restaurant with friends.

Isabelle Spence, MT-BC, graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in music therapy and a minor in psychology in December 2021. Isabelle is passionate about performing on her primary instrument, the flute, and she has performed as an ensemble member and as a soloist across the United States. Isabelle completed her internship with Heart and Harmony in the fall of 2021.

Isabelle’s clinical experience includes premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), adults with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), child, adolescent and adult outpatient mental healthcare, adults with cerebral palsy (CP), children and adults with intellectual and developmental disorders (IDD), older adults with dementia, and school-aged children in inclusive and self-contained classrooms. She also teaches adaptive voice and guitar lessons. 

During her free time, Isabelle enjoys backpacking, reading, baking, and traveling. She has two cats named Pickles and Olive and a horse named Sweet Pea. 

Victor Torres, MT-BC, is a native Texan and has lived in the DFW area for the better part of his life. He developed his prowess as a musician by first starting in choir in the first grade. There he began his musical journey where he met wonderful mentors and teachers that sharpened his skills and continued to raise his musicianship to the next level. Along the way, Victor has performed in many contexts from the late-night open mic nights to performing alongside English rock band, The Rolling Stones on their ZipCode tour.

Victor’s love for music led him to earn his BA in Audio Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. After earning this degree, Victor spent time recording artists, playing shows around the DFW, releasing music, and sharing his talents in a Recreational Department at a local psych hospital. After a few years of working with this hospital and connecting with his childhood volunteer work, Victor decided to change course and use music for the betterment of others. He has since completed his coursework at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana as part of earning the credential MT-BC (Music Therapist), an internship with Heart and Harmony, and is humbled to be with the Heart and Harmony team as a music therapist. 

 When Victor is not making music, you can find him camping near a 14er in the San Juan Mountains in CO, spending time with family and friends playing some good ol’ Nintendo, or tearing up a local skate park.

Trinity Towle, Music Therapy Intern, is an Oklahoman by birth and soul for the prairie. She became a Jayhawk by attending the University of Kansas and pursuing a Bachelor’s of Music in Music Therapy, creating a flock of her own there. Though her primary instrument is the saxophone, Trinity’s interest in music was first sparked by her
grandmother, Melody, who encouraged piano lessons from an early age. When her younger cousin was later diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, the spark grew into a roaring fire, leading her to discover our incredible field.

During her time at the University of Kansas, Trinity showed exemplary skills in leadership. Serving as an executive board member and co-president of the Music Therapy Student Association, as well as serving as the president of Sigma Alpha Iota Beta Beta Chapter, she demonstrated her passion, respect, and empathy not only for music but for those surrounding her. This was further emphasized during her time with the Therapy Abroad Program in Bulgaria, where she modeled facilitation skills for clients and students of various support need levels and further grew her passion for social perceptions of health and its impact on therapeutic effectiveness.

Trinity honed her clinical experience by engaging with various clients, ranging from developmental to early childhood, adolescents to adults, and older adults. These took place individually, as well as in small and large groups. She has worked alongside those with various intellectual developmental disabilities, age-related memory loss, pain management support, traumatic-brain injuries, social and communicative challenges, and end of life care needs.

In her free time, you can find Trinity outside with her feet in a creek, reading, at an antique/thrift store, or on her iPad playing games with friends. She also loves baking treats, playing D&D, and watching random lore videos, such as “The Deepest Wii Iceberg Explained” or “The Tinkerbell Cinematic Universe”.

Sarah Turner, MMT, MT-BC, grew up in the Dallas area and attended Texas Woman’s University in Denton, where she completed both her BS in Music Therapy and her Master’s of Music Therapy degree. Sarah played the flute throughout her years in school, her favorite ensembles including marching band in high school and Flute Choir in college. Sarah was inspired by Taylor Swift as a child to play the guitar, and was excited to learn she could use it in a career that would allow her to support and help others grow through music.

Sarah completed her internship at Denton ISD in 2021, where she worked with children and adolescents in special education and deaf education programs in schools and via telehealth.

In her professional experiences with private practice, Sarah has gotten to work in several settings outside of schools, including home health for adolescents and adults, group sessions at a pediatric hospital, and community summer groups for children with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Sarah has a passion for holistic, empowering, and person-centered care. She is grateful to get to use music to make meaningful connections with her clients and to continue growing as a professional.

In her free time, Sarah enjoys spending time in nature, eating Thai food, and playing with her cat, Olive.

Sara Yoon, MT-BC, was inspired to pursue music therapy after witnessing the effects it had on her brother growing up. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas Woman’s University with a B.S. in Music Therapy, with cello as her primary instrument, and a minor in Applied Psychology. In 2022, Sara completed her internship with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) at both the Western Psychiatric Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. 

Sara’s clinical experience includes working with various inpatient psychiatric, neonatal, and pediatric populations including NICU infants, children, teens, adults, and older adults with a variety of psychosocial, emotional, intellectual and developmental needs. She has also served within settings such as therapeutic theater, juvenile detention, and assisted living. Additionally, Sara has prior experience with instrumental instruction, such as teaching cello lessons for middle school and high school, as well as leading ukulele summer camps for children. 

Sara’s future goal is to pursue a M.A. in Professional Counseling and apply her knowledge experiences from both fields to better serve her community and those around her. When she’s not making music, Sara enjoys arts & crafts, playing board games, serving her church, and hanging out with her friends for hours.