Strumming her way through the halls of UPMC Magee,Rhiannon Rieger, MMT, MT-BC, music therapist, uses her music therapy knowledge and passion for music to address symptoms of distress for adult in-patients. As a board-certified music therapist, Rhiannon’s services are requested by care teams and patients to help reduce stress and anxiety, manage pain, and regulate emotions. Generally, music therapy services are a restorative component of a patient’s overall recovery and hospital stay.
Rhiannon’s path to her current role began with her love of music that started at a young age:
“I grew up in a very musical family and played instruments throughout my life,” she shares, “that really kept me seeing things through a very musical lens,which is such a lovely way to see the world.”
She went on to complete her undergraduate coursework, clinical hours, internship and board certification before earning her master’s degree in music therapy. Putting that hard work to use, Rhiannon now spends her days sharing her love of music with the UPMC Magee community. She joined UPMC Magee in November 2022 on the Palliative Care Team serving patients with serious illnesses. Additionally, she served staff at UPMC Western Behavioral Health through a music therapy focused state grant from fall 2023 through winter 2024. In 2025, her role expanded at UPMC Magee to serve non-palliative adult in-patients.Now, she can be consulted to work with all adult in-patients, assessing how music can best support their care journey.
Sessions typically start with a simple question: “What kind of music would be important to you today?” From there Rhiannon assesses what types of musical expression — singing, humming, moving to music, songwriting, or playing a provided instrument — will offer comfort and healing for each patient.
“There are three components working together: the patient, the music therapist, and the music,” she explains. “It’s the continual feedback between all three that guides the direction of where the music therapy session goes.”
Each session is different, which is why Rhiannon carries her guitar and a collection of accessible instruments to help her patients engage in music therapy. From requests for favorite songs to the slightest tapping of their toe, patients experience the music in Rhiannon’s sessions at their own pace.
“Sometimes people think they don’t have one musical bone in their body, but they’re able to do things like tap on the drum,” she says. “They’re getting a chance to notice something different and to see their level of expression change and grow throughout the session.”
Rhiannon’s goal is for each session to focus on what is important to the patient, so they may take whatever they need from the experience:
“Music therapy might be to have a moment where people say, ‘Oh, I forgot I was in the hospital,’ or ‘This gave me a clearer reflection of what’s been going on for me,’” she explains.
In addition to her work for patients, Rhiannon also provides services for staff in public areas around the hospital:
“I’ve been able to offer some sound baths in the auditorium with the singing bowls, playing ambient tones and sounds. Staff members have said the experience to come and sit and just experience the sounds for a short length of time is wonderful and has lasting effects,” she shares. “I have also played guitar in the emergency department, NICU, and birthing center waiting rooms and lobbies.”
As a UPMC Magee provider herself, Rhiannon enjoys “caring for the caregivers.”
“I have gone to unit or department meetings and facilitated a little bit of decompression work through songwriting or music making with a group, and there’s been a positive response from staff and support from leadership who say, ‘Thank you for being here,’” she adds.
While the recognition she receives for her work is uplifting, Rhiannon’s “why” comes from the inherent power of her music therapy practice.
“I feel like this is what I’ve always wanted to do, through and through,” she says with a smile, “I absolutely love getting to meet people where they are with music.”
