5 Star Rated PartiesMeet The Team!
Olivia Rubbo is a professional singer and actor with a BFA in Musical Theater from Emerson College. On top of performing regionally and throughout New York City, she has worked with children for over 15 years teaching music and movement classes, and has taken several courses on early childhood music development.
Olivia deeply values the role emotional intelligence plays in creating a more joyous and fulfilling life. She’s always been grateful for the positive impact music has on young lives and thus saw a unique opportunity to establish a program that not only inspires musicality in children, but uses it to teach social emotional skills: how to be kind, grateful and present. Olivia brings her goofy self to each class, and gets such joy from creating a safe space for all people to explore their innate capacity for music and mindfulness!
Mukta Phatak is an actor, playwright, teaching artist, and creative living in NYC. She graduated from Bucknell University with a B.A. in Theatre.
She has taught playwriting and theater to many young people through her work with TWUSA, Colt Coeur and the Bushwick Starr. A member of Actors Equity Association, she has worked on several projects as an actor – from fringe devised plays, to indie plays, to large scale musicals, to TYA shows. As a writer, her play adaptation of The Night Diary premiered at the Children’s Theater of Charlotte in March of 2023. Her poetry has appeared in collaborations via film, dance, music and social media.
She loves to write, perform, and most importantly empower children and young people through art – in her projects she strives to be a force for justice, learning, and play.
Marth Brown is a New York City Event, Theatrical, Fashion and Wedding photographer who brings energy, warmth and fun to every shoot she works on. She has photographed countless birthday parties, social and corporate events and is excited to be partnering with Mind Body Music NYC for all your photography needs. On top of photography, Marth has acted and taught with many theatrical young audience companies such as Bevel and Co, Kids stock and ArtsPower. She loves to capture the raw joy and excitement young people have during Mind Body Music NYC classes and she can’t wait to share that with you on your young one’s special day!
Meet Our Child Psychology Collaborators
Our content is backed by child psych experts at top tier universities. We’ve partnered with brilliant professors and grad students throughout NYC to enhance our curriculum and original songs that incorporate social and emotional learning!
Will Katzman is pursuing his PhD in clinical psychology at Long Island University, Brooklyn, where he also received his master’s. Will graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan, where he received high distinction and honors. Will has extensive clinical and research training focused on psychodynamic and developmental models of therapeutic intervention. He has a particular interest in caregiver-child relationships and has explored how play and creativity are essential for children’s emotional development and promotes their healthy relationships with others. His dissertation research focuses on how fathers can provide optimal attunement to their children’s emotional needs. His research has been published in peer reviewed outlets such as the Journal of Loss and Trauma and the Journal of Trauma and Dissociation. When not conducting research, Will provides psychotherapy for children and adolescents who have experienced early adverse experiences. He relies on play to promote emotional insight and to help youth learn about their social worlds.
Annie Farnsworth is a Master’s student in Psychology and researcher at NYU. Her research primarily focuses on creative arts-based therapies as a means to heal trauma and strengthen community. She believes strongly in the power of mindfulness and play to empower people of all ages to live fulfilling lives, and is thrilled to be a part of the Mind Body Music NYC team! Annie shadowed several music class to create a Milestone Checklist for parents. Check out her finding below!
