The David Ott Lab for Music and Health

We share concerns surrounding the involvement of mega-tech corporations in higher ed pushing generative AI products that actively plagiarizes from other artists, promotes deep faking of celebrity likenesses, and diminishes the craft and dedication it takes towards becoming a musician. We don’t deny or dismiss the role that AI plays in music technology currently or in the future. Analytic AI is already embedded in most Digital Audio Workstations like GarageBand and many plug-ins that we use regularly. This is very different though from products like SUNO. What we can do is help students and all stakeholders understand the ethical concerns surrounding generative AI technology when brought into health spaces for individuals, communities, and our environment. We need to find solutions with the least amount of harm possible for people across the health ecology, and engage in these conversations with this in the forefront.

So, as a laboratory that focuses on music technology and health, where do we stand? All the gear and technology we have has historically been utilized by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities as an integral part of their lived experiences. As such, we endeavor to regard these resources in a historical and cultural context, remaining mindful that the gear we use was already health resources for many marginalized communities long before they were brought into health spaces. We stand with youth-culture and how they are naturally drawn to technology to discover new worlds, explore identity, and propel new ideas in the world. Currently, we hear Gen Alpha firmly revolt against the use of generative AI music technology producing slop, and mega-tech corporations' involvement in higher education, such as this video exposes. We will not ignore any new technologies that emerge, and will consider their health benefits, but will always be reflexive and mindful that any new technology can be as harmful as it is helpful. For now, we see the real harm generative AI programs like SUNO are causing, and we encourage everyone to navigate conversations with that concern and harm in mind.

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A really wonderful collaboration between Center for Latino Heritage and Spanish Language Excellence, Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence, and Music Therapy Program at John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State. It was a moving evening of community, performance, and joy as resistance. Three 2nd year music therapy undergraduate students, Monica Rodriquez, Giana Pellegrini, and Bella Miller, supported youth who participated in this program.

Rise Up: Finding Strength, Voice and Community Through Art As the academic year came to a close, CLaSE concluded its programming with an event that reflected the heart of its mission: creating spaces where stories, creativity, healing, and community can meet. Rise Up: Overcoming Challenges and Finding Inner Strength was more than a performance. It was a col...

Congratulations to this year’s David Ott Scholarship winners .surace (Outstanding Undergraduate Award), .atriciaaa_g (Outstanding Music Therapy Intern Award), and (Outstanding Music Therapy Graduate Award, not pictured). Special shout out to who was this year’s Academic Excellence Award Winner, an award chosen by Cali faculty, and who gave an amazing speech. There were also several Academic Achievement certificate winners from music therapy, including , Christmas Lamoureux (not pictured), and (not pictured). We are so proud of you, and are excited about the exciting contributions you will make to the field of music therapy. Dr. Brian Abrams took time to honor Tom Ott at then award ceremony, and his legacy certainly lives on in our students!

The David Ott Lab for Music and Health is excited to be supporting and for a special evening of song, dance, poetry, and community. Come join us on April 29th at 6:30Pm in Fox Theatre at Montclair State University to celebrate the work all these amazing students have accomplished. free donations to welcome.

We are so proud of the for putting on such a great symposium today . It was well attended and filled with such depth from the presenters and . Follow the MTSO on instagram and keep up to date on their amazing work! Their energy was palpable today. Congrats again!

From The John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University: It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tom Ott, a cherished friend of Montclair State University and a remarkable supporter of the John J. Cali School of Music and the Department of Psychology.

Tom and his wife, Lucy, have long embodied the true spirit of generosity at Montclair. In 1996, they established David's Fund, a philanthropic endowment fund in memory of their son, to support the advancement of the field of music therapy. David was a promising journalism major whose life was forever changed by a devastating brain disease. During the seventeen years David lived with lasting physical disabilities following encephalitis, music became an essential source of meaning, comfort, and strength. His eclectic listening, from B.B. King to spirituals to Beethoven, inspired his parents’ lifelong commitment to advancing the healing power of music.

In David’s memory, Tom and Lucy established scholarships for students studying music therapy, helping to support generations of practitioners dedicated to compassionate, evidence-based care. Their vision also lives on through the David Ott Lab for Music and Health, a newly redesigned, forward-looking space at the Cali School dedicated to research and education at the intersection of music, digital technology, and human wellbeing. Equipped with current digital music technologies, the Lab serves as an innovative resource for students, music therapists, researchers, and community members to explore how music can promote health in its many forms. It stands as a lasting symbol of the Ott family’s belief in music’s power to transform lives. Recently, Tom and Lucy were excited about cross-disciplinary research into music therapy and extended their generosity beyond the Cali School to a new music-neuroscience initiative in psychology.

The Otts’ connection to our students has always been deeply personal. They have maintained enduring relationships with scholarship recipients, welcoming alumni each year to gather, share stories, and reflect on the profound role of music in healing. These gatherings, often described as feeling like family reunions, speak to the warmth, humility, and heartfelt commitment that Tom and Lucy brought to their philanthropy.

Tom’s legacy is woven into the fabric of the Music Therapy program and into the lives of the many individuals touched by the work of its graduates. We extend our deepest condolences to Lucy and the entire Ott family and hold them in our thoughts with sincere gratitude for their nearly three decades of partnership and friendship with the Cali School.

With sympathy and appreciation,
The John J. Cali School of Music
Montclair State University

Photo 1: Previous Ott Scholarship recipients are pictured with Tom and Lucy Ott.
Photo 2: Tom and Lucy Ott at the 2022 Ott Scholarship Award Ceremony.
Photo 3: Tom and Lucy Ott at the 2023 Ott Scholarship Award Ceremony.
Photo 4: Tom and Lucy Ott at the David Ott Lab Dedication.

One last round of photos of workshop and concert. Full video of the concert coming soon. Thank you for capturing this event, and to all the students who attended. Special thanks to for helping organize this event and of course for sharing their artistry with us.

We are getting excited to host Paleheap for a songwriting workshop and concert with special guest ! 6 songwriters from music therapy, music education, and recording arts production will share their songs and get feedback from paleheap about lyrical and melodic expression of selfhood and identity in songwriter. Afterwards, the Music Therapy Student Organization is hosting a free concert in G55 with .

🎸Workshop: G01 Chapin Hall, Cali School of Music from 4-6pm. All welcome to attend and watch!

🎸🤩 Free Concert featuring paleheap with special guest Goldie. 8-11pm G55 Chapin Hall, Cali School of Music. All ages and open to everyone! Share and tell your friends.

Support Paleheap by buying music on Bandcamp, and share music across all platforms. New single Babylon out now on all streaming services.

We are getting excited to host for a songwriting workshop and concert with special guest !! 6 songwriters from music therapy, music education, and recording arts production will share their songs and get feedback from paleheap about lyrical and melodic expression of selfhood and identity in songwriter. Afterwards, the music Therapy Student Organization is hosting a free concert in G55 with .

🎸Workshop: G01 Chapin Hall, Cali School of Music from 4-6pm. All welcome to attend and watch!

🎸🤩 Free Concert featuring paleheap with special guest Goldie. 8-11pm G55 Chapin Hall, Cali School of Music. All ages and open to everyone! Share and tell your friends.

Support by buying music on Bandcamp, and share music across all platforms. New single Babylon out now on all streaming services.