Meet the CMT Team
Niki Runge, MCAT, LPMT, MT-BC
Niki Runge is the owner of Chesapeake Music Therapy. Originally from New Jersey, she has earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a music minor from Rutgers University and a Master of Creative Arts in Therapy degree from Hahnemann University (Drexel). She has been practicing music therapy for over 30 years, starting her own private practice in 1999 in New Jersey and later relocating to Maryland in 2005. Her main area of expertise is working in child and adolescent mental health, early childhood, developmental disabilities, and trauma informed care. She also holds an advanced practice certificate in hospice and palliative care music therapy. Her primary instrument is the piano, but she also plays the guitar, flute, percussion, and handbells.
Some fun facts about Niki:
Niki was born in the Netherlands and honeymooned there.
She won the MAR-AMTA service award for Advocacy in 2021 and the AMTA Change Maker award!
Niki co-led the team that developed a music therapy license in Maryland and is a board member on the Board of Examiners for Audiologists, Hearing-Aid Dispensers, Speech Language Pathologists and Music Therapists. She is one of the first music therapists in the country to sit on an existing licensing board!
Niki loves escargot.
She is a part of Capital Ringers, a community concert handbell choir and Salisbury Community Band!
Kelsey Oldland, LPMT, MT-BC
Kelsey Oldland began her journey with Chesapeake Music Therapy as an intern in January of 2022. Starting in August 2022, she joined our team as a Licensed Professional Music Therapist. She is from Sussex County, Delaware, but was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She completed her bachelor’s in music education at Delaware State University and a bachelor’s equivalency in music therapy at Slippery Rock University. Kelsey is currently completing her master’s in music therapy with a counseling concentration. Her main area of expertise is in early childhood and adaptive lessons. She plays the clarinet, piano, guitar and is beginning to learn the ukulele! With her training, she can provide adapted lessons on piano, guitar, voice, and orchestral instruments. A fun fact about Kelsey is that she loves to use books in music therapy sessions, especially if they are singable!
Kathy Hall, MEd, LPMT, MT-BC
Kathy Hall has been associated with Chesapeake Music Therapy since 2016. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, she moved to southern Delaware to kickstart her career with music therapy. Kathy has earned her bachelor’s degree of music in music therapy at Ohio University and her MEd in Special Education at Delaware State University. Kathy worked as a full-time music therapist in a special education school serving students with developmental disabilities between the ages of 3-21 for 30 years. Her primary instruments are piano and guitar. A fun fact about Kathy is that she traveled twice to Europe with the American Youth Symphony and Chorus in high school!