Southern Crescent Music Therapy

Mark Toole, Jr. LPMT, MT-BC, MMT

Mark fell in love with music at a young age, pursuing it mostly through guitar, classical bass, and voice from middle school through college. He graduated with a major in Vocal Performance from Atlanta Christian College (now Point University) and began working as a music minister and teacher. 

Once he heard of music therapy he felt drawn to this career, having already seen how music effects and helps people. Mark graduated with a Masters in Music Therapy from Georgia College and State University, where he focused on music therapy and at-risk youth.Mark has been working individually as a music therapist for over 10 years with a specific focus on oncological care.  He is excited that Southern Crescent Music Therapy has been able to expand the reach of music therapy across the region with the help of AK Alford and Claire Heil.

Claire Heil, LPMT, MT-BC, NMT

Growing up, Claire was always singing and dancing around the house. On a full scholarship at Georgia Southern University, she studied music performance on clarinet, hoping to one day play in a symphony. After college, she became interested in the music business, working for a non-profit foundation providing instruments to schools in need. After getting married and starting a family, she began taking on private lesson students, directing a children’s choir at her local church, and teaching elementary music part-time. Through her relationships with these families, her interest in music therapy grew. She could see potential in students who couldn’t see it for themselves and was inspired to find new ways to meet them at their levels of understanding.

Claire completed her therapy degree online at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana and fulfilled her internship at Clayton County Public Schools serving students with disabilities. Additionally, she completed a course in Neurologic Music Therapy, which uses evidence-based techniques incorporating music and neuroscience. From children to the elderly, she works diligently to meet the needs of her clients. She has lived in Peachtree City for 18 years and has two rescues, Roxy and Max.

Sally Toole, Storyteller

Sally’s interest in storytelling sprang from a love of writing. She was writing poems at a very young age, even winning a local contest for one of her short poems. While attending college where she majored in Journalism/Radio & TV, a professor encouraged her to write for the school paper. Through this, she was thrilled to be awarded a scholarship and gained the title of ‘Editor-in-Chief’. 

Through the years Sally was given a variety of opportunities to continue pursuing her love of writing and storytelling via different publications and organizations, and even her own published books. Her love of storytelling eventually led to orchestrating tours across the southeast, from Norcross to Saint Augustine, where she became a licensed tour guide for that very historical city. A few years later she found herself moving closer to her children in the Newnan area, but her love for stories could not be quenched and she soon was leading more tours across the region focused on history, film, and ghostly tales. 

Most recently she has been given the opportunity to share her anecdotes at memory care facilities with Southern Crescent Music Therapy. Her storytelling here has developed into tidbits of trivia and bad jokes that incite smiles and laughter and often spark a cherished memory in her audience members. You can also find her leading tours through her own company, Georgia Locations Scout, LLC.