Meet the Team

Zach Palma

Business Location: Prospect, KY    

Contact Info: zach@motifcollaborativeservices.com  

EXPERIENCE

Founder & CEO (September 2025 – Present)

Own, manage and operate Motif Collaborative Services, a private practice that provides music therapy services, adaptive lessons, entertainment options and more in the Kentucky/Indiana region.

Entertainer/ Gigging Musician (December 2022 – Present) 

Entertain at local bars and breweries as a piano man with an interactive show adjusted specifically to the audience. Consistent weekend shows at facilities around Lexington and Louisville, KY.

Music Therapy Contractor (July 2024 – September 2025)

Contracted with local music therapy private practices to facilitate individual and group sessions with older adults in assisted living facilities, reunification services with foster care children, and sessions with individuals with intellectual disabilities. 

Research Coordinator (August 2024 – August 2025)

Recruited, presented and managed individuals to facilitate participation in a study under Dr. Reschke-Hernandez. Organized and managed a team of 10+ individuals and coordinated schedules and performed initial and final measures including quality assessments. 

Graduate Teaching Assistant (January 2024 – May 2025) 

Supervised students in practicum settings, gave lectures, assisted in research projects, and assisted in creation of course content.

Board Certified Music Therapist: Voices Together (January 2023 – January 2024) 

Worked in the public school system across various counties to promote self-advocacy, communication skills & social emotional learning to individuals with intellectual and developmental exceptionalities. 

Researcher; Co-Primary Investigator (January 2022-March 2023)

Collected and analyzed data on relative hearing of musicians and non-musicians. Presented findings at the 

Southeastern Chapter of the American Music Therapy Association - Regional Conference 2022, Presenting at Music Therapy Spot Conference in November 2022 & SER-AMTA Conference 2023.

Levine Oncology (July 2022 – December 2022) 

Music therapy intern for supportive oncology. Worked with all ages to provide procedural support, pain relief and anxiety management.

Kinston First Presbyterian Church Section Leader (August 2019 – July 2022) 

Sang and played piano for Sunday services while also involved in community events with the church and provided assistance to older parishioners. 

LaFarm Bread (May 2021 – December 2021) 

Customer interactions, food server and preparer. Musical entertainer during lunch time and Sunday Brunch. 

CERTIFICATIONS

• Music Therapist – Board Certified (MT-BC) 

• RStudio Biostatistics Software and Data Analysis

• CITI Training Group 2.Social / Behavioral Research Investigators & Key Personnel, Responsible Conduct of Research Training

• MoCA Certified (Montreal Cognitive Assessment)

VOLUNTEER/COMMUNITY SERVICE

University of Kentucky (UKY)

• Community Service Project - Worked to recognize the needs of older adults in the community and then address them through music-based interventions.

• Aphasia Lab - Collaborated with the College of Communication to implement music-based services for individuals with Aphasia.

East Carolina University (ECU)

• Music Ambassador - Recruiter and Host for the School of Music.

• Community Service Coordinator - Music Therapy Club Coordinates and schedules Community events in Greenville including retirement center visits, community clean ups and connections between majors.

EDUCATION

University of Kentucky (January 2024 – Present)

Degree: Master’s in Music Therapy

Additional Degree Work: Biostatistics

GPA: 4.0

East Carolina University (August 2018 – May 2022)

Major: Music Therapy; Minor: Piano

GPA: 3.94 (Chancellors/Deans List all semesters)

AWARDS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS & PUBLICATIONS

• Palma, Zachary, * (in preparation). Music-based Storytelling for Older Adult Well-being: An Adapted Multiple Case Study (present)

• Reschke-Hernández, A. E.,* Robinson, A., Morgan, R., Sefcik, J., Palma, Z., & Petrovsky, D. V.* (in preparation). Music-based intervention trials for persons living with dementia: A scoping review (Present).

• Published Research Paper - The Outcomes and Experiences of Students in Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Virginia Driscoll, Zachary Palma, Katja Beebe (March 2024)

• Outstanding Music Therapy Student (May 2022)

• Edwina Eustis Dick Scholarship Nominee (March 2022)

• Chancellors List at ECU (2020 - 2022)

• Dean’s List (2018 – 2019)

• Lamont Husted Music Therapy Scholarship (August 2018)

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

• German – Limited Working Proficiency

• Spanish – Limited Working Proficiency

• “R” Programming Language – Working Proficiency

• Python Programming Language – Working Proficiency  

• Audio Engineering – Working Proficiency

• Communication Skills