Who is Laurie Riley?

Laurie Riley is a facilitator of spiritual classes, a spiritual consultant, public speaker, organizer, teacher and author. She has co-founded three non-profit organizations, organizes  large conferences, and was a pioneer in therapeutic music for hospital and hospice patients.  Laurie has served on several Boards of Directors,  and has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered.

See the books page of this website for just a few of Laurie’s publications : https://soulofcompassion.com/practical-compassion/

PRESENTER / SPEAKER:

  • Living and Dying Well Conference, Missoula Mt, 1998 with Dr. Ira Byock
  • Grace in Practice, Sedona AZ (sponsored by hospice and Choices Clinic)
  • International Conference on Music in Human Adaptation, Roanoke, Virginia 1997
  • Whidbey Institute, Clinton WA –  “Living in a Time of Chaos and Emergency” – 1999
  • Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship – Practical Compassion” – 2019
  • Unitiarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island, WA, 2015-16
  • Music as a Tool for Transformation, September 2003 with Barbara Crowe, CMT
  • Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 1998
  • Providence Medical Center, Seattle WA 2001
  • Flagstaff Medical Center –  several persentations
  • International Harp Therapy Conference, 2001, Richmond VA
  • The Sound Colloquium, Sunrise Ranch, Colorado, 1998
  • Harp Therapy Conference, Richmond VA, 2001
  • International Harp Conference, Bloomington IN, 2003
  • Music for Healing and Transition Program Northwest Retreats 2001, 2003, 2005, Duvall, WA
  • Music for Healing and Transition Program National Conference, 2004
  • Liturgical Harp Conference, Wisconsin 1998
  • International Folk Harp Conferences since 1987
  • Old Songs Festival, 2001, Altamont, NY
  • Hospice of Cabarrus County, NC, 2006
  • numerous other hospital and hospice presentations

CO -FOUNDER

  • The Folk Project, New Jersey  –  musicians’ organization since 1973
  • The Music for Healing and Transition Program – 1993, which trains and Certifies Music Practitioners to play at the bedsides of hospital and hospice patients
  • National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musicians

FOUNDER:

  • Clinical Musicians Certification Program (now owned by Mary Stevens)
  • Transformational Music Ergonomics certification program (now called Harmony Ergonomics for Musicians, now owned by Susan Vaughan)

ORGANIZER:

  • 1996 International Folk Harp Conference, Evergreen State COlege, WA
  • 2004 National Convergence for Therapeutic Music, Sedona AZ
  • 2000 and 2001 Whidbey Institute Community Millennium Celebrations, Whidbey Island WA
  • Folk Project Festivals 1973 – 76
  • other events, workshops, classes to numerous to list

AWARDS:

  • Lifetime Achievement Award – Somerset Harp Conference, 2017
  • Lifetime Membership, The Folk Project
  • Award for Service, 1999, Music for Healing and Transition Program
  • Founder’s Award, 2015, Music for Healing and Transition Program

BOARDS OF DIRECTORS:

  • Music for Healing and Transition Program  1993-98
  • National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musicians 2004-06
  • The Folk Project 1973-76
  • Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, 1999
  • International Society of Scratchboard Artists  2019-2020