Sydney Fina

Sydney Fina’s musical journey began at age seven when she began piano lessons. Her musical experiences have included studying classical piano and music theory, playing clarinet in ensembles/pit orchestras, teaching beginner piano, and being a collaborative pianist.

Sydney is a graduate of Nazareth University, where she studied piano and clarinet and received a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy and minors in Music Theory and Music History. At Nazareth, she participated in the wind symphony, symphony orchestra, and chamber piano ensemble, and was the recipient of the Theodore Presser Scholarship and the Robert Hobstetter Piano Award.

In high school, Sydney discovered a passion for working with elders, thus leading her to learn about music therapy. She was ecstatic to find a career that allowed her to combine her enthusiasm for working with others with her love for music. Sydney gained a well-rounded clinical foundation during her time at Nazareth, and finished the music therapy program in May 2022.

Sydney completed her music therapy internship here at The Hochstein School in June 2023, after which she officially joined the Expressive Arts team. She has had experience working with toddlers using an interprofessional model, children in a classroom setting, teenagers and adults with developmental and/or physical disabilities, older adults in stroke rehabilitation, and elders in skilled nursing/memory care facilities.

Sydney feels incredibly fortunate to be able to share music, laughter, communication, and smiles with the individuals that she works with each day, and truly believes that she has the best job in the world!