About Jason Armstrong Baker | LP-MT, MT-BC
I didn't choose this work so much as I found myself already doing it.
Long before I had a license or a credential, I was offering rhythm to people who needed it, in communities, in circles, in rooms where something was missing and music filled the space. I didn't set out to become a music therapist. I set out to be a drummer. But somewhere along the way, I found myself in the offering of music for healing, and I realized that was exactly where I was supposed to be.
That realization changed everything.
A lifetime of rhythm
I've been a student of rhythm since I was 7. Rhythm isn't something I do, it's how I understand the world. I've played in bands, on stages, in studios, and in circles. I've studied the science of how rhythm affects the human body and the magic of what happens when a group of people lock into a pulse together.
Over 5,000 group drumming sessions later, I'm still moved by what happens in that moment when the room becomes one rhythm. It never gets old.
Let's find the rhythm together
Whether you're an HR director planning a team offsite, a person newly diagnosed with Parkinson's looking for community, or someone in Baltimore who's just curious about what happens when strangers drum together — I'd love to meet you.
Reach out, come to a circle, or just start with a conversation. The rhythm will take care of the rest.
The work behind the work
I'm a Licensed Professional Music Therapist (LPMT) and board-certified Music Therapist (MT-BC). That means the work I do isn't just experiential — it's clinically grounded, evidence-based, and held to a professional standard that protects the people I serve.
My work has been recognized by Johns Hopkins Center for Music & Medicine, the Veterans Affairs Administration, The Baltimore Station, and Towson University. I've worked with corporate teams, people living with Parkinson's disease, veterans, students, and communities across the Baltimore area and beyond.
Each of those settings is different. The credentials and my experience travel with me into all of them.
Learn about music therapy services across Maryland → https://www.jasonarmstrongbaker.com/music-therapist-maryland
Rhythm is already inside you
I don't teach people to be musicians. I help people remember that they already carry rhythm inside them, in their heartbeat, their breath, the way they move through the world.
My job is to create a space where that rhythm can come out. Where a corporate team can stop performing and start listening to each other. Where someone with Parkinson's can find coordination and joy they thought they'd lost. Where a neighbor who's never touched a drum can sit down, play, and feel at home in thirty seconds.
That's what rhythm does. That's why I do this work.
How I can work with you
For teams and organizations: I offer rhythm-based team building workshops that use group drumming to build communication, trust, and creative collaboration. No musical experience needed — just a team ready to show up differently. Available for corporate events, conferences, retreats, and professional development days across Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic.
For people living with Parkinson's disease: I lead Rx for Rhythm, a free weekly music therapy group for individuals with Parkinson's disease and movement disorders, sponsored by Johns Hopkins Center for Music & Medicine. Sessions are held in-person in Baltimore's Belvedere Square neighborhood every Tuesday at 3pm ET, and virtually every Monday at 3pm ET. Care partners are always welcome.
For the Baltimore community: Every second Sunday at 4:30pm, I host an open community drum circle in Hampden, Baltimore. Free, donation-based, and open to absolutely everyone.