A Place To Be Has A New Place To Be in Leesburg

A Place To Be Has A New Place To Be in Leesburg

By Jan Mercker

There’s plenty of magic in Middleburg. And one shining source is a brightly painted studio space on Jay Street, where A Place To Be Music Therapy has helped people with disabilities find their voices for the last 12 years.

From left, A Place To Be Executive Director Judith Hanley with co-founders Tom Sweitzer and Kim Tapper.

Photo by Jan Mercker

It’s been a big year for the beloved Loudoun nonprofit–and for co-founder and artistic director Tom Sweitzer. The organization recently announced an expansion to Leesburg, doubling its capacity to serve clients. But its heart remains in Middleburg.

The new year also brings big developments in Sweitzer’s life. At 50, he’s rediscovered his passion for acting. His new one-man show, “20 Seconds,” will debut off-Broadway this spring. And a feature film based on the true story of Sweitzer, former student Forrest Allen and the healing power of music therapy is in the works.

“Music led me the whole way,” Sweitzer said.

Raised in a working class family in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Sweitzer moved to Middleburg in 1995 to run the theater department at The Hill School after graduating from Shenandoah University with a degree in music theater.

“I fell in love with the community,” he said.

While teaching, Sweitzer met APTB co-founder Kim Tapper, a dancer, choreographer and certified life coach. After several artistic collaborations, they launched a small nonprofit, the Creative Youth Project.

After Sweitzer returned to Shenandoah to earn a master’s in music therapy, he and Tapper launched a music therapy and coaching practice. They launched A Place to Be in 2010 with support from the Middleburg philanthropic community, including cofounding board members Benjamin and K.C. Graham and the late Maggie Bryant.

A year later, they took things to the next level with public performances showcasing their clients’ talents.

“We were very aware that the people we were seeing who had disabilities really felt that they didn’t have a voice,” Sweitzer said.

Inspired by a young client with cerebral palsy, the APTB team debuted the Same Sky Project in 2011, featuring teens with intellectual, physical and developmental challenges. The idea was to highlight performers’ gifts and passions. The Same Sky Project and a series of shows that followed raised awareness in the community while providing an opportunity for clients to connect and build relationships.

“Beyond giving somebody with a disability a stage and a platform, we do [performances] because we know that there’s a need for connection,” Sweitzer said. “We were finding out that when these children who wanted to express themselves got up on stage with full-fledged productions with costumes and songs and singing and dancing, we watched the confidence grow– and we watched them connect.”

Word of mouth and expanded productions of the Same Sky Project and other successful shows in schools and venues took APTB from a two-person operation to a thriving nonprofit that now has 26 staffers.

In 2020, filmmaker Susan Koch’s documentary, “Music Got Me Here,” shared the story of Allen’s recovery from a traumatic brain injury and the powerful role of music therapy in helping him regain his voice. Koch’s documentary has been optioned for a feature film with “Outer Banks” star Chase Stokes cast as Allen.

After being hospitalized with Covid in June, 2020, Sweitzer set three goals: growing APTB and keeping it sustainable, finding love and getting “20 Seconds” on stage. In the last two years, all three have become reality.

APTB’s new Leesburg location will provide multiple therapy rooms and offer a more central location, while its Middleburg home remains alive with the magic of music.