Jesse Thomas Morgan is a board-certified Music Therapist presently working at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital on the Pediatric Cardio-thoracic Unit (PCTU) and Sophie's Place (a recording studio within the hospital) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He provides therapy-based treatment to young people within the hospital who are there for treatment of life-threatening heart conditions; he also works with infants in a similar role. Additionally, for one hour each weekday, Jesse plays the baby grand piano that resides in the lobby of the hospital - performances which help to provide a therapeutic element for those waiting for consults, treatments, or other related functions.

As you will hear in this episode, his focus has pretty much always been on helping to improve the lives of others, but how this all played out is an interesting story of self-discovery and reserve in the face of adversity, leading to more than 30 years of helping families in oppressed communities.

In addition to his duties at C.S. Mott, Jesse is also a gigging musician who plays in the band "The Crossed Lines", and as a musician / pianist of 40 years' time he also performs Karaoke accompaniment at Sid Gold's in Detroit, Mi, as well as with his Karaoke company "Ear Candy".

He's worked as a high school English teacher, has been instrumental in helping homeless teens, and also formed and managed the community-focused youth-oriented non-profit Community Records Ypsilanti (CRY - a program to help young people learn how to make, record, and distribute music), which he managed for a period of six years - itself a manifestation of Jesse's desire to help build community and personal growth among under-resourced and / or oppressed communities.

A very uplifting story about a career and personal epiphanies for a man who's raison d'etre is to help improve the lives of his fellow humans.