Faculty:

• Clinton Bleil, M.M.
• Mark A. Boyle, D.M.A.
• Ted A. DiSanti, D.A.
• Laurie Fox, M.M.T., M.T-B.C., L.P.C.
• Edward Kuhn, M.F.A.
• Christopher M. Marra, Ph.D.
• Sarah McMeekin, M.A., M.T.-B.C.
• Jessica Vaughan-Marra, Ph.D.

Learning Objectives: Music Therapy

1. Identify and work conceptually with the elements of music through analysis (e.g., aurally, orally, and visually), performance, and composition.
2. Identify a wide selection of musical literature within principal eras and genres including Western and global cultures through listening, scholarly discourse, and written reflection.
3. Develop and defend musical judgments through written reflection and scholarly discourse.
4. Demonstrate growth in artistry, technical skills, collaborative competence, and knowledge of repertory through regular solo and ensemble performance, as well as attendance at concerts and recitals.
5. Integrate emerging technologies in music through performing, composing and arranging.
6. Perform and/or compose attending to the compositional process, aesthetic properties of style, and the ways these are shaped by artistic and cultural forces.
7. Sightread music at the degree required proficiency level.
8. Perform at the degree required level on secondary instrument(s) through performance proficiency assessments.
9. Perform at the degree required level on the major instrument from a cross-section of the appropriate repertoire.
10. Synthesize a broad range of musical knowledge and skills while integrating the Foundational Musicianship and University Learning Objectives through self-directed study and the capstone assessment
11. Demonstrate the skills necessary to facilitate as a leader on matters of musical interpretation and collaboration to support and promote individual and group musical expression through active music making and music experiences.
12. Perform at the degree required secondary proficiency level (i.e., piano, voice, and guitar).
13. Create derivative or original music both extemporaneously and in written form in a variety of genres and styles including but not limited to Western, global, and vernacular music styles.
14. Apply knowledge of human systems and development, potentials, limitations, and needs of exceptional and differently abled individuals through written, oral, experiential, and practical experiences.
15. Integrate music therapy foundations and principles, including history and philosophy, observation, assessment and measurement techniques, treatment planning, methods and materials, professional role and ethics, the psychology of music, and the influences of music on behavior through scholarly discourse, experiential, and practical experiences.
16. Synthesize knowledge of action research and continued professional development, enabling one to remain current with changes in the art of music therapy approaches, plans, and practices through internship experiences and capstone assessment.

Admission to the program in music therapy is based on the successful completion of an audition for the music faculty, as well as acceptance to the University. Auditions are scheduled throughout the academic year. Consideration for music scholarships is determined by the quality of the entrance audition. In addition to the entrance audition, music therapy students must receive the recommendation of the music therapy faculty as well as that of two additional faculty members in order to be admitted into the Internship/Fieldwork phase of the program.

All candidates for the Bachelor of Music in music therapy must complete the Liberal Arts Curriculum requirements, the capstone assessment requirement, and the required courses for the major.

All music students are evaluated in the sophomore year for a formative review. Students complete and present the Year Two Self-Assessment on the Attainment of the Integration of Music/University Learning Objectives, and academic and music performance benchmarks are reviewed by the music faculty during the spring semester of the sophomore year. If at the end of the sophomore year, students have maintained a minimum 3.0 grade point average in their music, music therapy, and psychology courses, and receive approval from the program coordinator, they may advance into upper-level music therapy courses and continue through their major coursework and preparation for internship.

The capstone assessment includes successful completion of coursework and assignments; successful completion of juries in the applied major; completion of all designated proficiencies in piano, voice, and guitar (proficiencies must be completed prior to internship placement) and all designated internships. Students must also successfully complete the Senior Performance Test with accompanying program notes and musician’s statement on how the attainment of the integration of major and University learning objectives informed the performance.

Upon successful completion of the degree requirements, students are eligible to sit for the national certification exam to obtain the credential Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC) which is necessary for professional practice. The national exam is administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT).

A minimum of 120 credits is required. Individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in music may be interested in the Certificate in Music Therapy.

In addition, all music majors will have a performance examination (jury) on their major instrument each semester and perform in at least one student recital every semester. They must also participate in one music department large ensemble each semester and otherwise complete all requirements as identified in the degree program ensemble documents. Music Therapy students must complete at least 1040 hours of internship and fulfill the requirements of the clinical training contract before graduation. Completion of the degree generally requires nine semesters, including the internship.