30 Years of Music Therapy: Transforming Impact and Innovation

October 10–11, 2025

• Pre-approved 5 CMTE credits
• Free of charge

This milestone event honors the legacy and impact of Berklee’s Music Therapy program—celebrating our roots, spotlighting the achievements of our incredible alumni, and highlighting Berklee’s leadership in shaping the global future of music and health.

Reconnect with friends, faculty, and mentors at a dynamic conference filled with inspiring sessions, hands-on workshops, and unforgettable moments that showcase the transformative power of music therapy.

Register

Friday, October 10, 2025

7:00 p.m.: Kick-Off Reception
Join us for a reception welcoming you back to campus. Enjoy light appetizers, beer, wine, and refreshments as you reconnect with fellow alumni, faculty, and administrators.

Saturday, October 11, 2025

Morning

8:30 a.m.–9:00 a.m.: Registration

9:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.: Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.: From Vision to Legacy
Celebrate the visionaries who built Berklee’s Music Therapy program and hear their reflections on the challenges, triumphs, and innovations that shaped its global legacy. Their stories honor the roots of the field while inspiring the next generation to carry the work forward.

Participants: Suzanne Hanser, EdD MTH-BC; Karen Wacks, EdM, LMHC,MT-BC; Julie Buras Zigo, EdM, MT-BC; Donna Chadwick, MT-BC, MS, LMHC, CCC-SLP, HPCMT

10:30 a.m.–10:45 a.m.: Morning Break

10:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions I: Sustaining the Profession—Growth, Legacy, and Global Perspectives
Honor the wisdom of experience while embracing strategies for sustainability, resilience, and global exchange. These sessions focus on reflection, professional development, and ensuring music therapy continues to thrive worldwide.

• Sustaining the Therapist: Music, Self-Care, and Professional Resilience
  Focus on strategies for cultivating resilience and well-being, ensuring music therapists can sustain meaningful practice in the face of professional demands.

  Participants: Jasmine Edwards, MA, LCAT, MT-BC; Meera Sinha, MT-BC

• Entrepreneurship in Action: Building Sustainable Music Therapy Practices
  Explore entrepreneurial approaches and business models that help music therapists expand access, grow careers, and build sustainable practices.

      Participants: Cathy Kang, MT-BC; Amanda Maestro-Scherer, MA, MT-BC; Stephanie Leavell, MT-BC

• Music Therapy Around the World
  Celebrate diverse perspectives by highlighting music therapy practices from across the globe, exploring cultural adaptations and shared values.

      Participants: Patricia Perez, MT; Calvin Eng, MT-BC; Kristal Foster, MT-BC, NICU-MT, NMT; Purvaa Sampath, MT-BC, NMT

• 30 Years of Practice: Reflections, Lessons, and Legacies
  Reflect on lived practice to deepen understanding, refine skills, and inspire innovation in music therapy.

      Participants: Holly Howard, MT-BC; Eve Montague, MT-BC; Eiress Wicks, MT-BC, NMT; Cara Smith, MT-BC

12:00–1:00 p.m.: Lunch Break

Afternoon

1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.: Keynote Event

The Spirit of Music Therapy: Inspirations and High Vibrations
How music can drive social change by fostering inclusivity, honoring cultural traditions, and strengthening community bonds. 

Speaker: Claudia Zanes '05, MT-BC

2:00 p.m.–3:15 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions II: Expanding Horizons—Music Therapy Across Communities and Care
Step into the many worlds where music therapy is making a difference—from classrooms to hospitals to older adults. These sessions showcase the breadth of practice and reveal how music therapy continues to shape lives, improve health, and enrich communities across the lifespan.

• Voices of Possibility: Music Therapy in School-Based Populations
  Explore how music therapy has transformed learning environments by fostering social-emotional growth, enhancing academic engagement, and supporting inclusive education. Alumni share innovative approaches that continue to shape student outcomes.

      Participants: Crystal Chu, MT-BC; Noa Ferguson, MS, MT-BC; Michael Simonelli, MT-BC

• From Stigma to Strength: Music Therapy Practices in Mental Health Care
  Learn how music therapy reduces stigma, fosters empowerment, and provides holistic pathways for individuals navigating mental health challenges.

     Participants: Makayla Daigle, LCPC, ASDCS; kei slaughter, MFA, MA, MT-BC; Brian Jantz, MA, MT-BC, LPMT; Channing Shippen, MT-BC

• Transforming Patient Care: Music Therapy’s Expanding Role in Medical Settings
  Celebrate how music therapy has become an essential component of patient-centered care, from NICUs to oncology and beyond.

      Participants: Maria Hernandez, MT-BC; Vanessa Moran, MT-BC, NMT-F; Jenna Marcovitz, MA, MT-BC, CCLS, RMT

• Music Therapy in the Next Era of Aging Care
  Explore programs that harness music to combat isolation, support cognitive health, and strengthen community engagement, shaping bold new possibilities for aging populations worldwide.

     Participants: Julia Dwyer, LPMT, MT-BC, NMT, CDP; Ming Yuan Low, PhD, MT-BC, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapist; Michi Tassey, MT-BC; A.J. Gaudreau, MT-BC

3:15 p.m.–3:30 p.m.: Afternoon Break

3:30 p.m.–4:45 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions III: Shaping the Future—Innovation, Science, and the Power of Music
Imagine what’s next for music therapy as science, technology, and community join forces to spark change. These sessions explore groundbreaking research, visionary collaborations, and the enduring power of music as we chart the future of health and healing.

• Community Music Therapy Across Contexts
  Learn how community music therapy creates spaces of belonging, activism, and empowerment by centering collective musical experiences.

     Participants: Cynthia Koskela, MT-BC, MEd; Renate Rohlfing, MM, MA, MT-BC; Summer Jasmine Lall, MT-BC

• Neural Pathways and Musical Journeys: Bridging Neuroscience and Practice
  Explore how cutting-edge neuroscience research and practitioner insights reveal how music therapy impacts brain function, emotion regulation, and recovery.

     Participants: Mi-Lan Hoang; Erica Knowles, PhD; Ella Shalev, MT-BC, NMT; Caitlin Hebb, MT-BC, Neurologic Music Therapy Fellow

• The Heart of the Work: Music as the Agent of Change
  Recenter the conversation on music itself—how it drives transformation, sparks creativity, and anchors the therapeutic process.

      Participants: Jonathan Tang, PhD, MT-BC; Daphne Clark, MT-BC; Lauren DiMaio, PhD, MT-BC; Kimberly Khare, MT-BC, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapist

• 30 Years Forward: Music, Technology, and Health Innovation
  Explore visionary projects and cross-sector partnerships that set the stage for the future of music, health, and innovation.

      Participants: Zoe Weng, MA, MT-BC; Joy Allen, PhD MT-BC; Kate Beever, MA, MT-BC; Marlen Rodriguez Wolfe, MT-BC

4:45–5:15 p.m.: Closing Reflections and Next Steps
Celebrating legacies, strengthening connections, and envisioning the next era of music therapy.

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30 Years of Music Therapy: Transforming Impact and Innovation is approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) for 5 Continuing Music Therapy Education credits. Berklee College of Music #P-161 maintains responsibility for program quality and adherence to CBMT policies and criteria. 

Cancellation Policy: In the event of cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances, Berklee will make every attempt to reschedule within 14 days of the original date.