Top 5 Reasons You Should Consider Studying Music Therapy at SMWC

Have you considered studying music therapy? If you have, we might be the perfect place for you! Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC), aka "The Woods", proudly offers undergraduate, graduate, and equivalency (both campus and distance) programs. With our long-standing history, tradition of innovation and excellence, distinguished faculty, and beautiful campus, you will have an unforgettable experience that reaches far beyond the classroom!

Banner welcoming students to Le Fer Hall

Below, you will find the top five reasons why YOU should consider studying music therapy at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. 

5. The History

Throughout our long history (since 1840), the music therapy program has continued to expand its educational opportunities. In 1983, SMWC proudly established the campus-based Bachelor of Science in Music Therapy (BSMT). In 2000, SMWC started our Master of Arts in Music Therapy (MAMT) program, allowing music therapists to study in a graduate program that is a hybrid: both online format and campus residencies at the start of each semester to allow for cohort connection and intensive hands-on learning in clinical improvisation, Guided Imagery in Music (BMGIM), and more. In 2012, SMWC established our Music Therapy Equivalency Distance Program (MTED), the first distance program of its kind to offer individuals with bachelor's degrees in music an opportunity to return to school and become a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC)! The program has a similar structure to the MAMT program, with campus residencies at the start of each semester, but allowing students to complete their pre-clinical practicum experiences near their home. Many students love SMWC so much that they choose to obtain their BS in Music Therapy (or MTED certificate) and then complete their MA in Music Therapy here as well.

From left: the Avenue, the Church of Immaculate
Conception, and the Conservatory of Music 

4. The Campus

As soon as you reach the entrance of Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College, you'll experience the picturesque scenery that The Woods has to offer. Driving down the Avenue, you just might experience your "Avenue Moment".

3. The Faculty

SMWC has distinguished faculty in all music therapy programs. In addition, full-time and adjunct faculty are experts in the field in a range of areas.

SMWC music therapy students participating
in an interactive rhythmic experience.

2. The Culture

All music therapy programs provide developmentally progressive courses and clinical opportunities. Clinical musicianship and an emphasis on improvisation are core components of all programs. As a Woods music therapy student, we exemplify the core values of the College: Social justice, spirituality, sustainability, and gender equality. Leadership, service, a sense of community, and advocating for social justice are at the heart of our programs.

SMWC music therapy students improvising.

1. The Experience

At The Woods, students have the opportunity to begin their practicum experiences in their first year. Additionally, students receive weekly
supervision with their faculty supervisor and onsite practicum supervisor(s) in addition to their group supervision class. Some clinical opportunities include sites such as elementary schools, behavioral health units, a juvenile detention center, long term care facilities, and adult day facilities. Telehealth practicum placements have further expanded educational opportunities. Students have the opportunity to work with experienced professionals, gaining invaluable clinical experience in a variety of settings. All students in the music therapy program  experience peer mentorships, allowing them to develop collegial relationships and learn from peers to create a strong sense of community. Finally, the individualized growth and development of each student into a strong music therapy professional lead to many alumni becoming business owners, clinicians in large hospitals, researchers, and leaders throughout the music therapy profession.

Sound like your kind of college program? Then be sure to contact us for more information (see below) and check out our website.

Cecilian Auditorium

Blog Post Author: Autumn Wilson, Music Therapy Student Assistant and music therapy major

Editor: Sharon R. Boyle, MM, MT-BC, Associate Professor of Music Therapy and Coordinator of the Undergraduate Music Therapy Program, Chair of the Department of Music and Theatre

Photo Credits: Sharon R. Boyle, MM, MT-BC, Sue Weatherwax, Associate Director of Creative Services, & Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College

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For more information about the SMWC Undergraduate Music Therapy and Music Therapy Equivalency-Campus programs, contact:
Sharon R. Boyle, MM, MT-BC 
sboyle@smwc.edu 

For information about the SMWC Master of Arts in Music Therapy program, contact: Dr. Tracy Richardson, MT-BC
trichardson@smwc.edu

For more information about the SMWC Music Therapy Equivalency-Distance (MTED)Online program, contact:  Larisa McHugh, MA, MT-BC
lmchugh@smwc.edu

Celebrating 35 Years of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Music Therapy: Part Two

On Saturday, January 19, 2019, we hosted a reception in celebration of our 35-year history as a music therapy educational program. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and many of those planning to attend were unable to travel to SMWC due to the snow and ice, including one of our alum award recipients. Despite the weather, the reception commenced at 7:30 p.m. with refreshments (cake!) provided by Sodexo in the foyer of the Conservatory of Music. After an introduction by Dr. Janet Clark, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, as well as a welcome by SMWC Director of Music Therapy and Chair of the Music and Theatre Department, Dr. Tracy Richardson, the reception began. Sharon Boyle, Associate Professor of Music Therapy and Coordinator of the Undergraduate Music Therapy, spoke alongside Richardson to recognize five outstanding SMWC alumni, one from each music therapy program, as well as a surprise award recipient revealed during the reception.

SMWC Music Therapy Faculty - Reception January 2019

 The SMWC Music Therapy programs are honored to recognize these five recipients for their dedication and commitment to the music therapy profession as it has grown and changed following their time at SMWC. These alumni make us proud as they continue our tradition of excellence, service, and scholarship in the professional world.

Amanda Steiner, MS, MT-BC Bachelor of Science in Music Therapy Alum Award: Amanda (Cook) Steiner, MS, MT-BC, 2006 graduate. Upon obtaining her MT-BC, Steiner began to work in Fishers, IN, with adults and children with developmental disabilities and Autism at Opportunities for Positive Growth (OPG) for 10 years. During her time there, she started a national roster internship site and supervised many music therapy interns while she was there, including some from SMWC. In 2013, Steiner obtained her master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis with an emphasis in Autism from Ball State University. She continues to guest-lecture and has taught as adjunct faculty for both the SMWC MTE-D and undergraduate programs since 2016. Currently, Steiner is working at Rhythm Garden Music (RGM), owned by SMWC alum Morgan (May) Sparks, providing music therapy to individuals in the Wabash Valley. She also continues to supervise practicum students during the academic year as well as during intensive summer practicums. In addition, Steiner's proposal for a national roster internship site at RGM was recently approved by the American Music Therapy Association. This will be the first national roster music therapy internship site in Terre Haute, IN. Presently, Steiner resides in Terre Haute, IN, with her husband, Ryan, and daughter, Kala. Jay Thompson, CMT Music Therapy Equivalency - Campus (MTE-C) Alum Award: Jay Thompson, CMT, who was the first male to complete the music therapy equivalency at SMWC in 1996. At the age of 43, Thompson decided to enroll at The Woods in 1994 after encouragement from a close friend to explore music therapy. Thompson had previously been working as a successful sales manager for a large corporation but was seeking more meaning in his career path. After completing the program, he began working with boys on the Autism spectrum, and later started to work full-time at the well-known mental health center, Saint Vincent Stress Center in Indianapolis. There, he offered music therapy to a variety of populations, including individuals with substance abuse disorders and addictions. Thompson's passion for music and music therapy have helped others develop the skills they need to navigate their lives. His mission is to be a conduit for the healing power of music, always letting the music do the work. Thompson continues to support the SMWC Music Therapy programs through his generous spirit and engagement with many events.

Karen Sholander, MT-BC

Music Therapy Equivalency - Distance (MTE-D) Alum Award: Karen Sholander, MT-BC, completed the MTE-D program in 2014 as a member of the very first MTE-D cohort. With her passion for helping others to find joy and connection, she discovered that music therapy was the perfect second career. Leading up to her career as a music therapist, Sholander had worked as an elementary school music teacher, piano teacher, studio owner, performing pianist, accompanist, and she is a working mother. After completing a music education degree (BME) from Baylor University and her equivalency from SMWC, she completed the certification at Hospice and Palliative Care Music Therapy through the Center for Music Therapy in End of Life Care. Now, she is working with hospice patients and their families through the full-time salaried music therapist position she created in early 2015 through the Visiting Nurse Association of Texas (VNA). Additionally, she guides music therapy interns in the profession, is an active member of both the national and regional associations for music therapy (AMTA, SWAMTA), and she enjoys helping music therapists in her area network with one another. Sholander also presents about music therapy with various community and educational organizations and is dedicated to helping others achieve positive change and connections through music. Sholander attended the SMWC reception and received her award via Skype video!

Master of Arts in Music Therapy (MAMT) Alum Awards: The final two recipients were Annette Whitehead-Pleaux, MA, MT-BC, and Larisa McHugh, MA, MT-BC, who both completed the graduate program in 2003. 

Annette Whitehead-Pleaux, MA, MT-BC

Annette Whitehead-Pleaux, MA, MT-BC has focused on clinical practice, education, research, and service for many years. She worked for 15 years with pediatric burn survivors at a major pediatric hospital in Boston. Now, she is the Senior Clinical Supervisor at Roman Music Therapy Services, managing a staff of 12 music therapists and providing clinical supervision. Whitehead-Pleaux serves as adjunct faculty at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, Berklee College of Music, Colorado State University, and Lesley University. Additionally, she works as an active researcher, focusing on pain, anxiety, electronic music technology, and cultural responsiveness in music therapy. She has ten publications, has written 12 chapters, and was awarded the Arthur Flaggler Fultz Research Grant Award for a research study that built upon her thesis, as well as being co-editor of the book Cultural Intersections in Music Therapy: Music, Health, and the Person. Finally, Whitehead-Pleaux has been an advocate for music therapy through service to the profession throughout her entire career, holding several positions regionally and nationally in the American Music Therapy Association, including Speaker of the Assembly of Delegates, Scope of Practice Work Group, Advisory Team for the Research Priority, Chair of the Education and Training Advisory Board. In addition, she is a founding member of Team Rainbow.

Larisa McHugh, MA, MT-BC

Larisa McHugh, MA, MT-BC, received her Bachelor of Music from the University of Dayton and became board certified in 1997. Having received her Master of Arts from the MAMT program at SMWC in 2003, she is currently completing a PhD program in Psychology, with a specialization in Consciousness, Spirituality, and Integrative Health from Saybrook University in California. Larisa is an advanced trainee in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music through Appalachian State University. In addition, she has been the Program Coordinator for the MTE-D program (in addition to teaching) since its inception in 2012. Also, McHugh has presented at the state, regional, and international level. Internationally, she has presented at the World Congress of Music Therapy in Austria and South Korea. Her areas of focus have included music therapy internship and supervision, music therapy for persons with Alzheimer’s Disease, interdisciplinary collaboration, and more. She has years of clinical experience working with older adults and co-authored a pilot study on the effect of pre-meal vocal re-creative MT on nutritional intake of residents with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias that was published in MTP in 2012. McHugh has demonstrated extensive service to the music therapy profession. She received the 2016 GLR Service Award and also the Florence Tyson Grant to study Music Psychotherapy in 2012. She has served on the American Music Therapy Association Assembly of Delegates, in President/Past-President/President-Elect positions for the Great Lakes Region of the American Music Therapy Association, as well as numerous state, regional, and national committees. She is also a yoga instructor and has two adorable dogs who keep her company as she spends endless hours at her computer.

At the conclusion of the reception and awards ceremony, Sharon Boyle, Program Coordinator of the Undergraduate Music Therapy Program, introduced a special documentary on SMWC Music Therapy that was the culmination of a senior project for undergraduate music therapy student, Allison Payonk (who is presently in her internship in Ohio).

Allison Payonk

Payonk wrote about this special project:

Last year, while considering what to do for my senior project, I knew that I wanted to combine my interest in creating and designing things with my passion for sharing what makes The Woods so special. I think it's hard to understand or explain what we experience as students, faculty, and alums from this school and music therapy program, and I wanted to see if I could encapsulate it somehow, so other people might see why this place is so incredibly special to so many of us. When Sharon recommended this project, to update and reimagine the video created 5 years ago documenting the history of music therapy at The Woods, I was all in, mostly I think because I didn't yet realize the responsibility and enormity of the project I had signed up for.

Creating this video was certainly daunting at first. How can one do justice to all the incredible people who put in so much work to create this program we've all become a part of, and the growth that is experienced by everyone who was been a part of it? As I went to create it though, I found a common theme emerged naturally: connection. 35 years ago this program was started by people I've never met and don't know, but through the legacy of The Woods and this program, and everyone who's worked to keep it alive, I, as well as all of you, are connected to them, to each other, and the work we are privileged to do in music therapy. While I created this video I felt more than ever connected to this program and all of you who make it up, and in a way, even though I created it for the SMWC music therapy program, it became a part of my journey too. My hope for this video though, is not just that I've told my experience and story in it, but that you hear your story in it too, and are reminded of the 35 amazing years that this program has had and will continue to for many more. I want to thank greatly all of the people who helped me put this together, and of course all of you, who make up the story this video tells.

The video was shown to all in attendance and the viewing involved laughter, smiles, and tears. The special nature of this place, and these incredible music therapy programs, are difficult to articulate, but the alumni, students, staff, and faculty truly emulate its beauty of connection every day.

To view the documentary video, click this link and feel free to share!


Blog Post Co-Authors: Autumn Wilson, Music Therapy Student Assistant and music therapy major; Sharon R. Boyle, MM, MT-BC, Associate Professor of Music Therapy and Coordinator of the Undergraduate Music Therapy Program.

Blog Post Editor: Sharon R. Boyle, MM, MT-BC, Associate Professor of Music Therapy and Coordinator of the Undergraduate Music Therapy Program.

Photo Credits: Sharon R. Boyle, Larisa McHugh, Amanda Steiner, Jay Thompson, and Karen Sholander.

To learn more about the Music and Music Therapy programs at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, check out our website here.

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SMWC Music Therapy Faculty Spotlight: An Interview with Larisa McHugh

Larisa McHugh, MA, MT-BC, is the Coordinator of the Music Therapy Equivalency Distance (MTE-D) Program at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. As an alum from the Master of Arts in Music Therapy (MAMT) Program, Larisa has a unique understanding of the Woods and has been a wonderful addition to the faculty. Music Therapy Student Assistant and Music Therapy Equivalency Campus (MTE-C) student Nathan Mensah recently interviewed Larisa for this special Faculty Spotlight Feature.

Pictured: Larisa McHugh, MA-MT-BC

Nathan:  Would you mind telling me a little bit about your background in music?

Larisa: Yeah, so I come from a pretty musical family. I picked up piano pretty early on and then in elementary school I started saxophone. Through high school I got involved in choir, so I spent quite a bit of time in music. And, it made sense...if you spend so much time in something, you might as well make it what you do right?

Nathan: Yes, absolutely! With that diverse background, when did you decide on music therapy?

Larisa: I think it was in high school when I made that decision- chase my dreams and become a soccer star (*laughs), or go into music. And there was a voice in my head that said, “You probably won’t make it very far in soccer”, so I decided to major in music. However, I did not know about music therapy when I set out. I would describe what I wanted to do at different schools and they would suggest creating a degree program or a double major, because they did not know about music therapy. So I started off in music education, and later transferred to a school that offered music therapy and I thought “oh my gosh, this is a real profession!”. This was not something I had to create- it exists! So I transferred after 2 years at Ohio State to a Music Therapy Program at University of Dayton. From there, I completed my internship and started working right away as a music therapist and soon after got my masters degree from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

Nathan: Cool! That actually kind of leads to another question. What was your favorite part about being a student at the Woods?

Larisa: Oh my gosh, the connection. The connections I was able to make while a student at the Woods, not only with my cohort and the connections that I made with the wonderful professors, but the connections I was able to make with myself. Interpersonally and intrapersonally, I made connections that truly deepened my work. It brought everything together for me. I found a group of people I know I will be connected with for a long time. These are the most important friendships I’ve ever had, from my time at the Woods. I was able to connect who I was personally and professionally. There’s so much to be said about my time at the Woods, it is a very special place.

Nathan: Yes, it is!

Larisa: Yeah, everything just flowed together so that my work became part of my studies, and my studies were able to be completed in my work. It really helped to introduce me to new things and possibilities and set me on a path to continue to explore and to continue to deepen those connections that were made.

Nathan: You have a unique situation: You were a student at the Woods and now you are teaching at the Woods as well. What’s that like?

Larisa: It’s fantastic to be able to return to the Woods and to hopefully offer some of what was offered to me as a student to future music therapists. In a way, it’s giving back to the Woods and to the profession, and at the same time it is quite rewarding to witness the growth of the students, to see that light bulb go off for them. I’m really inspired by the work that they do and the sacrifices they are willing to make to become a music therapist- it’s great.

Nathan: Out of curiosity, what classes are you teaching (in the MTE-D program) right now?

Larisa: I’m supervising the Practicum courses, teach the Music Psychology course, and teach our Seminar course which covers ethics, reimbursement, and preparation for internship. And then I also supervise students in their internship.

Nathan: Nice! How long have you been teaching?

Larisa: The MTE-D Program started in 2012 [by Dr. Tracy Richardson], so I’ve been teaching at the Woods since 2012. Before that I had the privilege of supervising students in the Undergraduate Music Therapy Intensive Practicum course [in collaboration with Associate Professor Sharon R. Boyle], so I had some students from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods come out and spend 4-6 weeks during the summer for a practicum experience in the long term care facility where I worked at the time. That was great. I started working as a music therapist in, I think, 1996? And I began an internship program, supervised students, and taught as Adjunct Faculty at University of Dayton, and now at the Woods. In January, they made me the full-time Coordinator of the MTE-D Program.

Nathan: Congratulations!

Larisa: Thanks!

Nathan: These last two questions are a little more laid back: What type of things do you like to do outside of work?

Larisa: I have my furry little four-legged friends, I practice yoga, and I continue to make music just for fun. I love to garden and to cook. 

Nathan:  Last but not least,  and this might be challenging as a musician, but what’s your favorite song and artist right now?

Larisa: That is such a challenging question to answer! And it might be challenging for our clients as well, even those non-musicians...if I was stranded on an island, I can always go back to Gershwin, and “Rhapsody in Blue”- it always brings a smile. There’s a certain point in the piece where I always get goose bumps. If I had to pick a favorite, I’d always come back to that. But I enjoy many styles of music as a musician. 

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For more information about the Undergraduate (Bachelor of Science in Music Therapy) or the Music Therapy Equivalency Campus Programs, contact Sharon R. Boyle, MM, MT-BC, Associate Professor of Music Therapy:

 (812) 535-5145

• sboyle@smwc.edu

For more information about the Master of Arts in Music Therapy (MAMT) Program, contact Dr. Tracy Richardson, MT-BC:

• (812) 535-5154
• trichardson@smwc.edu

For more information about the Music Therapy Equivalency Distance Program, contact Larisa McHugh, MA, MT-BC: 

• (812) 230-6662

• lmchugh@smwc.edu