NYU Steinhardt Music Therapy

Last week, our program hosted a vocal psychotherapy workshop, facilitated by the creator of vocal psychotherapy, Dr. Diane Austin, DA, LCAT, along with Jenny Hoi Yan Fu and Allison Reynolds, adjunct faculty at NYU.

Dr. Diane Austin, DA, LCAT is the Director of the Music Psychotherapy Center in NYC, NY, where she has maintained a private practice in Vocal Psychotherapy, in-depth psychotherapy and Music/creative arts therapy for more than 30 years.

Special thanks to and Allison Reynolds!

We are happy to announce the latest study in the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Monograph Series. It is Tamar Hadar's (with a little help from Ken Aigen) study of the archival Nordoff-Robbins work examined through contemporary theory.

Barcelona Publishers is pleased to announce the release of "Music, Time, and Self," a Nordoff-Robbins monograph by Tamar Hadar, with Kenneth Aigen.
A temporal aspect of music therapy treatment can be observed in the improvisational sessions of Paul Nordoff and Clive Robbins. Using excerpts from ten of the children with whom they worked, four temporal phases become evident: augmented time frame, playing in synchronization, emotional time frame, and synchronization discrepancies. In addition, the related cognitive aspects lead to unfolding the child’s self across each time phase, referencing Daniel Stern’s layered self-theory and additional intersubjective music therapy approaches of Trevarthen and Trondalen.

This analysis includes practical recommendations for music therapists, along with a framework for assessing the range of temporal phases a client might experience in the course of music therapy sessions. Guidelines for possible interventions are suggested.

ISBN: 9781945411342 ($26 print)
ISBN: 9781945411359 ($24 ebook)

CONTENTS
Preface
Introduction
1 Meeting in Time: Music, Duration, Inner Time, and Outer Time Music & Cognition: Memory, Metaphors, and Mind-Body Simultaneity
Rationale: Why a Time Model?
A Cognitive Lens to Analyzing Improvisation: Schema Theory
2 Time Phase 1: Creating an Augmented Time Frame for the Child
Augmented Time Frames Create Musical CONTAINERS in Which the Child Can Safely Engage Musically
Augmented Time Frames Create a Learning Space for the Child to Develop a Musical Vocabulary
3 Time Phase 2: Playing in Synchronization
Moments of Synchronization Turn a Child’s Idiosyncratic Musical Expression to a Shared Musical Moment
Playing in Synchronization Enhances the Child’s Sense of Control and Regulation
Playing in Synchronization to Connect Authentically to the Music
Moments of Synchronization Increase the Child’s Qualities of Singing and Talking
4 Time Phase 3: Emotional Time
Emotional Time 1: Creating a Musical Portrait of the Child and Setting the State for a More Focused Exploration of Musical Contents
Emotional Time 2: The Art of Repetition – Introducing Musical Islands
5 Moving Between Time Phases: Leaping from One Time Phase to Another and Between Inner and Outer Experiences
Structural Bridges Support the Child’s Stepping from Emotional Time to Playing in Synchronization
Polytime Bridges Support Shifting Between Time Phases
Musical Islands Form Bridges from Inner (Emotional Time) to Playing in Synchronization
Developing in Time: From Providing an Augmented Musical Structure to Introducing an Expectation to Play in Synchronization
6 Time Phase 4: Synchronization Discrepancies
Personalized Singing and Phrasing
Negotiating over a Ritardando
Developing Temporal Freedom in a Musical Call and Response
7 Employing a Psychodynamic-Developmental Context on the Time Model
Phase 1: Augmented Time Frames Support the Child’s Emergent Sense of Self
Phase 2: Playing in Synchronization and Emotional Time Support the Consolidation of a Core Self
Phase 3: Playing in Synchronization and Synchronization Discrepancies Support the Sense of Subjective Self
8 Recommendations for Music Therapists: Implementation & Assessment of the Time Model in Music Therapy Practice
Revealing a Client’s Inner Sense of Time
Identifying Therapists’ Temporal Choices with Each Client: Therapist’s Initial Outer Time Suggestions
Identifying Suitable Temporal Invitations
Connecting Between Temporal Phases and Cognitive Capacities
Uncovering Temporal Stagnations: Seeking Temporal Solutions
Conclusion
Epilogue: Utilizing the Time Model in My Own Clinical Work
Practicing NR amid COVID Outbreak
Applying the Time Model with Little Simone
Simone Discovers UP and DOWN Through Playing in Synchronization
The Price of Online Meetings: An Inability to Facilitate Emotional Time Through Zoom
Playing in Synchronization Awakened Simone’s Motor & Verbal Abilities
References
Appendix: Short Descriptions of the Children with Whom NR Worked Who Are Included in This Work
Index

Music therapy adunct faculty member Toby Williams was quoted in this article from the New York Times describing music therapy at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.

Homelessness Is Especially Hard on Children. Making Music Helps. (Gift Article) Therapists from the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music have found that teaching homeless children to make beats and write songs is a way to heal trauma.

Happy World Music Therapy Week from NYU Music Therapy!

We celebrate the positive impact that music therapy has on individuals and communities across the globe and applaud the hard work and dedication of music therapists everywhere!

Grace Yang--a current student in our MA music therapy program--spoke at this event marking World Autism Awareness Day at the UN. Grace's remarks come about 1 hour 33 minutes into the recording. Grace describes her participation this way:

"This event was from the United Nations yesterday and it was in celebration of World Autism Awareness Day. It was both a forum and an art exhibit to celebrate the individuals’ artwork and some of the clients from the Center for All Abilities (CAA) were represented. This forum took place in one of the conference rooms and its main host was the mission of the Philippines. They had youth, parent speakers and some international ambassadors such as those from Malaysia, Qatar, Zambia, Aruba, Philippines, and Ghana. My internship site, the Center for All Abilities, was one of the featured programs, and in the video recording there was a parent speaker representing CAA. At the end of the video, the speakers did an open forum for everyone in the room, and I was fortunate to speak on behalf of CAA and the creative arts therapies.

My statement touches on my personal experience as an autistic individual and how much my parents played a huge role in supporting me to get to where I am. I also touched base about how therapy helped me: the ones I attended were occupational, sound, ABA, speech, and music therapy. One thing that I added was how much creative arts therapies—music, dance, drama, art, and poetry—can be beneficial for autistic individuals worldwide. So I asked the international ambassadors to have creative arts therapies be exposed worldwide as a resource because there is proof that the creative arts help with individuals’ creativity, imagination, inspiration, and self-expression."

World Autism Awareness Day 2024 The Forum: Advocates "Call for Action".

The work of NYU alumnus Rafe Stepto being done as part of his position at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music was featured on CBS News.

Brooklyn music therapist helps dementia patients bridge the past to the present More than 6 million Americans are living with dementia, and while there is no cure, patients can be helped by music.

Hey Friends and Colleagues. I was interviewed by Marisa de Leon for her music therapy podcast. Here's the link:

Musical Mindspace • A podcast on Spotify for Podcasters A podcast where we talk about all things MUSIC, from a perspective of music therapy, psychology, medicine, neuroscience, and culture. Follow along as we share thoughts and experiences from our collective mindspace 🎶

Today, a few of our graduate students participated in a 7-hour Analytical Music Therapy workshop under the guidance of Dr. Brian T. Harris. Thank you to Dr. Harris for your leadership and sharing of expertise!

Here's an article on the importance of "Clinical Musicianship" in the NYU Music Therapy program:

Clinical Musicianship for Good For students in NYU Steinhardt’s Music Therapy program, music is more than just an artistic pastime, but a powerful tool in the service of human wellbeing.

Here is a wonderful video on the Angel Band Project, a music therapy program that has been running at the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at NYU since 2017. NYU alums Katie Down and Noa Fort are the therapists whose work is featured here.

Songs of Survival NYC A feature on The Angel Band Project's impact on survivors who receive free music therapy services as part of this therapeutic songwriting program.

NYU music therapy alumnus Caitlin Bell and program director Ken Aigen are quoted in this article on music therapy from the New York Times.

How Music Can Be Mental Health Care In music therapy, clients play and listen to music as treatment for stress, depression and anxiety. Here’s how it works.

Please be sure to RSVP for this special event and feel free to share the announcement!

The NYU music therapy community was well-represented at ! Check out the work shared by our community members ➡️

The NYU Music Therapy Program and the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy are pleased to announce that Mariana Aslan will be assuming the position of Senior Music Therapist at the NR Center beginning September 1, 2023. Mariana graduated from the Music Therapy Program at NYU, doing her internship at the NR Center. She went on to complete her Level I Certification and is scheduled to complete her Level ll Certification this fall. Mariana has been working at the Center since 2016, performing many functions, including clinician, supervisor, voice instructor, administrator, and teacher in the summer courses. She also teaches NRMT in Argentina, her home country. Mariana will take the place of Jacqueline Birnbaum, who will be retiring after a long and fruitful career at the Center. Please join us in congratulating Mariana and wishing her the best of luck in this new appointment.

The NYU Music Therapy Program and the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at NYU are very pleased to announce that beginning September 1, 2023, the new Managing Director of the NR Center will be Zachary Kandler. After completing his graduate internship at Nordoff-Robbins in 2011, Zach pursued Level I certification at the Center from 2013-2015. He returned again in 2016 as a Level II candidate and staff clinician. Since 2016, Zach has co-facilitated the Saturday program, conducted individual and group sessions, supervised graduate interns and certification candidates, and taught in the blended learning and summer course intensives. He completed his Level II training in 2019, at which point he began his PhD studies at NYU. Please join us in welcoming Zach and congratulating him on this important and well-deserved appointment.

Zach will be taking the place of Alan Turry who has accepted an appointment as a full-time faculty member in the music therapy program.

We had an epic end-of-year celebration as we honored three individuals with Edith Boxill Awards for Distinguished Achievement in Music Therapy (Diane Austin, Peter Jampel, Joanne Loewy) and we recognized the retirement of three individuals (Peter, Susan Feiner, Jacqueline Birnbaum) whose combined service to the music therapy program and the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at NYU comes to well over a century! We are all so fortunate to have had them all as integral members of our community.

Big congratulations to Dr. Holly Mentzer who finally got to "walk the walk" and receive her doctoral hood based on the doctoral degree completed in the summer of 2022!

The Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at New York University is pleased to announce two openings for music therapy positions at the Center beginning September 1, 2023. The Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy operates as part of the Graduate Music Therapy Program in NYU Steinhardt's Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions (MPAP). The Center’s mission is multifaceted—comprising clinical, professional, and public services through its treatment, training, and research programs. The Center provides individual music therapy, group music therapy sessions, and specialized music instruction. The Center’s research portfolio focuses on the creative and developmental processes of music therapy. The links for the formal announcement of the position are below. Please access those links for more information on how to apply for these positions.

Senior Music Therapist Position

https://apply.interfolio.com/122517


Managing Director Position

https://apply.interfolio.com/124697

Apply - Interfolio

We are pleased to announce the publication of this valuable article by Nordoff-Robbins Center staff clinicians and NYU music therapy adjunct faculty members: Jacqueline C. Birnbaum , Zachary Kandler , Mariana Aslan, Jenny Hoi Yan Fu, & Alan Turry.

Music Therapy with Autistic Children: Creating an Intersubjective Field of Play through Improvisation

This article considers the value of improvisational music therapy in cultivating intersubjective states between autistic clients and therapists. The authors first describe the potential therapeutic resources in live and individually-tailored musical experiences for autistic people, followed by a theoretical explanation of music and intersubjectivity. Finally, four music therapy cases from The Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at NYU highlight various perspectives about music therapy and intersubjectivity with autistic children. Video excerpts of sessions are included.

Psychoanalytic Inquiry: A Topical Journal for Mental Health Professionals, Volume 43, 2023 - Issue 3

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07351690.2023.2185070

We are pleased to announce the publication of this valuable article by Nordoff-Robbins Center staff clinicians and NYU music therapy adjunct faculty members: Jacqueline C. Birnbaum , Zachary Kandler , Mariana Aslan, Jenny Hoi Yan Fu, & Alan Turry.

Music Therapy with Autistic Children: Creating an Intersubjective Field of Play through Improvisation

Music Therapy with Autistic Children: Creating an Intersubjective Field of Play through Improvisation This article considers the value of improvisational music therapy in cultivating intersubjective states between autistic clients and therapists. The authors first describe the potential therapeutic...

NYU Music Therapy Alumni and adjunct faculty member Dr. John Mondanaro and colleague Emily Nicholas-Curnutte have published an article citing the vocal utility of oral traditions such as lullaby, chant, vendor songs, and work songs as context for the study of vocal improvisation. The article title is "The Voice Essential: Exploring Oral Traditions in the Study of Vocal Improvisation." The article is available online in the AMTA journal Music Therapy Perspectives."

Congratulations to John and his coauthor on this important work.

We are very pleased to announce that Dr. Alan Turry will be joining the faculty of the music therapy program as a full-time faculty member beginning in the upcoming fall semester, September 2023.

Dr. Turry has had a long association with the NYU music therapy program. He has multiple degrees from the program and as a member of our adjunct faculty, he has served as music therapy group leader, instructor of piano foundations courses, and has taught multiple courses in the MA music therapy program.

He began working as a music therapist in 1981 in inpatient and outpatient adolescent psychiatry. He developed the inpatient music therapy program at Metropolitan Hospital in NYC and then served as Supervising Music Therapist and Coordinator of Student Training in the Activity Therapies Department at Bellevue Hospital. During that time he collaborated with Professor Barbara Hesser to develop the clinical improvisation track and began teaching in the NYU graduate music therapy program.

Dr. Turry has been a staff member at the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at NYU since its inception in 1990, and he has been its director since 1998, coordinating all clinical, instructional, and research activities. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Arthur Flagler Fultz Research Award, given by the American Music Therapy Association to support the collaboration being undertaken by the NR Center with Rusk Rehabilitation Institute at NYU Medical Center to develop and research an integrated music therapy/occupational therapy stroke rehabilitation program.

Please join us in congratulating Alan as he embarks on this new stage in his career. We know that our program will be greatly enriched by his presence as a full-time member of our faculty.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We are sharing the very sad news that a dear colleague, Gillian Stephens Langdon, passed away this week after a recent unexpected hospitalization.

Gillian maintained an association with the NYU Music Therapy program for nearly 50 years, going back to her time as a graduate student in the 1970s and continuing through the current semester as an adjunct faculty member leading an internship seminar.

Gillian worked for more than 35 years at the Bronx Psychiatric Center where she served as Director of Creative Arts Therapies and Coordinator and Supervisor of the Music Therapy internship program. She was a recognized expert in the area of adult psychiatry and in clinical supervision. Gillian was a harpist whose connection to the instrument allowed her beautiful spirit to shine through. Her loss is an incalculable one that will forever be felt by those privileged to have shared this time and space with her. Please take a moment to reflect on Gillian today and remember how much she cared about her students, clients, friends, and colleagues.

Current NYU music therapy MA student Francis Washington talks about his road to music therapy and his current work.

Francis Washington discusses the importance of culturally affirming practices in Music Therapy Francis Washington (MA ’23) discusses his approach to Music Therapy. He shares how his own experiences and personal identity shape his work and what he plans to do post graduation.