SMU Music Therapy Program Marks 50 Years of Meaningful Music
Rooted in musicianship, clinical training, and service, SMU Meadows’ music therapy program has made an impact on students and communities throughout North Texas and beyond.
For 50 years, Meadows’ music therapy program has prepared students to harness the power of music for a purpose that extends far beyond the performance stage.
Established in 1975, the program has spent five decades training musicians to use their skills in service of others, preparing graduates for work in healthcare, education, rehabilitation, mental health, hospice and other settings.
“Music therapists use music intentionally within a therapeutic relationship to help people work toward nonmusical goals,” says Janice Lindstrom, chair and senior lecturer in music therapy. “We are not simply providing entertainment or making people feel better for a few minutes, music therapists assess an individual’s strengths and needs, establish treatment goals and use experiences such as singing, instrument playing, songwriting, improvisation, movement and music listening as clinical tools.”
Because music can engage movement, communication, attention, memory, emotional expression, and social connection, music therapists work across a wide range of settings and populations.
At SMU, students pursuing the Bachelor of Music in music therapy receive an interdisciplinary education encompassing music theory, history and performance alongside focused study in music therapy, research and psychology. The program is approved by the American Music Therapy Association, and graduates who successfully complete the degree are eligible to take the national board examination to earn the Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC) credential.
The program offers small class sizes and an individualized mentorship model that complements hands-on clinical experiences, including opportunities through the SMU Music Therapy Clinic. The clinic provides free individual and group sessions to North Texas children and adults with special needs while allowing students to gain experience working with clients on goals such as speech and motor skills, social interaction and emotional expression.
“Music therapy has always been grounded in the understanding that music can affect human health and behavior,” Lindstrom explains. “But the profession now has a much stronger research base, clearer standards for education and clinical training, board certification, increasingly specialized areas of practice, and a much greater emphasis on evidence-based and culturally responsive care.”
SMU’s curriculum and clinical experiences have evolved alongside those changes. Students learn not only to develop their musicianship and therapeutic skills, but also to interpret research, collaborate with other professionals, document clinical work, and navigate complex healthcare and educational environments. Over the years, the program has remained centered on developing thoughtful musicians who can use their skills in service of other people.
“Generations of faculty, students, alumni, clinical supervisors, and clients helped build what they have inherited,” says Lindstrom. “Many of the opportunities students have today exist because people before them were willing to experiment, advocate, establish clinical partnerships, conduct research and demonstrate the value of music therapy.”
As SMU celebrates 50 years of music therapy, Lindstrom hopes it provides an opportunity to recognize the many people who have contributed to the program and carried their work into communities throughout North Texas and beyond.