Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Center for Music Therapy to Partner with Underserved Communities in Berklees Backyard

01/07/2022

Center for Music Therapy to Partner with Underserved Communities in Berklees Backyard The centers inaugural clinical director, Cynthia Koskela, shares her vision for the initiative and her own path to music therapy.

By

John Mirisola

June 29, 2022

Image by Kelly Davidson

Berklees Music Therapy Department has long been a hub of research, training, and innovation in the field. Music therapy majors have access to world-class training from leading experts, and through the Music and Health Institute, they can participate in and learn from the latest research and innovative therapeutic approaches. With the creation of the new Center for Music Therapy, the department aims to help deliver life-changing music therapy services throughout Berklees own backyard and to give music therapy students practical, hands-on training in the process.

Cynthia Koskela, inaugural clinical director of Berklees Center for Music Therapy

Designed to serve as a training ground for students in the major, the center will focus on delivering music therapy services to under-resourced communities in the Greater Boston area. Leading this new initiative is Cynthia Koskela, the centers inaugural clinical director. A 2013 graduate of Berklees music therapy undergraduate program, Koskela returns to Berklee with years of leadership experience in music therapy and a graduate degree in human development and psychology from Harvard University. She will be responsible for working with local healthcare and community organizations to develop and expand music therapy services and training that strengthens communities, promotes social change, and improves quality of life, with a particular focus on communities that are often overlooked and underserved.

We spoke to Koskela about her own path to music therapy and her vision for the new Center for Music Therapy. Read the full conversation below.

You studied music therapy at Berklee. What first drew you to this field? Yes, I completed a dual degree in music therapy and professional music. My primary instrument is the trumpet and I come from a family of mariachi musicians in Mexico. I identify as a first-generation Mexican American. Throughout my life, mariachi, corrido, and other traditional Mexican music genres have been a source of emotional expression for my family. Listening to and playing mariachi music in particular greatly influenced my identity development throughout my adolescence. Through playing and listening to mariachi music, I learned self-advocacy and began to understand my cultural wealth as a first-generation immigrant. Therefore, the therapeutic use of music, specifically culture-centered music, always interested me.

As a student at Berklee, I was first drawn to the music therapy field during my second year. Every summer we would visit family members in Mexico. During this summer I witnessed the transformative power of music with my grandmother, who had late-stage Alzheimer's. I was spending time with her and decided to sing her favorite religious song, Alabar . As I was singing, my grandmother's eyes lit up, she started clapping and singing. She then suddenly remembered my fathers name, smiled and gave him a big hug. After witnessing this beautiful effect music had on my grandmother's memory, I decided to become a music therapist and expand the use of this therapy specifically for BIPOC communities.

Could you say a bit about the path youve taken in the decade since you graduated in 2013 and how it led you back to Berklee as the clinical director of the new Center for Music Therapy? After graduating I began working as a music therapist in early intervention in the Boston metro area for several years. During this time, I became very frustrated with health and wellness inequities for families I worked with and the limited access to quality music therapy services for BIPOC communities. I wanted to learn more about how to become a child advocate and expand strength-based music therapy services for diverse communities. This led me to graduate school at Harvard University, and I graduated with a master's in human development and psychology with a focus on child advocacy. Upon graduating, I decided to continue to advocate for the expansion of music therapy in various healthcare and school organizations in the greater Boston area. It was through this advocacy that I developed the first music therapy program for Esperanza Academy, a nonprofit school for middle school girls in Lawrence.

Several years later, the Center for Music Therapy was created and I now have an opportunity to expand this advocacy and foster the development of music therapy programs that target health disparities as its inaugural clinical director.

My approach to music therapy is collective healing through community and culturally centered music therapy services. Music plays a key role in connecting communities and provides an outlet for healing through this connection.

- Cynthia Koskela, clinical director of the Center for Music Therapy

Tell me about your own approach to music therapy. In your view, what role can it play in the health and well-being of a person or a community? My approach to music therapy is collective healing through community and culturally centered music therapy services. Music plays a key role in connecting communities and provides an outlet for healing through this connection. This strength-based approach meets participants where they are and utilizes an individuals cultural and social wealth in the healing process. I believe this approach to be critical in the health and well-being of a person or community and in the advancement of equity in music therapy practices, as it is not based on a deficit healthcare model. This approach utilizes a communitys cultural wealth, such as the use of music for emotional expression and community connection, as a source of e
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/berklees-center-for-music-the...
See more stories from berklee

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

06/07/2026

Inside OneSoccer's FIFA World Cup Ops: Canada's Soccer Network Goes Behind the Scenes for CanMNT's Historic Moment

Long-developed relationships and informal access, three production models, and c...

06/07/2026

Lumine Group Acquires Imagine Communications, Continues To Build Portfolio of Media Businesses

The deal follows Lumine's recent acquisition of Synamedia's video-networ...

06/07/2026

SVG All-Stars: Stuart Mitchell, Senior Coordinating Producer, Spectrum SportsNet LA

This former SportsCenter producer is shaping local-team studio coverage to surro...

06/07/2026

Case Study: How IMS Productions and FOX Sports Scaled Coverage of the 109th Indianapolis 500

IMS Productions and FOX Sports deployed more than 100 cameras, 32 onboard feeds,...

06/07/2026

Lumine Group Completes Acquisition of Synamedias Video Network Business

Lumine Group Inc. has announced the completion of its acquisition of the Video Network Business from Synamedia. The business will operate as a standalone compan...

06/07/2026

NASCAR and Motorsport Network Announce Content and Commercial Partnership

NASCAR has announced a content and commercial partnership with Motorsport Network, a motorsports and automotive media platform, to distribute NASCAR original co...

06/07/2026

Versant To Acquire Full Swing for Approximately $530 Million

Versant Media Group has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Full Swing, a sports technology company, from Bruin Capital and a group of minority investor...

06/07/2026

DAZN Secures Global Rights to 3ICE Hockey

DAZN has announced global broadcast rights to 3ICE, a professional hockey format featuring three skaters and a goalkeeper per side, with no power plays or offsi...

06/07/2026

Synth Anthology 5 From UVI

Bundle gains 100 new synths & more Synth Anthology 5 the largest and most feature-packed edition of UVI's hardware synth emulation bundle, bringing toge...

06/07/2026

MOTU 16A, 848 & 10pre gain Milan certification

Available now via free firmware update MOTU have just announced that three of their popular audio interfaces now boast official Milan Certification. The 16A...

06/07/2026

Rohde & Schwarz completes Hunter Preliminary Design Review for the Integrated Communications System

Rohde & Schwarz completes Hunter Preliminary Design Review for the Integrated Co...

06/07/2026

The R&S IMAGER from Rohde & Schwarz uses millimeter wave imaging to inspect the quality of packaged goods in real time

The R&S IMAGER from Rohde & Schwarz uses millimeter wave imaging to inspect the ...

06/07/2026

INVITATION FOR SOUTH AFRICAN FILMMAKERS TO SUBMIT FILMS FOR THE 99TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS (OSCARS) INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM CATEGORY

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...

06/07/2026

Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice President, Operations

Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice Pre...

06/07/2026

Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development

Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development Brie Clayton July 6, 2026 0 Comments The strategic new appointment supports...

06/07/2026

Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve

Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve Michael Cioni July 6, 2026 0 Comments This is a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to setup your...

06/07/2026

Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro

Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro Colin Smith July 6, 2026 0 Comments Here I showcase the innovative automatic caption translation f...

06/07/2026

Flavor's FirstEver Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Executive Producer Kate Smith Rises to Lead the Studio

Flavor's First Ever Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Execu...

06/07/2026

How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Medtech Without Missing a Beat

How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Medtech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might think...

06/07/2026

Zhongyi Optics unveils the Dreamy Zone T1 FF Cine Lens Series on Indiegogo with the first drop

Zhongyi Optics unveils the Dreamy Zone T1 FF Cine Lens Series on Indiegogo with ...

06/07/2026

Techtel debuts insyght: making ST 2110 media discovery easy

Techtel debuts insyght: making ST 2110 media discovery easy intellisphereinsyght2026 6 July Written By Suzanne Costello Sydney, Australia - 06 July 2026 T...

06/07/2026

Sky agrees to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment, creating a commercial streaming champion for the UK

Monday 6 July 2026 Sky agrees to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment, creating a ...

06/07/2026

Pico Lopes joins RT's FIFA World Cup 2026 Live panel

Fresh from his World Cup heroics with Cabo Verde, Roberto Pico' Lopes will join the RT panel for Argentina v Egypt tomorrow and for the England v Norway q...

06/07/2026

How Nations Are Deploying AI for Strategic Priorities

Nations have long invested in domestic infrastructure to advance their economies, protect and use their data, and take advantage of technology opportunities in ...

06/07/2026

How Open Models Are Driving AI Research

Every year, the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) reveals where thousands of AI researchers have decided to put their work. This year's ...

06/07/2026

New RT documentary The Girl in the Water follows one family's search for answers following the death of their 23-year-old daughter

A death can be unsuspicious, but it has to be explained What happened to Ke...

05/07/2026

Fox Sports AR/XR Studio Graphics Team Shows Power of Next-Generation Operations

We've gone to another level of integrating the graphics into the set architecture' - Zac Fields, SVP, Graphic Technology and Integration, FOX Sports...

05/07/2026

Free Behringer Synth Editor

Browser-based and desktop apps available Digital Sunset Studios have been busy working on an interesting project: a free software tool that provides compute...

04/07/2026

Inside OneSoccers FIFA World Cup Ops: Canadas Soccer Network Goes Behind the Scenes for CanMNTs Historic Moment

When Canada qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OneSoccer knew this wasn'...

04/07/2026

Rhodes to launch the MK8/80AE

Celebrates company's 80th anniversary Rhodes have recently revealed that they will be producing a limited run of electric pianos in celebration of their...

04/07/2026

Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program

Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program Brie Clayton July 3, 2026 0 Comments Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagi...

04/07/2026

iZotope Joins Boris FX

iZotope Joins Boris FX Boris Yamnitsky July 3, 2026 0 Comments iZotope, the team behind RX and Ozone, is joining Boris FX. A letter from founder Boris...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

03/07/2026

VSL reveal Synchron Brass (muted)

New bundle & three Single Packs Continuing to expand their already sizeable orchestral collection, VSL's latest release introduces three new Single Pack...

03/07/2026

London Symphony Orchestra upgrade LSO St Luke's

Venue installs new ATC-equipped control room LSO St Luke's, a unique music venue that also serves as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, have rec...

03/07/2026

Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV

Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV 3 July, 2026 Media releases National Indigenous Television (NITV) has strengthened its commitment...

03/07/2026

2023

1 February 2023 SHARE Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Munich, Germany, 1st February 2023: Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software technology for digit...

03/07/2026

Broadcast Solutions Acquires BFE

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/07/2026

AdClarity Expands CTV Offering to 20 Countries

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/07/2026

Mountain West Conference Launches SVOD Service With New Revenue Model

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/07/2026

Death Star

Death Star Andy Marken July 2, 2026 0 Comments Look, I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire; I hate i...

03/07/2026

Berklee's New Visual Identity: Honoring Our History, Building for What's Next

Berklee's New Visual Identity: Honoring Our History, Building for What's...

03/07/2026

July 01, 2026

Scripps Research scientists awarded $2M to advance global disease surveillance Two Gates Foundation grants will expand wastewater surveillance and AI-driven dis...

03/07/2026

July 02, 2026

Joan Pulupa joins Scripps Research faculty to study the organization of DNA in brain cells and its links to neurodegeneration Using smell-sensing neurons and ad...

02/07/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Abby Finke, University of Dayton

Entering her senior year, this hometown girl is paving a career in live sports production gaining experience in replay and audio and as a TD In the live-sports...

02/07/2026

SVG GameDay, Ep. 22: Winnipeg Jets Kyle Balharry - Going to Work in the Great White North

In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...