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
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
17/05/2026
Delta Goodrem's Eurovision Eclipse marks end of a stellar run
17 May, 2026
Media releases
Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026
Relive every spellbinding mome...
16/05/2026
Helps to deliver a clean, balanced midrange
Developed alongside Newfangled Audio, the latest plug-in in Eventide's software collection has been designed...
16/05/2026
Brings onboard stem rendering to RANE System One
Engine DJ have just released Engine DJ 5.0, a free update for their Engine DJ OS embedded hardware and Engi...
16/05/2026
Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls
Jessie Electa Petrov May 16, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic de...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...
15/05/2026
Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...
15/05/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...
15/05/2026
Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...
15/05/2026
Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...
15/05/2026
Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...
15/05/2026
Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...
15/05/2026
Major League Soccer has announced four original content series timed to the 2026...
15/05/2026
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has announced it will exhibit and present at InfoComm 2026, taking place June 13-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Cente...
15/05/2026
InfoComm 2026 will take place June 13-19 (exhibits June 17-19) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show will include sessions and exhibits covering broadcas...
15/05/2026
Tracy McGrady's Ones Basketball League (OBL) and FuboTV Inc. have announced ...
15/05/2026
Disguise has partnered with Creative Technology (CT) to deliver visual playback ...
15/05/2026
Sony Electronics has announced two new products for professional imaging: the Alpha 7R VI full-frame mirrorless camera and the FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS super-te...
15/05/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
15/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
15/05/2026
For sports organizations, the most valuable assets are often the most sensitive:...
15/05/2026
The NFL's broadcast partners released their 2026 regular season schedules ye...
15/05/2026
When MMA icons Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano meet inside the Hexagon at Intuit Do...
15/05/2026
Daniel Roher attends the Tuner Premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at Eccles Theatre on January 22, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Neilson Bar...
15/05/2026
Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...
15/05/2026
Rebranded show announced
Ahead of their 2026 return, Music Expo have announced that they have now officially changed their name to the MONO Music Conference...
15/05/2026
Fuzz pedal joins UK companys line-up
UK-based pedal makers Buzzing Bugs Audio Devices have recently unveiled their latest creation, the Bolster. Said to pay...
15/05/2026
Joint Statement: News Bargaining Incentive
28 April, 2026
Media releases
The vibrancy of Australian democracy relies on the robust and open exchange of new...
15/05/2026
Call it Deltavision, Australia's through to the Grand Final of this year'...
15/05/2026
Join Calrec at MPTS 2026 | May 13-14 | Stand A40 | Olympia, London We're looking forward to meeting up with customers and partners at this year's Media ...
15/05/2026
86% of media planners would move more linear TV budget to CTV if they had show-level targeting and reporting - and 65% would also shift dollars from programmati...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Clear-Com will showcase new communications solutions and major platform updates at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7005), June 17-19, in the North and Central Halls of t...
15/05/2026
Following an outstanding inaugural year in 2025, Rise AV is proud to announce the return of its flagship leadership initiative, Elevate. The programme continues...
15/05/2026
Berklee Announces Lineup for Inaugural AI Music Summit The three-day event puts musicians at the center of the future of music creation, ethics, and the indus...
15/05/2026
Lightware returns to InfoComm 2026 with a focused showcase of scalable USB-C connectivity, next-generation AV-over-IP solutions, and technologies that help over...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Delivering a live, arena-scale production of a massively popular band is no small feat. Between expansive in-arena LED walls and a global live stream fed to onl...
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.
