
Student Spotlight: Chantelle Mack The music therapy student discusses the complex role of identity in music therapy, praises her canine companion, and picks her favorite songs of the moment.
By
Editorial Staff
March 20, 2023
What's it like to study at Berklee? Our Student Spotlight series asks current students all about their Berklee experience-what they're learning in class, what kinds of projects they're involved in onstage or behind the scenes, how they recharge, and of course, what they're listening to.This week, get to know Chantelle Mack, a ninth-semester pianist from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, who's currently completing her internship for her music therapy major.
Image courtesy of Chantelle Mack
Tell us about your path to Berklee. What made you decide to come here? I studied classical piano under the Royal Conservatory of Music growing up and participated in local music festivals. I knew I wanted to stay connected with music, but I hated the nerves of performing. I was also influenced by my parents' work at the family-owned pharmacy and could see myself working in healthcare. I learned about music therapy and the undergraduate program Berklee offered. Music therapy seemed like the perfect path to meld both influences.
Whats been your favorite class so far, and what has it taught you? My favorite class was Advanced Music Therapy Practicum 2 with Dr. Ming Yuan Low. I appreciated the perspective it was taught with, which challenged everything I knew about myself and the way I viewed the world. This was the start of my self-exploration through the different sociocultural identities I held and what makes me me-as well as what I could bring to the therapeutic practice in music therapy.
Whats a project youve worked on since coming to Berklee that youve been especially excited about? I am currently completing my music therapy internship at the Center for Discovery, working with pediatrics and adults with multiple disabilities and complex conditions. At the center, I've received trainings in clinical improvisation and in-services that evoke responses and support expressive freedom that inspire me to continue this work within the therapeutic process between the therapist and client. I am personally exploring a psychodynamic perspective of music therapy-this approach has allowed me to analyze the significance of sociocultural identities in music therapy while focusing on celebrating and supporting strengths and abilities. I have had the privilege of improvising with people in therapy every day for the last six months and could not be more grateful for the relationships I get to carry with me.
How do you typically recharge or find new ideas outside of class? One of my favorite things to do is spend my day with my dog, Lint. I adopted him over the pandemic at home, and he's traveled from Canada to Boston, back to Canada, and now to upstate New York where I am completing my internship. We do everything together (as you can see from our photo!) from attending class to finding new cafes in Back Bay to hiking in the Catskills every weekend since we moved. I am so lucky to call him family, and am eternally grateful to have a piece of home away from home.
What careers are you interested in pursuing in the future? I look forward to obtaining the MT-BC [Music Therapist-Board Certified] credential and working as a music therapist in the near future. I will be pursuing a Master of Music Therapy [degree] with a counseling concentration at Slippery Rock University beginning fall 2023 to continue self-exploration through a psychodynamic lens of music therapy. I am passionate and dedicated to advancing the work of music therapy as an anti-oppressive practice with a focus in identity work.
When you think towards your own future, who inspires you most? This is such a difficult question, it's hard to just choose one person. I like to think that I take inspiration from everyone I interact with, no matter how big or small. I am inspired by the work ethic I've seen growing up from my mom and dad, the not-so-gentle push I've been given by professors to nurture my learning, and the dependability of my family and friends.
Whats one piece of advice youd give to your high school self? If I could go back and give my high school self one piece of advice, it would be to keep your options open, and to continuously foster connections with people in your network. You never know who may know who, that could be of guidance or friendship in the future.
Chantelles Favorite Songs Right Now We asked Chantelle to share five of her recent favorite songs. Heres what she said:
1. Hello, Anxiety, Phum Viphurit A simple feel-good song that's on my daily playlist, as ironic as the lyrics are!
2. tolerate it, Taylor Swift This album was a pandemic favorite-thinking about it brings back memories from stress baking and listening to the album on repeat.
3. Nobody Gets Me, SZA There's something so pure about the vocals. Chills listening to this, every time!
4. Japanese Denim, Daniel Caesar Obsessed with the level of storytelling through lyrics and musical color ever since I heard him live.
5. Need the Sun to Break, James Bay A song that brings me back to summers on the road to the campsite. There's something about the type of music that works with his voice so well.
Related Categories
News
Student Spotlight
Most Popular
Berklee President Erica Muhl
Image by Kelly Davidson
Berklee to Hold Inauguration of President Erica Muhl in April Muhl is the fourth-and first female-president of Berklee.
Latest
Image courtesy of Getty Images
Miley Cyrus Ensemble to Celebrate to Pop Diva's Career The Signature Series concert will showcase the singer's artistic evolution and unapologetic spirit.
From left: Mike Mason, John McGee, Kei Slaughter,
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
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...
14/06/2026
Library captures 1960s R&B/pop drum sound
Following on from their recent wave of plug-in effects, Iconic Instruments have just launched an all-new virtual d...
14/06/2026
HBO Comedy Rooster Shot with URSA Cine 17K 65
Brie Clayton June 14, 2026
0 Comments
Large format brings viewers intimately close to characters.
Black...
13/06/2026
Latest expansion pack includes 252 presets
Devious Machines have recently introduced another expansion for their powerful multi-effects plug-in, Infiltrator...
13/06/2026
Create custom DAW/plug-in controllers using prompts
MetaGrid have recently introduced an all-new AI Builder function to their touchscreen-based control surf...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production, Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it has given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what o...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
AgentPerf from Artificial Analysis, the industry's first agentic AI benchmark, gives developers, enterprises and infrastructure providers a clear way to com...
12/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils First-Look Images from Villaflor, Santiago Mitre's New Film
Entertainment
12 June 2026
GlobalArgentina
Link copied to ...