Barbara Crowe

Professor Barbara J. Crowe has been Director of Music Therapy at Arizona State University since 1981 having held a similar position at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne from 1977-1981.  Her work involves teaching music therapy courses required for the Bachelor’s degree in music therapy including Psychology of Music. In addition, she supervises students in their clinical practicum experiences.  She also teaches or co-teaches the courses for the Master of Music in Music Therapy. Professor Crowe holds a Bachelor’s degree (1973) and Master’s degree (1977) in music therapy from Michigan State University, and completed her clinical internship at Ypsilanti State Hospital in Michigan.  Her clinical experience in music therapy includes work with emotionally disturbed adolescents, trainably cognitively impaired adolescents, and as a consultant in music therapy in geriatric care in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Phoenix, Arizona.  

She has served The National Association for Music Therapy (NAMT) and The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) in many ways. She was NAMT vice president from 1988-1990, served on the Assembly of Delegates, and numerous committees. She was President of the National Association for Music Therapy from 1990-1992 and served as Chair of the Transition Task Force on Educational and Clinical Training. She is currently serving as Chair of the Task Force on Sound and Healing Organizations. Professor Crowe was Executive Director of the Rhythm for Life Project from 1992-1996, which stemmed from the US Senate Committee on Aging’s hearing, “Forever Young: Music and the Elderly.”  She submitted written testimony to the hearing record and worked on Capitol Hill to write the legislation including music therapy services in the Older American’s Act. She works extensively with group percussion experiences as a basis for music therapy and wrote “Cost Effective Activity Programs for Older Adults with Dementia” and “Utilizing Group Percussion Strategies for Promoting Volunteerism in the Well Elderly” for the Rhythm for Life project.  She used the group drumming model in a pilot project for gang prevention among junior high school age children.

Professor Crowe’s research interests include the historical antecedents of modern music therapy and the theoretical foundations of music therapy practice.  Publications include the article, “Music Therapy for an Emotionally Disturbed Adolescent Boy” in German Journal of Music Therapy, the article, “Shamanism and Music Therapy: Ancient Healing Practices in Modern Practice” and “An Overview of Sound Healing Practices: Implications for the Profession of Music Therapy” in Music Therapy Perspectives, “Implications of Technology in Music Therapy Practice and Research for Music Therapy Education” in The Journal of Music Therapy, and a chapter for the book Music: Physician for Times to Come entitled “Music the Ultimate Physician”.  She has also published a chapter in the book, Inside Music Therapy: Client Experiences entitled, “The Special Place of Music for a Multiply Disabled Child.”  In 2004, a book, Music and Soulmaking: Toward a New Theory of Music Therapy, was published by Scarecrow Press. This book examines music and the four aspects of human functioning – body, mind, emotion, and spirit – in a complex interaction leading to the effectives of therapy we observe. She also wrote and edited the 2007 publication, Music Therapy for Children, Adolescents and Adults with Mental Disorders and Group Rhythm and Drumming with Older Adults both published by AMTA. She also served as a contributing editor for music therapy and sound healing to the Time Life Books publication, The Alternative Advisor and is on the editorial board of the Harp Therapy Journal.

Professor Crowe presents extensively at international, national, and regional music therapy conferences and at related-field conferences including “Music Therapy and Children” for the Academy of Osteopathic Physicians, “Music Therapy and Transpersonal Psychology” for the Annual Conference of the Association for Transpersonal Psychology, “Music Therapy and Models Theory” for the First North American Music Therapy Conference, “Music as Subtle Energy Healing” for the Third Sound Healers Colloquium in New Hampshire,  “ Subtle Energy Considerations in Music and Sound Healing” for The International Society for the Study of Subtle Energy and Energy Medicine, “Music Therapy and Sound Healing for Health and Wellness” for the California Institute of Integral Studies, and “Music Therapy and Meditative Practices” for the University of Denpasar School of Medicine (Indonesia).

Professor Crowe has received many awards for her work in music therapy including the 2004 AMTA Award of Merit, the 2005 AMTA Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2008 Spirit of Unification Award.  She received the 2006 Research Achievement Award from the ASU Herberger College of Fine Arts.