A case study of the interactions of the music therapist and the music educator in a public school
The purpose of this intrinsic case study is to examine the roles of the music therapist and the music educator in a self-contained classroom with students with autism spectrum disorders in a public elementary school. This purposefully selected sample is unique because these students receive both music therapy services from a certified music therapist, and music instruction from a certified music educator. Through observations, interviews, focus groups, and document collection, I will attempt to clarify the roles of the music therapist and music educator who work with special learners in a self-contained classroom in this school setting.
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Jacqueline SmithThe Hartt School
Jacqueline Smith is currently a doctoral student and graduate assistant in music education at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School, West Hartford, CT. Prior to coming to Hartt, she taught middle school instrumental music for twenty years in Connecticut. During that time she received the Peter Kellogg Foundation and the Harold Rosbottom Awards, both for excellence in teaching.
Ms. Smith holds a Bachelor of Music in music education from the Eastman School of Music, and a Master of Creative Arts Therapy, in music therapy, from Drexel University (formerly Hahnemann). While at Drexel, she worked as an intern at the Center for Autism in Philadelphia (formerly Center for Autistic Children), and continued her work with children and adolescents with autism and other emotional disorders at a private psychiatric facility in Massachusetts, before moving to Connecticut to teach. While at the Center for Autism, Ms. Smith had the privilege of working with Dr. Bertram Ruttenberg, founder of the Center and national leader in autism education and research. Ms. Smith’s research interests include music teaching and learning with special learners, teacher training, assessment in instrumental ensembles, and the interactions of music therapy and music education. In addition to her doctoral work and student teacher supervision, Ms. Smith teaches Suzuki piano in the Hartt Community Division where she specializes in teaching children with special needs as well as traditional learners. As a pianist, she accompanies choral and theater groups, having played for various music festivals, community theaters, and the Broadway Dreams Foundation. |
