Marilyn Sandness: Music Therapy Visionary
When in 7th grade, our colleague and AMTA Honorary Life Member Marilyn Sandness was recruited to play saxophone in a dance band. With the money made on those gigs, she purchased more instruments and lessons, embarking on a long, illustrious career in music and music therapy. In this AMTA-Pro podcast, Marilyn shares engaging stories about her professional journey including her college studies beginning with a degree from Eastman in 1958, her clinical work in some challenging situations in the early 1960s and through major transformation in the nature of services in the 1970s, her twenty-four rewarding years as a music therapy professor, and her thirty-four intense years as a volunteer with NAMT and AMTA, helping shape the nature of education and training music therapists today.
Marilyn Sandness: Music Therapy Visionary
AMTA-Pro Podcast ~ April 2021
— + —
When in 7th grade, our colleague and AMTA Honorary Life Member Marilyn Sandness was recruited to play saxophone in a dance band, playing with older musicians. With the money made on those gigs she purchased more instruments and lessons, embarking on a long, illustrious career in music and music therapy. We thank Marilyn for taking time to share engaging stories in this podcast about her professional journey. She talks about her college studies beginning with a degree from Eastman in 1958, her clinical work in some challenging situations in the early 1960s and through major transformation in service provision in the 1970s, her twenty-four years as a music therapy professor, and her thirty-four years as a “full-time” volunteer with NAMT and AMTA, helping shape the nature of education and training music therapists today.
Education
Eastman School of Music: B.M. with Distinction – 1958 (Music Education)
New England Conservatory of Music: M.M. – 1960 (Music Therapy)
Michigan State University: 1974 – Graduate courses in Music Therapy
Professional Experience
Walpole, MA, Public Schools: 1959-1961 – Instrumental Music Teacher
University of Rochester Medical Center, Dept. of Psychiatry: 1961-62 – Music Therapist
Dayton State Hospital: 1963-64 – Coordinator of Activity Therapies
Greene County Mental Health Association (OH): 1967-1974 – Executive Director
University of Dayton: 1974-1998 – Founder and Coordinator of Music Therapy Degree Program; 1998 – Professor Emerita
Professional Music Therapy Service with the National Association for Music Therapy (NAMT) and the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA)
Chair, Academic Program Approval Committee/Education Committee for 20 years
Assembly of Delegates for 34 years
Member of Education and Training Advisory Board for 8 years
Chair/and or Member of several Task Forces and Subcommittees on Professional Competencies and Advanced Competencies including a member of Implementation Task Force, chair of Assembly Task Force on Organizational Restructuring, and member of Judicial Review Board.
Past President of Great Lakes Region of NAMT
Co-founder and Past President of Ohio Association for Music Therapy.
International Service
Member of Commission on Education, Training and Accreditation of the World Federation of Music Therapy.
Awards for Music Therapy Service
American Music Therapy Association: Honorary Life Membership
Great Lakes Region of NAMT: Honorary Life Membership
Association of Ohio Music Therapists: Past Presidents Award for Contributions to the Profession of Music Therapy in Ohio
American Music Therapy Association: Recognition for Extraordinary Committee Leadership – Academic Program Approval Committee