Our MT-BC colleague Michelle Hairston was introduced to music therapy as a toddler. Her dad, Dr. Olin Parker, studied at University of Kansas with Dr. E. Thayer Gaston, the “Father of Music Therapy.” During one of his many visits to their home over the years, Dr. Gaston asked Michelle about her interests. When the 13-year-old told him she really liked playing in the junior high band and she enjoyed volunteering at a local nursing home. Dr. Gaston took time over the dinner table that evening to tell her about the ins and outs of a career in music therapy, firmly convincing Michelle of her career path. In this AMTA-Pro podcast, Michelle tells us the interesting story of her professional life and of the “of course you can!” encouragement she received from several key figures. You will also want to look at the pictures of Michelle’s personal interaction with music therapy pioneers as well as her long music therapy career.

 

Michelle Hairston: Early Connections to Music Therapy 

AMTA-Pro Podcast ~ June 2021

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This AMTA-Pro podcast features Dr. Michelle Hairston, another of our MT-BC colleagues recognized with the AMTA Lifetime Achievement Award over the past few decades. Michelle, seen here as a twirler with her family, was introduced to music therapy as a toddler by her dad, Dr. Olin Parker, who studied at University of Kansas with Dr. E. Thayer Gaston, the “Father of Music Therapy.” During one of his many visits to their home over the years, Dr. Gaston asked Michelle about her interests. When the 13-year-old told him she really liked playing in the junior high band and she enjoyed volunteering at a local nursing home. Dr. Gaston took time over the dinner table that evening to tell her about the ins and outs of a career in music therapy, firmly convincing Michelle of her career path. You can hear Michelle tell the story of her music therapy adventures in this AMTA-Pro podcast. After reading this brief overview of her career, take a minute to enjoy the photos below highlighting some key moments in Michelle’s family and professional life.

Dr. Michelle J. Hairston is a Professor Emeritus of Music Therapy and Music Education at East Carolina University (ECU). She retired with 42 years of experience in May of 2019. While at ECU she served as Chair of the Music Therapy and Music Education Department for 26 years. In addition to East Carolina University, she worked at a School for Intellectual Disabilities in South Carolina as a music therapist (3 years) and the Georgia public schools as a Behavior Disorders specialist in a middle school (7 years).

Dr. Hairston served many offices during her career including President-Elect, President, and Past President of the Music Therapy Association of North Carolina, President-Elect, President, Past President of the Southeastern Region of Music Therapy and Vice President Elect, Vice President, President-Elect, President, and Past President of the American Music Therapy Association. She also served as a Council Coordinator and Chair of the International Committee, and completed 14 years on the Executive Board.
After her service in North Carolina, the NC Music therapists honored her with a reception at the Hilton complete with gifts.

Dr. Hairston has received the AMTA Service Award as well as the Southeastern Region Award for Service and the Award for Research. Most recently she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from AMTA in November of 2018 and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the SER-AMTA in March of 2021.
She is also a former recipient of the ECU School of Music Outstanding Teacher and Scholar Award.

Dr. Hairston has been published in the Journal of Music Therapy, Music Therapy Perspectives, Southeastern Journal of Music Education, Journal of Research in Music Education, and International Journal of Music Education. She has presented over a 100 research-based presentations which includes AMTA conferences for more than 25 years, SER conferences, and international conferences in Russia, China, Australia, Canary Islands, France, Austria, Netherlands, Brazil, England, Finland, and Greece.

The black & white picture above is Michelle as mascot twirler for her Dad’s Salina High School Band. The picture also features her brother and her mother. Her mom’s taxi driver hat honored her “job” of driving Michelle and her brother to all of their extra curricular activities which included, among other things,  marching band practice every morning at 6 a.m.!

These two classic pictures feature Michelle’s dad, Dr. Olin Parker, in the early years with Dr. Richard Graham, the esteemed music therapy professor at University of Georgia. Michelle studied under Dr. Graham and received his “of course you can” encouragement at several key points in her career. The second picture is Dr. Graham with his wife Melba, and Dr. Parker in 2013 celebrating Dr. Graham’s birthday and then going to a University of Georgia game.

Michelle wrote this about this picture above: “Dad and I exchanged classes from 1994 to about 2012. He was Professor Emeritus at The University of Georgia and I was Professor of Music Therapy at East Carolina University. Dad and I both taught Psychology of Music. During his Spring Break, he come to teach my class for a week. During my Spring Break, I went to Georgia and taught his class for a week. We shared notes and ideas, and we went through three different textbooks during those 18 years! I had this shirt made for my Dad. On the back are purple and gold letters saying ECU Teaching Assistant.”

These two snapshots above were taken at music therapy conferences. The first is a picture of Michelle’s Mom and Dad along with her husband and their two girls outside the Louvre Museum in Paris at an international  conference in 1996. The second was taken at a music therapy conference – Dr. Parker was still involved in AMTA at age 91, attending and actively participating in regional and national conferences every year.

The remaining pictures below are of MT students or of various regional and national conferences over the years. Take a close look – you may see yourself or someone you know!