A DVA N C EM EN T N EWS
PETER FINGER
DEVELOPMENTS
(Left to right) Hannah Miller ’21, Sadie Johnson ’21 and Lauren Eakle ’21.
TRULY TRAILBLAZERS
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hen they walked across the stage at Marietta College’s 2021 Commencement Ceremony in May, Hannah Miller ’21, Lauren Eakle ’21 and Sadie Johnson ’21 became the first cohort of students to graduate with Marietta College’s Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy degree. To fully complete the program, each of them will be working an internship over the summer. “They are an extremely strong graduating class and a wonderful first cohort,” says Director of Music Therapy Raquel Ravaglioli, who has been actively developing the program since she arrived on campus in August 2018. “I’m so proud of the work they put in and all they’ve accomplished.” Miller describes her experience as a member of the first cohort as “equally rewarding and exhausting.” “We were students of the program, but also partners in building the program from the ground up,” she says. “Brent (Beeson) and Raquel really poured their hearts and souls into giving us a personalized experience, and I really appreciate the time and effort they invested in us.” Eakle agrees. “We really had to embrace the ideology of the Pioneer,” she says. “We continually gave our input as the program grew. It was a lot of work, but really rewarding.”
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SUMMER 2021
FI RS T MUS I C TH ERAPY GRA DUAT E S F UL F IL L D O NO RS’ D REAM WH EN P ROG RA M S TA RT E D
Music therapy is an allied health profession that uses music interventions during therapeutic treatment for a patient’s physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs. There is an increased demand for these types of therapists in hospitals, nursing and rehabilitation facilities, hospice care and schools. “We basically use music to accomplish non-musical goals,” says Miller, who has already put her skills to use working with children at Marietta’s Ewing School. “My kids at the Ewing School were practicing social skills like healthy communication, sharing and turn-taking, and we used stories and musical games to positively reinforce these behaviors.” Johnson says music is an incredible connector and a powerful tool for healing. “While people have widely varied styles and abilities, music as a means of expression and a process for creating is universal to everyone,” she says. “Music therapy takes it one step deeper into the hows and whys of the psychology of human development.” In love with music since early childhood, Miller says the Music Therapy degree is perfect for musicians who worry about making a living plying their trade. This summer she will be interning with Bridgeway Academy in Columbus, working with children who have autism spectrum disorders.
