Joy Allen Joins Berklee As Chair of Music Therapy

Joy Allen, Ph.D., is the new chair of Music Therapy at Berklee College of Music as of August 2016.  Allen comes to the college from Loyola University, where she served as coordinator of music therapy and associate professor.

Allen brings more than 17 years of experience as an accomplished music therapist to the college. She also has served as a clinician, supervisor, researcher, teacher, and administrator with extensive experience in psychological health, pain management, and the family system. Her current research focuses on the effects of music therapy on the psychological health of medical patients, guided imagery, and medical music therapy development and efficacy.

Listen to an Inside Berklee podcast interview with Joy Allen.

In her new role, Allen will build on the 20-year legacy of Berklee’s music therapy program by implementing more forward-thinking training for students that leads to clinically effective music therapy treatments. She also plans to explore new opportunities to gain clinical and research experience. Allen will focus on furthering collaboration and partnerships between Berklee's Music Therapy Department and more than 60 local community organizations.

Allen’s honors in the field include Outstanding Contribution to Research – Southeaster Region from the American Music Therapy Association; the 2008 Community Outreach Hero Award; Outstanding Graduate Research (Temple University); Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Music Therapy (Temple University); the Joanne Marie Cardillo Memorial Fund for Music Therapy (Temple University); and accolades from the Charleston Regional Business Journal and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of South Carolina.

A native of Pennsylvania, Allen studied at Temple University and Loyola University in New Orleans. She also plays the clarinet and guitar.