About Haley

haley_smith_profileI am a double major in Music Education and Music Therapy at Belmont University. In May 2018, I graduate with my Music Education degree. Then I go to Quito, Ecuador to intern with Sinamune from July to September 2018. When I return to Nashville from Quito, I will complete a 6-month Music Therapy internship of 1040 hours, after which I will take the Board Certification Exam for Music Therapy and then Music Therapy will be added to my transcript as my second major.

I am currently in my second year as co-director of the Children’s Freedom Choir, a choir in Nashville for immigrant/refugee children. I also teach adaptive piano lessons to students with autism. Additionally, I worked at a school for children with autism for a year, teaching music enrichment classes. In Spring 2018 I will have completed my student teaching placements at Centennial High School and Grassland Middle School. I have music therapy practicum experience in pediatric medical, adult psychiatric, memory care, and early intervention settings.

I am incredibly excited about interning with Sinamune because it aligns very closely with my career goals. I hope to one day synthesize both of my degrees to teach music classes in an inclusive environment that embraces typical learners and neurodiverse learners. I think the music classroom is the perfect setting to create a space where everybody can come together from very different places to be part of a beautifully unified group that shares a common goal.

My principal goals and objectives for this project are to help provide individuals with disabilities quality access to music education and music therapy services, create meaningful relationships with the students and staff at the school, improve my Spanish language skills, gain insight into a different culture, and learn how to adapt my music education and music therapy knowledge to different cultural environments and circumstances.

I am so grateful for this opportunity and I look forward to sharing my experiences!