Who I Am

My name is Emily Byerly and I am a board certified music therapist who lives and works in Denmark. I hope one day to be a professor of music therapy. This toolkit is a compliation of teaching resources that have been impactful to me as an aspiring educator. The purpose of this toolkit website is to provide a one-stop-shop to teaching resources to help me as I embark on a teaching journey. As someone who has not yet taught and liekly will not teach for several years, I wanted this toolkit to be a place where I can come to review all the important topics I learned this semester at a relatively quick glance. I have provided extra resources to support my future self when I come back to use this toolkit as a build and/or implement a curriculum for music therapy students. These tools can help add important elements to my classroom, such as kindness, welcoming to all, patience, knowledge, creativity, motivation, stratgies, and more. Here you can find my Philosophy of Teaching and my CV.

Philosophy of Teaching

I am repeatedly drawn back to a quote I heard long ago, one that has stayed with me for many years. “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away” (Golliver, 2006, p. 201). To me, this quote begins to express my personal approach to teaching. In an attempt to put my personal teaching philosophy into words, my greatest hope is that my classroom is one influenced by inclusion, creativity, kindness, compassion, and knowledge.

First things first. I believe that a comfortable, welcoming classroom should be available to all people. Regardless of race, gender, ability, or anything else, a classroom should be an environment where learners feel safe and comfortable and inexplicably unafraid to be themselves. This fosters individuality, togetherness, and trust. With trust also comes respect. Respect between the educator and learners needs to go both ways (Brain, 1998), where all individuals are mindful of their words and actions, and their effect on other people. Each member of the classroom should strive to be empathetic and caring, be aware of their own needs and feelings, and keep in mind the needs and feelings of fellow classmates. The classroom should be a place where people lift each other up, help one another when needed, and make sure that everyone feels heard and valued.

Creativity is important in my classroom. To me, creativity goes hand-in-hand with inclusion. It is about celebrating each individual’s uniqueness that they bring to the classroom. Trust is also important to a creative environment and is one of the key elements of a learner-centered teaching approach, where learners have a say in their learning experience (Conti, 2004). In contrast, a teacher-centered approach places emphasis on formal evaluation and the use of teacher-set objectives (Conti, 2004). I find that a balance of the learner-centered and teacher-centered approaches work well for me. I like to use a learner-centered approach because it centers around individual’s natural goodness, commemorates one’s personal experiences, and gives way to limitless learning (Conti, 2004). I also like to borrow from the teacher-centered approach because it promotes the learning of specific content that is important and foundational to later developing a sense of self (Conti, 2004). I believe that using this combination of approaches helps foster creativity, and deepens the feelings of safety, trust, respect, and inclusion in the classroom.

I strive to be a compassionate and passionate teacher. In addition to using a combination of learner-centered and teacher-centered approaches, I also have found myself drawn to teaching philosophies that exemplify my personal teaching style. The humanist philosophy maintains my belief in the positive nature of the human condition and places an emphasis on personal growth and potential (Zinn, 2004). While I like to pull from a humanist perspective, I also find myself implementing elements of the behaviorist philosophy, which holds learners to high standards in order to learn specific behaviors and content (Zinn, 2004). I hope that by incorporating both a humanistic and a behaviorist model, it will allow me to work with students to develop professional and educational goals for themselves, and to encourage them to engage with the course content in a way that helps them understand the material, and to apply what they learn into their everyday lives.

Lastly, it is important to me as an educator, to be knowledgeable about what I am teaching. I want to share my passion, and I hope that my passion for the subject will come across in a positive way to the students. I hope it will motivate them to ask questions, dive deeper, and think more deeply. I hope it allows thoughtful discussions and helps them feel excited about what they are learning.

As I embark on my teaching journey, I intend to carry this mindfulness and self-reflection into each of my classrooms. I aim to foster uniqueness, individuality, and creativity in the learners, as much as I hope to establish safety, trust, and respect in the environment. Most of all, I plan to create a learning environment that fosters individual growth and success that is built upon the foundations of inclusion, creativity, kindness, compassion, and knowledge. 

 

 

References

Brain, M. (1998). Emphasis on teaching: What is good teaching? B.Y.G. Publishing. http://www.bygpub.com/eot/eot1.htm

Conti, G.J. (2004). Identifying your teaching styles. In M.W. Galbraith (Ed.), Adult learning methods: A guide for effective instruction (3rd ed, pp. 75-91). Kreiger. http://www.conti-creations.com/Identify_Your_Teaching_Style_3rd_Edition.pdf

Golliver, J.J. (2006). Chapter 16: Hindsight & hope. Just do it: The power of positive living (201). Author House. 

Zinn, L.M. (2004). Exploring your philosophical orientation. In M.W. Galbraith (Ed.), Adult learning methods: A guide for effective instruction (3rd ed, pp. 39-74). Kreiger. http://www.labr.net/paei/assets/zinn.pdf

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Education

Colorado State University

Master of Music (Expected Dec 2025)

Major: Music Therapy

Coursework: Focus on social sciences, education, and music therapy theories, processes and research.

GPA: 4.0

 Baldwin Wallace University

Bachelor of Music

Major: Music Therapy

Coursework: Focus on music skills, social sciences, and clinical practice and application.

Magna Cum Laude, GPA: 3.79

Certifications & Trainings

  • Board-Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC), 2023

  • Neurologic Music Therapy Certification (NMT), 2022

Interpersonal Skills

  • Strong communication

  • Strong work ethic

  • Experience with diverse populations

  • Strong attention to detail

  • Patient, curious, passionate, and enthusiastic

Relevant Skills

  • Practices an eclectic approach to music therapy, pulling from several approaches, such as humanistic, family-centered, and culture-centered, in order to provide accessible, inclusive, and the best care possible for the individual needs of clients

  • Co-treating with interdisciplinary team

  • Languages: English, Danish

  • End-of-Life and Legacy work

  • Proficient in: voice, piano, guitar, clinical percussion, and ukulele

  • Demonstrated experience with audio editing and recording applications including digital stethoscope for heartbeat recording, Garage Band, and Audacity

Clinical Experience

1.     Korup Skole, Odense NV, Denmark – 2/2025-Current

  • Role: Music Therapist

  • Implemented formal & informal assessments to inform goals, objectives, and interventions.

  • Conducted individual & group sessions with autistic children. 

2.     Hospice of the Western Reserve, Sandusky, OH, USA – 10/2023 – 7/2024

  • Role: Music Therapist

  • Setting: Adults & Pediatric Hospice

  • Conducted individual & family sessions for adults and children with terminal illness in an inpatient and outpatient hospice setting.

  • Applied formal & informal assessments to inform goals, objectives, and interventions.

  • Implemented meaning-making, legacy work, and end-of-life & bereavement support.

  • Performed & led music for multiple memorial services supporting patients, family, and staff.

3.     ClearVista Health and Wellness, Lorain, OH, USA – 4/2023-10/2023

  • Role: Music Therapist

  • Setting: Adult In-Patient Psych

  • Implemented formal & informal assessments to inform goals, objectives, and interventions for patients.

  • Helped coordinate discharge planning.

  • Conducted individual sessions with adults to improve their strengths and support their individualized goals.

  • Facilitated group sessions with a diverse variety of adults with mental health, including wide age-range, diagnoses, and areas of need.

  • Developed & implemented regular staff support groups to promote well-being and relaxation within the interdisciplinary team.

4.     Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC – 8/2022-2/2023

  • Role: Music Therapy Intern

  • Setting: Adult & Pediatric Medical

  • Implemented formal & informal assessments to inform goals, objectives, and interventions.

  • Conducted individual & family sessions with adult and pediatric populations in an inpatient medical setting.

  • Facilitated group sessions with geriatric adult populations in an inpatient psychiatric setting.

  • Assisted in staff education and support groups.  

  • Performed & led music for multiple memorial services supporting patients, family, and staff.

  • Developed & implemented a case-study surveying the impact of music therapy with oncology patients regarding mental health, pain, and coping skills.

5.     Teaching and Tutoring: Variety of Ages, Cleveland, Ohio – 2017 to 2024

  • Taught private music lessons to students of various ages and abilities in their homes, including voice, piano, and guitar.

  • Tutored students in music theory, history, and other academic settings who needed extra support.

  • Worked as a section leader in multiple choirs and music ensembles, teaching music to at a simplified pace to make it easier for participants to learn their parts.

Relevant Experience

Music Therapy Advocacy Presentation, Odense City Rotary Club – Odense, Denmark, 2025: Presented on benefits, application, and other areas of music therapy.

Cleveland Student Music Therapists, Baldwin Wallace University – Berea, OH, 2018-2022. Vice President (2021-2022), Secretary (2020-2021), Member (2018-2022). Offered peer support to Music Therapy students at Baldwin Wallace University. Led regular music enrichment services for various populations including adults with developmental disabilities and children.

Program Student Assistant, Cleveland Consortium of Music Therapy, Berea, OH, 2021-2022. Assisted Music Therapy Program Director with various tasks such as organization, cataloguing, communication, and networking.

Music Enrichment Sessions, Berea, OH, 1/2021-5/2021, individually conducted music enrichment sessions with 8-year-old autistic boy, through Baldwin Wallace’s Community Arts School.   

Accomplishments

  • Ohio Federation of Music Clubs (OFMC) Scholarship recipient: 2021; 2022

  • Association of Ohio Music Therapists (AOMT) Membership Scholarship recipient, December 2020

  • Dean’s List: Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021