Dr. Concetta Tomaino, Renowned Expert in Music Therapy, Joins Faculty at Concordia College
By Rebecca Portnoy, Communications Associate, Concordia College
Jul. 11, 2018: Concordia College is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Concetta Tomaino to Distinguished Professor of Creative Arts. Dr. Tomaino is developing Concordia College’s proposed master of science in music therapy. The program will prepare students as clinicians, scholars, and leaders in the profession by providing theoretical foundations in conjunction with advanced practical and clinical training to meet the challenging needs of patients across the lifespan.
Dr. Tomaino is internationally known for her research in the clinical applications of music and neurologic rehabilitation. She is the executive director and co-founder of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), now part of Wartburg Continuing Care. Leaders in music therapy, neuroscience, research, and training, IMNF uses scientific exploration of music and the brain to establish new knowledge and develop more effective music therapy treatments. The link between her foundation, IMNF, and Concordia’s nursing and other health science programs will provide opportunities for research, inter-departmental training, and program development, setting the stage for tremendous innovation and contributions to the field of health care.
Dr. Tomaino lectures on music therapy throughout the world. Her work has been featured in national programs, including 48 Hours and 60 Minutes, in international programs, including those of the BBC, and in books on health and healing. The late Dr. Oliver Sacks dedicated his book Musicophilia to her. Dr. Tomaino is past president of the American Association for Music Therapy and vice president and founding board member of the International Association for Music and Medicine. She received the Award of Accomplishment from Music Therapists for Peace at the United Nations. In 2014, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association for Music Therapy.
Dr. Tomaino said: “I am very honored to be named a distinguished professor at Concordia and excited to create a first-rate program of master’s level training in music therapy at the college. The field has gained much recognition in recent years due to increased clinical and neuroscientific evidence for the way music affects brain development and aids in rehabilitation. There is a demand for highly trained music therapists, and Concordia College will help fill that need.”
Concordia College president Dr. John A. Nunes said: “We are thrilled to have Dr. Tomaino, who is acknowledged to be the pre-eminent expert in the field, developing Concordia’s master of science in music therapy. Music is in our DNA here, as are the health sciences. The program is a perfect fit for Concordia and we expect it will make an important impact in the field.”
Pictured here: Dr. Concetta Tomaino.
Photo courtesy Rebecca Portnoy, Communications Associate, Concordia College
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