Music Therapy Internship

Music therapy internship fosters critical skill-building in all the professional competency areas identified by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) for students seeking the credential music therapist board certified (MT-BC) through the Certification Board for Music Therapists. Our program requires 40 hours per week for six months onsite. Interns will have weekly supervision with the internship director and complete rotations with board-certified music therapists in both pediatric and adult clinical care.

Our comprehensive internship offers opportunities for frequent multidisciplinary collaborations, including co-treatment with certified child life specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, chaplains and social workers. Interns are expected to commit to working full time, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Interns will have opportunities to observe and lead both individual and small-group sessions focused on diverse therapeutic needs such as new diagnosis support, procedural support, pain management, anxiety and difficulty with coping and bereavement care.

Intern applicants with high academic achievements and pediatric medical practicum experience will have priority.

The successful internship applicant will have:

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build rapport and establish therapeutic relationships with children, adolescents and adults
• Experience working with children and adults - Prior clinical or volunteer experiences in a medical setting are strongly encouraged
• Preliminary understanding of mental health, pediatric medical, infant care and adult palliative care
• Strong music competency skills with voice, guitar and piano in addition to basic-to-intermediate skills with at least one additional instrument (ukulele, primary instrument)
• Demonstrated emotional stability and maturity to handle the demands of an internship in this setting

Entry level evaluation process

The following will be evaluated based on the intern’s application, academic transcripts, recommendation letters, and demonstration of music skills via electronic submission.

• Qualified applicants will be further reviewed through a personal interview.
• Guitar skills: The intern is expected to be able to play in a variety of key signatures and to transpose. They should be able to provide various strumming and finger picking styles to elicit the best responses from patients as well as to provide a pleasing therapeutic sound.
• Vocal skills: The intern is expected to demonstrate the ability to sing accurately in a variety of styles while playing guitar and piano as an accompaniment.
• Academic skills: The intern should understand theories related to music therapy treatment, anatomy and biological systems and human development, and possess basic verbal and writing skills. The intern must also be able to receive and implement positive and growth-focused constructive feedback.
• Therapeutic skills: The intern should demonstrate understanding of the therapeutic process, including assessment, goal and objective setting, implementation and evaluation. The intern should demonstrate understanding of planning goal-oriented music interventions based on patient needs.

Our department’s educational opportunities support VUMC's overall mission statement on diversity and inclusion:

We will reflect the diversity of the populations we serve in our teams, programs and communications and be inclusive in our processes and decisions.

Learn more about our team’s approach to supporting an inclusive environment for education, work and care.

Fall Internship: August through January

• Application Opens: Aug. 1
• Application deadline: Oct. 1
• Applicants will be notified by October 30 if they have been selected for a final interview. Interviews will be conducted during the month of November. Students will have the option to interview on-site or virtually.
• Initial Offer: Beginning of January
• Acceptance from student: End of January 

Winter Internship: January through June

• Application Opens: Jan. 1
• Application deadline: March 1
• Applicants will be notified by March 31 if they have been selected for a final interview. Interviews will be conducted during the month of April. Students will have the option to interview on-site or virtually.
• Initial offer: Beginning of May 
• Acceptance from student: End of May

There is a $6,500 stipend for this internship. Interns will secure their own housing and may request support in finding housing sources from the internship director. VUMC will pay the Intern's on-site parking fees.

Complete the online application and upload the following documents:

• Two recommendation letters from a professor, a music therapy clinical supervisor, and/or medical volunteer supervisor.
• Documentation of minimum practicum requirements signed by the university supervisor, including current practicum if final is in progress.
• Letter of verification from the university supervisor.
• Resume
• Letter of intent: The letter of intent should clearly and concisely explain how the applicant’s experiences, education, and skillset are a good fit for this internship.
• Transcripts (official or unofficial are accepted)
• Clinical skills video highlighting: a sample of an adult-focused intervention; a sample of a pediatric-focused intervention; skills demonstration of both guitar and piano accompaniment with vocals. Videos must be no longer than eight minutes and may not include visuals of clients, patients, or individuals served.

Applicants will be notified if they are invited to a virtual or on-site final interview.

A legal affiliation agreement between VUMC and the intern’s academic program must be in place prior to the internship start date.

The intern must pay any fees associated with obtaining prerequisites.

Upon acceptance into the Music Therapy Internship program, you must send written documentation of the following required items.

• Current enrollment in a college or university with a minimum 3.4 GPA (mandatory to be enrolled at the time of the proposed internship)
• CPR certification
• Health insurance – must provide a copy of insurance card
• Professional liability insurance
• Criminal background check

The intern must pay any fees associated with obtaining vaccinations.

• Flu shot
• Negative TB skin test within the past three months. If there is a history of a positive TB skin test, provide a chest X-ray taken within the past year.
• If born on or after January 1, 1957, two live measles (rubella) vaccines given no less than one month apart, after the first birthday; or a measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine since 1989; or laboratory evidence of immunity to rubella or physician-diagnosed rubella infection.
• Varicella (chicken pox) titer drawn from a reputable laboratory, evidence of having had the disease is not sufficient.
• Completed series of three Hepatitis-B vaccine, or informed refusal of the vaccine.
• Laboratory evidence of immunity to rubella (German measles) within the last five years. This titer is not necessary if you have received the MMR or Rubella vaccine since 1989.
• Tetanus/diphtheria booster if 10 years have elapsed since last booster (recommended).

VUMC may require other appropriate immunizations to ensure intern will not be a health hazard to patients and to protect their personal health.

For answers to questions, email our internship director, Dana Kim, MA, MT-BC.

Revised January 2025