Melita Belgrave, PhD, MT-BC

Associate Professor of Music Therapy
School of Music, Dance and Theatre
Arizona State University

The Power of Music in Dementia Care

Sharing the power of music to help with everyday tasks, improve situational behaviors, reduce stress and provide new opportunities for enriched engagement.

Biography

Melita Belgrave received her bachelor’s degree in music therapy from Michigan State University. She also earned her master’s in music therapy, a certification in aging studies, and a doctorate in music education with an emphasis in music therapy at Florida State University.  Belgrave has worked as a music therapist in special education, mental health, rehabilitation, hospice, geriatric, and intergenerational settings throughout Texas, Florida, Kansas, and Missouri. Her research interests are music therapy with older adults and intergenerational programming. She has presented at regional, national, and international conferences, and her research has been published in national and international journals including the Journal of Music Therapy, Music Therapy Perspectives, Frontiers Medicine, Journal of Music Teacher Education. She co-authored the text “Music Therapy and Geriatric Populations: A Handbook for Practicing Music Therapists.”