Date of Graduation

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education Policy, Planning, and Administration

Committee Chairperson

Merry Staulters, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kristin Mehr, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Ralph Sorrentino, Ed.D.

Abstract

In 2022, the workforce analysis of music therapists, the American Music Therapy Association reported that approximately 80% of all board-certified music therapists are white/Caucasian-European (Iwamasa, 2025). However, the AMTA does not determine the origins of race or ethnicity among postsecondary music therapy faculty in the U.S., nor does it assess their potential impact on the expansion of multicultural curricula for preservice professionals. The purpose of this convergent mixed-methods dissertation is to examine the perception of lived experiences as a pedagogical tool to enhance effective teaching practices. Twenty-six postsecondary faculty from the U.S. were recruited. Quantitative data were collected via Qualtrics using Likert scales and demographic items to identify diversity among educators, multicultural practices, lived experiences in practice, and training. Qualitative data were collected through nine, 1:1 semi-structured interviews to examine the perceived significance of pedagogical styles, lived experiences, and artifacts in delivering a multicultural curriculum toward cultural competence. Kendall’s tau-b indicates a moderate positive association between the perceived value of cultural competence (CC) and perceptions of education in cultural competence (τ = .394, p = .007); strong positive association between CC and lived experiences in practice (τ = .612, p = < .001). Qualitative interviews indicate the strong use of lived experiences as a tool in the curriculum, creating an effective model for current music therapy pedagogy. When data converged, they revealed areas for ongoing cultural responsiveness, sustainability of training future professionals, and the ongoing need for multicultural training.

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