Alumni

Kelly Frick (2023)

Kelly Frick is a board-certified music therapist who is pursuing her Master of Music Therapy degree. She graduated from Appalachian State University in 2013 after completing her internship at Good Samaritan Society in Stillwater, Minnesota. Falling in love with the cold winters of Minnesota she worked there for four years before returning home to Greensboro, North Carolina. She has had the opportunity to work in long-term care facilities, hospice, and with adolescents with autism and...

Abby Hershauer (2023)

Abby Hershauer is pursuing the Master of Music Therapy degree at Appalachian State University. Abby is a vocalist with a desire to pursue the opportunities of healing through music therapy. Abby has been taking vocal and piano lessons since childhood culminating with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a minor in Psychology at Western Carolina University located in Cullowhee, North Carolina. At Western Carolina University she was involved in many ensembles including the Concert Choir, Indonesian...

Michael Hudson (2023)

Michael Hudson is a board-certified music therapist from Harrisonburg, Virginia, pursuing his Master's degree in Music Therapy. He completed his internship at Pathways Hospice in Fort Collins Colorado and holds a bachelor's degree in Music Industry from James Madison University. His professional experience includes audio engineering, individual piano and guitar lessons, and working with adults with disabilities. Michael enjoys songwriting and performing on both guitar and piano and has...

Jenna Kyber (2023)

Jenna Kyber, from Greenville, SC is pursuing her Equivalency and Master’s Degree in Music Therapy. She graduated with her BA in Music from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC in 2019, where she studied jazz guitar, completed a secondary study in piano, and minored in business administration. There, she performed with the Jazz Guitar Ensemble, the Winthrop Chorale, and accompanied many student recitals. She even travelled with the Chorale to perform in Carnegie Hall the summer of 2019. She...

Claire Morison (2023)

Claire Morison is a board-certified music therapist pursuing a dual Master's degree in Music Therapy and Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Appalachian State University. She received a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from Belmont University, and recently renewed her certification in Neurologic Music Therapy. Claire comes to Appalachian State from Roswell, Georgia, where she worked as a Music Therapist with George Center for Music Therapy, providing music therapy services to individuals and...

Emily Whitaker (2022)

Emily Whitaker is a graduate student in the combined Equivalency and Master of Music Therapy Program. She graduated from Western Carolina University where she studied flute performance under Dr. Eldred Spell and earned her B.M. in Commercial and Electronic Music with a concentration in film composition. Since 2017, Emily has been increasingly involved in the WCU Chapter of United Sound, eventually becoming a co-president and utilizing her composition skills to...

Renee Yong (2022)

Renee Yong, MT-BC, completed the Music Therapy Equivalency and is completing the Master of Music Therapy degree as a graduate student from Penang, Malaysia. She completed her internship at University Hospitals of Cleveland in Ohio. She graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College with a Bachelor of Arts in Music in 2017. She enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking and climbing. She was also actively involved in various international student events and serves in a worship band with a...

Hunter Holbert (2020)

Hunter Holbert is pursuing a Master of Music Performance with a concentration in Violin Performance. He recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from Appalachian State University in May of 2020. Hunter is a native of Western North Carolina, hailing from Hendersonville where he began his studies on the violin. One of his passions is playing music in an historically informed fashion. Once he graduates, Hunter hopes to play in a professional ensemble as well...

Alice Berry (2019)

Alice Berry is a board-certified music therapist who completed dual master’s degrees in Music Therapy and Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She completed her music therapy clinical internship in hospice and bereavement and returned to school to extend her scope of practice to mental health work in the LGBTQ community. She is now working for Four Seasons Hospice in Flat Rock, NC. When not working, she can be found in the woods of Western North Carolina with a dog or two.

Allison Bishop (2019)

Pianist Allison Bishop received a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she studied with Dr. Joseph DiPiazza, Dr. Andrew Willis, and Dr. Inara Zandmane. Born in Raleigh, NC, Ms. Bishop began her piano studies at age 7 and from ages 13-18 studied at the Raleigh Music Conservatory with Ms. Anne Scoggin and Marilyn Brown, where prizes were won in the MTNA competition. After graduating, Ms. Bishop moved to Asheville to teach piano full-...