Introduction: Professor Barbara Crowe of the Arizona State University Music Therapy Program is an influential thinker and practitioner in the field of music therapy. This school year, 2014-2015 marks a very important year for music therapy at Arizona State University in the field, in general, as it is Professor Crowe’s final year prior to her retirement. Crowe has not only helped to firmly establish the Music Therapy program at ASU, but also, through her scholarship and leadership, she has forever impacted the trajectory of music therapy as a profession and as an academic field. Her stories and recollections noted below can give us greater insight into not only her own thinking and development as a therapist, but also highlight her practical and philosophical contributions to the field, at large.
The following three interviews occurred on separate afternoons in September and October and took place in Professor Crowe’s office, with its packed bookshelves, adaptive instruments, and wall full of awards and recognitions for her work. During these two interviews, we discussed her life, important professional relationships, her work, and her own reflections about her impressive legacy. The first interview focused mainly on her early life, schooling, and collegiate teaching experiences.
The following three interviews occurred on separate afternoons in September and October and took place in Professor Crowe’s office, with its packed bookshelves, adaptive instruments, and wall full of awards and recognitions for her work. During these two interviews, we discussed her life, important professional relationships, her work, and her own reflections about her impressive legacy. The first interview focused mainly on her early life, schooling, and collegiate teaching experiences.