Dr. Alicia Barksdale
Dr. Alicia Barksdale, the instructor for Adaptive Music Lessons at The Music Institute, is a board-certified music therapist, educator, and scholar with extensive experience in music therapy, adaptive music strategies, and higher education. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy with high honors from The Catholic University of America, where she received the President’s Award for scholarship, leadership, and community service. She later earned a Master of Science in Music Education from Towson University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University.
Dr. Barksdale has taught at Towson University and currently serves as master teacher of Adaptive Music Lessons at Howard Community College and Music Therapy Program Director at Washington Adventist University. She is a governor-appointed member of the Maryland State Board of Examiners for Audiologists, Hearing-Aid Dispensers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Music Therapists and is certified in Neurologic Music Therapy techniques.
A dedicated advocate for individuals with disabilities, Dr. Barksdale has developed music therapy programs for special education settings and taught choral and general music in Maryland public schools. Her research focuses on adaptive music strategies and accessibility in higher education, culminating in her dissertation, The Self-Efficacy of University Music Majors with Disabilities. She is the author of Music Therapy and Leisure for Persons with Disabilities and has contributed scholarly publications, including a chapter in Integrative Rehabilitation Practice: The Foundations of Whole-Person Care for Health Professionals.