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Image of American Music Therapist, Elizabeth K. Schwartz. She has shoulder-length brown hair and glasses and is wearing a black shirt.

Keynote Presentation: Trust the Music: Embracing Our Expertise

Presented By: 

Elizabeth K. Schwartz, MA, LCAT, MT-BC

Music therapists across the globe bring unmatched expertise to the people and communities they serve. Trusting ourselves and fully embracing that expertise is essential to creating accessible, effective, and meaningful spaces for change.

Join music therapist Elizabeth Schwartz as she explores how music therapists, and music therapy as a profession, can confidently claim a seat at the table. Drawing from decades of clinical music therapy practice, years of legislative advocacy, and her scholarly study of music therapy musicianship, Elizabeth highlights the unique contributions music therapists bring to interdisciplinary work.

Through guided reflection and practical action steps, attendees will be empowered to articulate their value and advocate with clarity and confidence for themselves, their participants, and the profession of music therapy.

Session Start

February 7, 2026 12:15 am GMT

(Unknown)

Session Length

90 minutes

Presenter Bios: 

Elizabeth K. Schwartz MA, LCAT, MT-BC spent her music therapy clinical career working in early childhood music therapy and school-based music therapy practice. She frequently presents on music development, music centered practice and assessment, and use of the voice in music therapy. Elizabeth is the author of a number of articles, book chapters, and books on music therapy including Music, Therapy, and Early Childhood: A Developmental Approach, Functional Voice Skills for Music Therapists, and Basic Verbal Skills for Music Therapists published by Barcelona Publishers and the You and Me Makes…We and Together with the Beat: Songs for Me, and You, and Us songbooks. Her research projects include studying therapeutic singing and clinical musicianship. She continues to teach courses on music therapy as Adjunct Professor at Molloy University and as guest lecturer at a number of music therapy programs across the United States including Shenandoah University. Elizabeth is co-founder of Raising Harmony: Music Therapy for Young Children which provides training and resources for music therapists. Her other passion is music therapy advocacy on the regional, state, and federal level including government law and regulation pertaining to practice oversight and funding. Throughout her career she has served in a number of professional positions on behalf of music therapists and clients. In 2014, Elizabeth received the American Music Therapy Association Professional Practice Award.