Music Therapy Internships at Powers

Location and Schedule

The Music Therapy Internship at Powers Music School runs for 36-38 weeks, beginning in September and ending in June. Throughout the school year, there will be 4 weeks of scheduled breaks, taking place in December, February and April. This schedule follows one complete academic year to provide stability for the Music Therapy Intern (MTI) and the students they are working with.

In general, the MTI can expect to be working between 30-36 hours per week, depending on the needs of the intern and facility. Some weeks, especially toward the beginning and end of the internship, will be much lighter than others. The regular working hours are somewhat flexible but dependent on the caseload and student availability. Session work will primarily be taking place on Tuesdays-Fridays, with Mondays reserved for admin work or make-up sessions as needed.

The majority of sessions will take place at the school’s main site (160 Lexington St, Belmont, MA 02478), but some off-site work will be required and it is the MTI’s responsibility to arrange necessary transportation, either independently or with support from the Internship Director (ID). Access to reliable transportation is highly recommended for this internship.

Entry-Level Requirements

The following skills are considered Entry-Level Requirements that are necessary to be considered for this internship. These skills will be assessed by the ID, Associate Director, and Executive Director at Powers based on the completed application materials, audition, and interview process. All necessary training beyond listed skills will be provided during the internship.

• CORI/SORI check must be completed and passed ($25 fee may apply)
• Musical skills:
  • Basic skills in accompanying oneself singing with piano and guitar in the way of leading a song (audible voice, intonation, consistent tempo, etc.)
  • Basic chord progression (I-IV-V) in 3 keys on piano and guitar
  • Understanding of basic transposition for leading a simple song
  • Knowledge of rhythm and percussion instruments and maintaining a steady beat on a drum while singing
  • Knowledge of music theory to write and accompany/harmonize a simple melody
• Clinical Writing skills and understanding of objective vs subjective language
• Functional written and verbal communication skills
• Self-reflection skills, ability to take and implement criticisms, and willingness to constructively engage in difficult and uncomfortable conversations surrounding topics of privilege, ableism, etc

Audition and Application Process

Explanation of University Affiliation

The Music Therapy Internship at Powers Music School is a University Affiliated internship. Eligibility for the university affiliation will be determined prior to proceeding with the application process. To inquire about university affiliation please reach out to your music therapy faculty/advisors or send an email to the Director of Music Therapy, Cheyenna Eagle, at ceagle@powersmusic.org.

Audition and Interview Process

Powers Music School will be accepting applications from March to the end of April, or early May. Decisions will be made and sent to prospective interns by mid-June (see application for deadlines and dates). Audition and application materials are listed here:

• Current Resume- submitted via email
• Current Transcript (unofficial is acceptable) – submitted via email
• Two Written Recommendations (at least one recommendation must come from a previous clinical supervisor)
• A letter of eligibility sent from the academic chair of the university
• Completion of Music Therapy Application (includes responses to 7 short (paragraph) answer questions)
• Video submissions – submitted via email:
  • 1 video accompanying yourself singing with piano
  • 1 video accompanying yourself singing with guitar
  • 1 video on instrument of your choice

Following the review of the submitted materials, ID will be in contact to schedule an in-person or virtual synchronous audition to assess sight reading and transposition skills, and to answer any other questions the prospective intern may have. After the completion of this audition, an additional interview will be scheduled with the ID, Associate Director, and Executive Director at Powers Music School. This interview will be structured as a typical job interview. The prospective intern can expect to be asked questions about topics including, but not limited to: hypothetical session planning, past clinical experience, reason for application, career goals, etc.

Resume Submissions
Current Resumes should be submitted in PDF format to the Internship Director. Please be sure to include all relevant experiences and clinical work.

Transcript Submissions

A transcript should be submitted, documenting the academic progress of the applicant. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable and should be sent to the Internship Director.

Letters of Recommendation Submissions

Two written letters of recommendation should be submitted to the Internship Director. At least one letter of recommendation must come from a previous clinical supervisor.

Recommendation letters may be submitted using this link: https://forms.gle/hhBXCeAmEYCaAJAZA

Please send this link to the person writing your recommendation and provide their contact information in the application. All instructions are included in this form.

This link must be sent to both of your references prior to completing the application. If the application process is completed and any Recommendation Letters are missing, the Internship Director will contact you directly for next steps.

Video Submissions

Video submissions can be submitted to the ID via email to ceagle@powersmusic.org.

It is recommended videos are uploaded to YouTube as “Unlisted”. A tutorial on how to upload an unlisted video can be found here.

When uploading videos, please label each video as First Initial, Last Name – Song Title (Artist). [Example: CEagle- If I Ain’t Got You (Alicia Keys)].

The piano and guitar video submissions can generally be 1 verse and 1 chorus of each song, and no more than 2 minutes.

These videos are to assess basic music skills that would be used clinically. The video submission of an instrument of your choice does not need to include vocals. This can be a video from a past, but recent, performance on your primary instrument, including voice, or any other instrument that you feel demonstrates your musical ability and personal musical identity. This video is to showcase something unique to you and is not a judgement of your musical skills as much as it is to demonstrate your personal relationship with music.

All detailed information about the Music Therapy Internship at Powers Music School can be found here in the Music Therapy Internship Packet. If after reviewing the packet, you still have questions remaining, please reach out to Director of Music Therapy and Internship Director, Cheyenna Eagle, MT-BC at ceagle@powersmusic.org.

Contact Information

Director of Music Therapy/Internship Director:
Cheyenna Eagle, MT-BC
Email: ceagle@powersmusic.org
Phone: (978) 267-1316

Executive Director:
Gavin Farrell
Email: gfarrell@powersmusic.org

Associate Director:
Dr. Meghan Miller
Email: mmiller@powersmusic.org