Ph.D., University of Kansas; M.M., Colorado State University; B.A., Utah State University
Assistant Professor (Music Therapy)
Sekyung Jang, Associate Professor and Director of Music Therapy, earned her Bachelor
of Arts from Utah State University. She has her Master of Music from Colorado State
University, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education with an emphasis of Music
Therapy from the University of Kansas. Jang teaches undergraduate and graduate courses
in music therapy which include Psychology of Music, Research in Music, and Advanced
Methods and Materials in Music Therapy.
Prior to her appointment at Radford University, Jang developed and implemented various
music therapy interventions as a founder and director of GongGam Music Psychological
Institute in South Korea. Through contractual works, she served variety of clientele,
including older adults in community-based settings and children and adolescence in
public schools. She has also worked with children with developmental delays and emotional/behavioral
challenges in both South Korea and the United States.
Her current clinical and research interests include prevention of depression in older
persons, theory-based intervention research, intergenerational programming, and reflective
practice in music therapy. Her writings can be found in the Journal of Music Therapy,
The Arts in Psychotherapy, and Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Additionally,
Jang received specialized training in Neurologic Music Therapy and actively presents
in international, national, and regional conferences and symposia.
Jang’s teaching is characterized by a balanced combination between lectures, experientials,
and discussions so that students can integrate theory and practice. Also, she believes
that it is important to learn life-long learning skills when students are in training,
so her assignments and class projects are often associated with practical issues and
problem-solving skills crucial to clinical practice. Additionally, Jang emphasizes
on building a culture learning where students feel safe to try new things, make mistakes,
and freely and respectfully receive and give feedback. Jang strives to provide quality
education that prepares students to be future leaders of music therapy.
