Christine Pollard Leist, Ph.D., MT-BC

A music therapist since 1993, Dr. Leist joined the Hayes School of Music faculty in 2000. As Coordinator of Clinical Experiences, she teaches Functional Guitar; Music, the Brain, and Neurological Disorders; Music in Special Education; Music Therapy in Health Care, Music Therapy Practicum Experience, and Clinical Research Project.

Dr. Leist holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from The Florida State University (1992), a Master of Music in Music Therapy from the University of Miami (1997), and the Ph.D. in Music Education with a Music Therapy Cognate from Michigan State University (2011). Dr. Leist has completed additional training in Orff-Schulwerk, Neurologic Music Therapy, and the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music. She has presented at regional and national American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) conferences on uses of technology in teaching, self-care for the professional, and music of the Appalachian region.

Having provided clinical music therapy services primarily for adult and older adult populations, Leist has supervised pre-internship students across a wide variety of ages and populations. Her research interests include music therapy applications in neurorehabilitation and health-care settings. The title of her dissertation was "A Music Therapy Support Group to Ameliorate Psychological Distress in Adults with Coronary Heart Disease in a Rural Community."

A former first vice-president of the Southeastern Region of AMTA, Leist has served as Editor for the Music Therapy Association of North Carolina, Chair of the Southeastern Region of the AMTA Membership Committee, and Regional Representative to the national AMTA Membership Committee. Additionally, she served as a reviewer for both the Edwina Eustis Dick Scholarship and the E. Thayer Gaston Writing Award both offered by the American Music Therapy Association.

Education

• 2011, Ph.D. in Music Education with Music Therapy Cognate ,Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
• 2005, Completed Level I Training in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT), Center for Biomedical Research in Music, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
• 2001, Completed Level I Training in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM), Therapeutic Arts Institute, Pasadena, CA
• 1997, Master of Music in Music Therapy, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida.
• 1992, Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy with minor in Psychology, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida. (Cum Laude)

Professional Affiliations & Honors

• Music Therapist – Board Certified. Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT).
• Graduate Research Associate Mentorship Program (GRAM) Recipient, Appalachian State University
• Impact Project Grant, Sigma Alpha Iota
• Research Enhancement Grant, Michigan State University
• Level I Certification. Orff-Schulwerk Course. Boone, NC.
• Pi Kappa Lambda
• Sigma Alpha Iota

Publications and Presentations

Publications

• Leist, C.P. (in press). Cardiac care. In J. Allen (Ed.), Guidelines for music therapy practice. Gilsum, NH: Barcelona.
• Leist, C.P. (2011). A music therapy support group to ameliorate psychological distress in adults with coronary heart disease in a rural community. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI.
• Leist, C.P. (2007). A response to Kristen Fink-Jensen, “attunement and bodily dialogues in music education”. Philosophy of Music Education Review, 15(1), 76 – 80.
• Pollard Rudolph, C.L. (1997). An evaluation of practicum skills acquisition in undergraduate music therapy students. Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Miami, Miami, Fla.

Presentations

• Leist, C.P., & Dorris, A.K. (2013, April). Selecting music for music-assisted relaxation. Presentation at the meeting of the Music Therapy Association of North Carolina. Boone, NC
• Leist, C.P. (2013, March). Guitar accompaniment techniques for music therapists: Fingerstyles. Presentation at the meeting of the Southeastern Region of the American Music Therapy Association. Chattanooga, TN.
• Harms, M., Adler, R.S., Draper, E., Meyer, P., Miller, B., Leist, C.P., Whitehead-Pleaux, A., & Willenbrink, J. (2012, October). Teaching the rudiments of improvisation: Integrating the standards throughout the curriculum. Presentation at the meeting of the American Music Therapy Association. St. Charles, IL.
• Harms, M., Adler, R.S., Draper, E., Meyer, P., Miller, B., Leist, C.P., Whitehead-Pleaux, A., & Willenbrink, J. (2012, October). Jammin' with the AMTA Standards of Clinical Practice: Structured tunes and improvisation. Presentation at the meeting of the American Music Therapy Association. St. Charles, IL.
• Leist, C.P. (2012, March). A music therapy support group to ameliorate psychological distress in adults with coronary heart disease in a rural community. Poster presented at the meeting of the Southeastern Region of the American Music Therapy Association. Charlotte, NC.
• Leist, C.P., & Reisman, U.S. (2012, March). Beyond the 12-bar blues: Guitar embellishments in blues style. Presentation at the meeting of the Southeastern Region of the American Music Therapy Association. Charlotte, NC
• Leist, C.P. (2011, November). Walking the line: Music therapy for adults with heart disease. Presentation at the meeting of the American Music Therapy Association. Atlanta, GA.
• Janowiak, J., & Leist, C.P. (2010, November). Managing stress. Presentation at the meeting of the North Carolina Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (NCAAHPERD). Winston-Salem, NC.
• Leist, C.P., & Teague, A.K. (2007, March). Journey toward a creative self-care plan. Presentation at the Southeastern Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference, Memphis, TN.
• Benze, C. & Pollard, C.L. (2006, March). Sounds of Appalachia: Instrumental petting zoo. Presentation at the Southeastern Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference, Louisville, KY.
• Lane, D., Nelson, K., Nelson, J.J., Pollard, C.L., Steele, A.L., Tims, F.C., (2005, November). Technologically enhanced education, training, and clinical practice. Institute presented at the American Music Therapy Association Conference, Orlando, FL.
• Pollard, C.L. (2005, May). Applications of attunement and bodily dialogues in music therapy. Paper presented at the meeting of the International Symposium of the Philosophy of Music Education, Hamburg, Germany.
• Madden, A.V. & Pollard, C.L. (2005, March). Music therapy and music-based strategies for special learners. Presentation for the Student Michigan Education Association at Michigan State University, Lansing, MI.
• Pollard, C.L. & Tims, F.C. (2005, March). Was music psychology your least favorite course? Presentation at the Great Lakes Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference, Milwaukee, WI.
• Pollard, C.L. (2005, March). Musical, social, and media factors in the development of rap music. Presentation at the Great Lakes Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference, Milwaukee, WI.
• Pollard, C.L. & Embler, K. (1997, October). Including students with varying exceptionalities in the regular music education classroom. Workshop for music educators of the Dorchester II School District, Summerville, SC.
• Pollard, C.L. (1993, April). Harmonic motion: A transdisciplinary approach to gait disorders. Poster presented at conference of the Southeastern Chapter of the National Association for Music Therapy, Greenville, NC.