First Name:
Jake
Last Name:
Keller MA, MMT, LMFT, MT-BC
Main Title:
Music Therapy - Adjunct Instructor
Email:
Type:
Area(s):
Jake Keller is an adjunct instructor of music therapy in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University, where he teaches both undergraduate and graduate music therapy guitar courses. He is passionate about helping students advance their guitar skills in preparation for clinical work and finds great joy in moments when students grasp new techniques and show excitement toward coursework. Additionally, Jake owns his own therapy practice as a licensed marriage and family therapist, providing mental health services in his local community and across the state of North Carolina.
Jake is also actively involved in the Boone community and his church network. He and his wife have a young daughter and son. As a family of four, they appreciate the welcoming environment Boone offers. His professional work includes various presentations on music therapy, focusing on topics such as the use of music for social connection during military deployment and multicultural music therapy in palliative care. Jake’s dedication to his students, his therapeutic practice, and his community involvement highlight his commitment to fostering growth and connection through music therapy.
In 2018, Jake was deployed with the NC Army National Guard to assist with engineer missions in Iraq. Upon returning, he received master’s degrees in both music therapy and marriage and family therapy from Appalachian State, along with certificates in addiction counseling and systemic multicultural counseling. He became a board-certified music therapist after earning a bachelor’s degree in music therapy from Appalachian State in 2017. Before his studies at Appalachian State, he earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance with a concentration in guitar from Gardner-Webb University.