Seung Hwan “Fred” Ra

Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor, Music Therapy

Professor Ra holds degrees in music therapy from the University of the Pacific (B.M.) and from Florida State University (M.M). Prior to moving to Miami, he was the Director of Music Therapy Clinical Field Education at the University of Alabama. During his undergraduate and graduate academic careers, he has held leadership positions within the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), Western Region of the American Music Therapy Association (WRAMTA), and within the Southeastern Region of the American Music Therapy Association (SERAMTA). As a board-certified music therapist, Fred has worked with clients ranging from 2 months-old to 101 years-old; from NICU to Hospice. However, his passion is working with school aged children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and older adults diagnosed with Dementia/Alzheimer’s.

He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in Music Therapy. His research interests include developing and unifying the Music Therapy Undergraduate Program. As a relatively young discipline, compared to other healthcare professions, the music therapy curriculum and clinical training differs from program to program. There is substantial research proving the effectiveness of music therapy; however, there is very little research on music therapy education and clinical training. Upon earning his PhD, Fred hopes to unify and standardize the music therapy curriculum and clinical training across the US.