Imagine a high-quality, affordable, community music therapy program that serves people across their lifespans — from mommy-and-me groups for NICU grads to senior adult community choirs. That’s what the Music Therapy Clinic (MTC) at the University of Louisville offers the people in the Louisville-Southern Indiana (Kentuckiana) region.
Assistant Professor of Music Therapy Chris R. Millett is a clinic mentor and former MTC coordinator and explains, “Our mission is to make lives in Louisville richer and healthier through music, and we serve thousands of individuals, families and facilities every year with music-based experiences like songwriting, group musicking, improvising and more to improve health-related outcomes.”
The university just celebrated the 25th anniversary of its music therapy program. “We pride ourselves on our care for students as developing humans, forward-thinking pedagogical practices and an environment that encourages compassion and critical thinking to tackle the concerns of 21st century music therapists,” Millett says.
His teaching approach centers on radical inclusivity of students and musical practices that enable them to better serve an increasingly multicultural world. “This includes preparing students to be their best self musically, stretch themselves clinically and to understand the nature of trauma-informed and anti-oppressive practices to help them adapt to any setting or people group,” he explains.
Millett admits to being relentlessly committed to incremental improvement and is constantly tinkering and improving his lesson plans and workflows. He has integrated modern technologies like digital audio workstations (DAWs) and artificial intelligence in his teaching, as well as redesigned courses to include contemporary popular music and electric guitar.
“I view modern technologies in music practices as both a boon and, at times, a stumbling block,” Millett says matter-of-factly. “I balance the use of digital music tools, artificial intelligence and other technology with an approach that critically evaluates where it is helping and where it impedes or supersedes the creative process. We don’t want to trade our minds for convenience, most especially in creative domains like music!”
The Music Therapy Clinic is the only nonprofit music therapy in the commonwealth of Kentucky and served more than 7,000 individuals in the Louisville area in 2025. Nearly 75% of those who received music therapy services paid low or no costs because of grant and philanthropy funding. Millett himself has helped raise nearly $200,000 since he started in his position at the University of Louisville in 2019 to help offset the costs associated for families and facilities. One organization that Millett and his students serves is Boys & Girls Haven, a private residential group foster home. MTC also hosts the All-Abilities Rock Band, The Grooves, which helps members learn to play instruments, play in a band and foster social connection. The Grooves regularly performs at concerts and local events through a neuro-inclusive, adapted rock band model.
Since the pandemic, the American music therapy community has lacked conference opportunities to build professional communities. In 2022, Millett hosted the first UN-conference, where individuals from around the world participated in the online conference. In 2024, the UN-conference expanded on the theme “Community Music Therapy” and brought hundreds of global music therapists together for a free continuing-education experience.
Millett serves on the board of directors for Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT), the music therapy accrediting body that upholds the board-certification credential for music therapists. “It is a humbling experience to be amongst such great leaders in our field, and to hold the responsibility of protecting the public and shaping the next generation of music therapists,” he says with pride.
