Certification Board for Music Therapists

07/30/2026

CBMT Regulatory Affairs and AMTA Government Relations staff exhibited at the 2026 National Conference for State Legislatures (NCSL) in Chicago, Illinois this week. They connected with senators and representatives from across the country, educating them about music therapy, answering questions, and celebrating state recognition successes. There was even a chance to take a picture with some famous friends!

We are grateful to Chicago-based music therapist and AMTA board member Mia Iliopoulos Krings for joining us this week.

07/01/2026

Please see the announcement below for an important update from the American Music Therapy Association.

AMTA presents New Professional Competencies

We are thrilled to share a historic milestone nearly a decade in the making! On May 19, 2026, the AMTA Assembly of Delegates officially approved the new American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) Professional Competencies. This achievement marks a transformative step forward for our profession, ensuring our educational and clinical training frameworks remain dynamic, inclusive, and forward-looking. Check your email and/or see these links from our website for the entire announcement with a link to the updated competencies and a timeline from the Competency Review Task Force.

Announcement:
https://www.musictherapy.org/new_amta_professional_competencies/

Competencies:
https://www.musictherapy.org/about/competencies/

05/28/2026

The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) and the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) are excited to announce that on 5/27/2026 Governor Tim Walz signed into
law HB 3825. This bill includes the creation of a music therapy license under the Department of Health and establishes a Music Therapy Advisory Council to assist the Commissioner in matters
concerning the license.

Please help us congratulate the following former and current task force members on this accomplishment:

Ericha Rupp and Todd Schwartzberg (Co-Chairs)
Amy Adamson
Garret Baumler
Sean Blum
Christina Branter
Mark Burnett
Melanie Castro-Pacheco
Madison Edens
Barb Else
Emma Evans-Peck
Hilary Fredenburg
Nathan Fry
Amy Furman
Daniel Goldschmidt
Kelley Ho
Brianna Hobach
Kasey Hopkins
KT Hovda
Kaylie Johnson
Stephanie Johnson
Gina Kelly
Claire Klein
Jessica Lee
Felicia Lonosky
Amy Madson
Annie Majure
Gretchen Marble
Lindsey Markworth
Kristi McNellis
Ellie Mehr
Jessica Nagel-Nnebedum
Corinne Parenteau
Jenny Pelletier
Jake Pernsteiner
Courtney Rieck
Lauren Schaff
McKenna Selissen
Lauren Shibley
Michael Silverman
Maggie Sontesby
Melissa Spiess
Jane Tate
Karin Vaccaro
Melissa Wenszell Samborski
Marshall Yoes

Our gratitude extends to all the professional and student music therapists in the state who attended Hill Day events, sent letters of support, and participated in advocacy efforts, as well as
all the music therapists whose previous advocacy laid the foundation for this success.


American Music Therapy Association, Inc.

08/06/2025

The national team from and has enjoyed connecting with legislators from all over the country at the 50th annual National Conference of State Legislatures Legislative Summit in Boston.

08/01/2025

🎶Exciting news! The 2025 CBMT Board Certification Domains have officially been released. This in-depth document outlines the essential knowledge areas and related tasks of a board-certified music therapist. These updated standards take effect on October 27, 2025. To explore the full details, head to the CBMT Resources page at:
www.cbmt.org/resources/.

04/25/2025

The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) and the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) are excited to announce that Governor Tate Reeves has signed into law SB 2741. This bill creates a music therapy license under the State Board of Health and establishes a Music Therapy Advisory Committee to assist the State Board in matters concerning the license.

Please help us congratulate current task force members Katie Drake (chair), Lauren Emily Bullen, Gracie Conley, Justin Dedeaux, Melanie Freeman, Rachel Humer, Emma King, Carmen Osburn, Jodie Griffin Ross, and Melanie Wiseheart; all the professional and student music therapists in the state who attended Hill Day events, sent letters of support, and participated in advocacy efforts; and all the music therapists whose previous advocacy laid the foundation for this success.

03/31/2025

As part of the 75th anniversary of the legacy music therapy associations that now comprise the American Music Therapy Association, AMTA is curating a special journal issue —and they would love to hear from music therapists and supporters across the music therapy community.

What are two JMT and/or MTP articles that have had a meaningful impact on your work and/or the evolution of the profession? Share your selections by answering the poll:

https://forms.gle/2zfkzBkWaMWWYtkx9

Poll opens now till April 9, 2025.Your insights will help highlight the depth and diversity of our collective practice and scholarship.

03/20/2025

Week 2 !! Picks, pens, stickers and more! Stop by to say hi and get your certification/recertification questions answered!

03/14/2025

Kicking off 2025 Regional Conferences at ! Stop by our table to pick up and restock your CBMT pens, picks and pins!

02/16/2025

Thanks to the dedication of , our profession is growing stronger every day. Learn how MT-BCs are driving policy changes and expanding access to music therapy: https://bit.ly/4hrd8t8