Life & Work with Alejandra Ferrer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alejandra Ferrer.

Hi Alejandra, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I am a professor and coordinator of music therapy at Belmont University in Nashville, TN.

In the Fall of 2022, the music therapy program at Belmont established a clinical practicum rotation in the NICU at TriStar Children’s Hospital. I supervise this practicum, working on the unit every Monday evening with two students that have been assigned to this site. Every week, we serve babies beginning at 28 weeks gestational age through their discharge date. Many of these babies have long NICU stays which can last up to several months. Their diagnoses include prematurity, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, and Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Music therapy interventions are used to promote neurobehavioral regulation in infants, as well as teach tolerance to stimuli, support a quiet and alert state, stabilize physiological parameters, and promote relaxation.

The medical staff working with the babies recognize the benefits of music and will find ways to play recorded music at the bedside, using cell phones and music found on YouTube, Pandora, etc. As a music therapist, I support the use of music to soothe and calm a baby, and I also recognize that there are evidence-based practices that make music-listening experiences safe and effective. These practices include appropriate music listening equipment as well as appropriate musical stimuli.

As I want to support the nurses and infants, it is my goal to purchase safe music-listening equipment for every NICU bed on the unit. For this, I have created a fundraiser online using AngeLink, and have received around $600 in donations. Here is the link: https://angelinkweb.page.link/mUVGeZ9HgaLb5vr28. Additionally, Blue Star Connection gave me a generous donation of MP3s, speakers, and chargers.

Jazzmin, Belmont’s School of Music Jazz Ensemble directed by Professor Kate Paradise has recorded lullabies that are appropriate and safe for premature infants. The lullabies sang followed safe music listening guidelines established through years of music therapy research. These lullabies will be uploaded to the MP3s and delivered to the NICU in the coming weeks.

The music played will be at a safe volume (<45 dBA which is the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics) and only play for a specific period (it will shut off automatically). The babies will receive the music binaurally. It will be vocal music that will promote auditory discrimination and language development.

The music will be of a slow tempo, quiet volume level, voice alone or voice with one accompanying instrument, and will be melodically and rhythmically simple. The music will be lullabies, which are developmentally appropriate and used universally to soothe babies.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We need money to purchase the equipment! Currently, we have enough money for approximately half of the beds on the unit. This is very exciting!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Alejandra J. Ferrer, Ph.D., MT-BC, is an Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of Music Therapy at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Dr. Ferrer holds a BM in music therapy from Florida State University (2004), an MM in music therapy from Florida State University (2005), and a Ph.D. in music education from The Ohio State University (2012). Before joining Belmont, Dr. Ferrer worked as an adjunct professor at Ohio University and The Ohio State University, where she taught music therapy and music education courses.

Concurrently, she practiced music therapy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, specifically working with infants and toddlers in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. During this time, she supervised undergraduate and graduate practicum students and interns, participated in interdisciplinary research efforts, and engaged in outpatient program development. Dr. Ferrer developed the first music therapy program at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

During her tenure at The James, she established a strong outpatient music therapy program that supported the psychosocial needs of adult cancer survivors. Dr. Ferrer has also served adults with mental illness and substance abuse disorders in both acute care and forensic units, older adults in memory care and assisted living settings, and children and adults with developmental disabilities. Dr. Ferrer is a regular presenter at regional and national music therapy conferences on topics about college student mental health, accessibility in music therapy education, and professional issues.

She has authored multiple book chapters and her work has been published in the Journal of Music Therapy, Music Therapy Perspectives, and Imagine. In the past, Dr. Ferrer served on the American Music Therapy Association’s (AMTA) Academic and Program Approval Committee and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Currently, Dr. Ferrer serves on the AMTA’s Board of Directors as Council Coordinator for Education and Clinical Training.

I am most excited about being able to help the nurses at TriStar by giving them equipment that they will be able to implement to support their patients. The nurses at TriStar NICU are angels. They pour themselves into their work and want the best for their patients. They have been so receptive and supportive of Belmont Music Therapy! It is my way of giving back!

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Love best; the delicious restaurants!

Love least: the traffic!