Healing Through Music
April Taylor discovered Dordt University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program while searching for a graduate program that intentionally integrated Christian faith with academic excellence. At the time, she had decided to pursue a counseling-focused MSW degree to intentionally sharpen her clinical and relational skills as a music therapist.
From her very first interaction with Dordt, she felt heard and supported. “When I called on a Friday afternoon and was told not only did they have Christian curriculum, but I would be allowed to start in three days on the first day of the Dordt's summer session if I did the paperwork—it was a miracle,” says Taylor.
“Dordt listened to my problem and allowed me to enroll over a weekend with a completed application and letters of reference. It was an answer to prayer,” she adds.
“I originally thought my journey was to begin as a music therapist and then become a counselor, but God had other plans. He led me to use what I learned in the MSW program as a foundation to pursue a PhD in music therapy.”
Taylor’s time in Dordt’s MSW program was transformative. Between supportive faculty and staff, and the integration of Christian principles with coursework in trauma, neurobiology, and neuroscience, the program provided her with a strong foundation for her daily work with at-risk youth and foster children as a music therapist for Children’s Hope Foster Family agency.
While the impact of Dordt’s MSW program on her career was immediate, her experience in the program also inspired a continued path to growth. “I am now a PhD candidate in Music Therapy,” she says. “I originally thought my journey was to begin as a music therapist and then become a counselor, but God had other plans. He led me to use what I learned in the MSW program as a foundation to pursue a PhD in music therapy.”
Today, Taylor’s work and continued education focus on helping foster children and youth heal through music. Her goal is to become a music therapy professor with an emphasis on how music works through neuroscience to alleviate trauma.
Overall, Taylor is grateful for the way Dordt’s MSW program met her needs as a working professional seeking advanced education and equipped her to do the same for others in her work as a music therapist and beyond.