11.13.09 – Colorado State Univeristy Instructor of Music Therapy Sarah Johnson, was awarded the prestigious American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) Professional Practice Award at the AMTA national Conference in San Diego on November 13, 2009.

The Professional Practice Award recognizes “a significant contribution to the profession by utilizing special skills and/or knowledge in therapeutic practice, clinical supervision, education and/or administration.”

Sarah Johnson received her MM degree in Music Therapy from Colorado State University (1989), and her BS degree in Music Therapy from the University of Minnesota (1984). She currently is the clinical supervisor for the graduate music therapy students at CSU, and co-coordinates the community therapeutic outreach program of the Center for Biomedical Research in Music (CBRM). She also assists with the International Training Institutes and Fellowship Trainings in Neurologic Music Therapy held at CBRM. Since graduate teaching assistant days at CSU, she has either taught, substituted for colleagues, and/or guest lectured in a variety of courses in the music therapy department. Johnson has presented on Neurologic Music Therapy on the state, regional and national level as well Canada, Japan and South Korea.

In addition to her work at CSU, Johnson is the neurologic music therapist for the In-patient Rehabilitation and Out- patient Children’s Therapy Services of Poudre Valley Hospital, programs that she created over 20 years ago. Johnson is also a member of the Colorado Association for Music Therapy.