Dr. Sharon R. Boyle joins the faculty of Ohio University as Director of Arts in Health and Associate Professor of Music Therapy. An experienced administrator, educator, music therapy clinician, and clinical supervisor, Boyle spent many years on the music therapy faculty of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, serving as Chair of the Department of Music and Theatre and Coordinator of Undergraduate Music Therapy. During this tenure, she received several institutional awards recognizing excellence in teaching, scholarship, and leadership.  As a music therapy clinician, she has extensive experience in long-term care and other diverse clinical settings, serving children and adults. Boyle has been a leader in the area of vocal health in music therapy. She has written on clinical musicianship with an emphasis on voice and co-authored a book titled “Functional Voice Skills for Music Therapists” that was published by Barcelona Publishers. She has presented both regionally and nationally on topics such as vocal improvisation, music-based approaches in dementia care, and clinical supervision. Boyle is a long-time member of the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) and maintains her board certification credential from the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT).  She has served as the president of the Association for Indiana Music Therapy (AIMT), on the Music Therapy Perspectives Editorial Board, and on the AMTA Assembly of Delegates.

Boyle earned her Doctorate in Health Sciences from Indiana State University, a Master of Music (Music Therapy Equivalency) from East Carolina University. and a Bachelor of Arts in Music (vocal performance emphasis) from Linfield College. In addition, she completed post-graduate work studying advanced clinical improvisation and songwriting with Dr. Alan Turry and received training in Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Training and Re-educative Music and Imagery Certification under supervision of Frances Goldberg and Dr. Lisa Summer.