Jacqueline Smith

Education

Ph.D., University of Hartford’s Hartt School

MCAT, Drexel University

BM, Eastman School of Music

Dr. Jacqueline Smith has over 30 years of teaching experience and is a frequent presenter on the subject of neurodiversity and inclusion in music education.  She holds a credential for teaching students with behavioral and emotional special needs from National Association for Music Education and a master’s degree in creative arts therapy in music therapy. Dr. Smith is the Director of the Prism Project, a performing arts experience for students with special needs at the Hartt Community Division.  Before coming to Hartt for her doctoral work, she was chair of the performing arts department at the Rectory School in Pomfret, CT where she directed the orchestra, band, jazz ensemble, and chamber groups.  Before her extensive career as a music educator, Dr. Smith worked as a certified music therapist at the Center for Autism in Philadelphia, PA, and at a private psychiatric hospital in the Boston area. 

Dr. Smith was a visiting professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for the 2018-2019 academic year.  In addition to teaching in the music education division at the Hartt School, she is an adjunct faculty in the psychology department at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford where she teaches Introduction to Music Therapy.  Dr. Smith’s research interests include teaching music to children with autism, the intersection of music education and music therapy, and music teacher professional development.  She is published in The International Journal of Research in Music Education, Visions of Research in Music Education, and Arts Education Policy Review.  She holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Hartford’s Hartt School, a Master’s degree in Creative Arts Therapy from Drexel University, and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music.