Melita Belgrave is the Area Coordinator and Associate Professor for Music Therapy at ASU in the School of Music, Dance, and Theatre. She also serves as Associate Dean for Culture and Access at Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. As Associate Dean, her role focuses on developing a sense of belonging and community for faculty, staff, and students across the Design and Arts Institute, which consists of 5 schools and an art museum. She also leads efforts for equity, diversity, and inclusion, including the 5-year DEI strategic plan for all leaders across the Institute. In her role as an Associate Professor for Music Therapy, she specializes in music interventions for aging populations, hospice settings, and intergenerational programming. Prior to arriving at ASU, she worked as an assistant and associate professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and as a clinical music therapist in special education, mental health, rehabilitation, hospice, geriatric, and intergenerational settings throughout Texas, Florida, Kansas, and Missouri.

Belgrave has presented at regional, national, and international conferences, and her research has been published in national and international journals including the Journal of Music Therapy, Music Therapy Perspectives, Frontiers Medicine, and Journal of Music Teacher Education. She co-authored the text “Music Therapy and Geriatric Populations: A Handbook for Practicing Music Therapists.” While at ASU, Belgrave currently teaches undergraduate and graduate music therapy courses, serves as the advisor for the music therapy student organization, and has been appointed as the administrator of the Arizona State University Music Therapy Clinic. Belgrave has also been appointed as a research affiliate at The Mayo Clinic in Arizona and conducts creative aging music groups in the community. In 2018 Belgrave was recognized by the Black Music Therapy Network, Inc. with the annual service award in recognition for her exemplary commitment to advanced knowledge and practice in the field of music therapy. Additionally, Belgrave has authored a chapter in and co-edited the text for “Music Therapy in a Multicultural Context: A Handbook for Music Therapy Students and Professionals.” Over the past few years, she has developed programming for older adults with dementia in virtual settings. She has led interventions and conducted research with the Musical Instrument Museum on music-based interventions for older adults with dementia in asynchronous and synchronous settings.