Dr. Heeyoun Cho

Dr. Heeyoun K. Cho is an assistant professor and an area head of music therapy at the State University of New York at Fredonia. She holds a Ph.D. and a Master’s degree in music therapy from Temple University. Dr. Cho also holds a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Northwestern University and Seoul National University respectively. She has a wide range of clinical experience and has worked with children with Autism Spectrum Condition, adults with mental health needs, and older adults with dementia at various clinical settings. Prior to joining Fredonia in 2019, Dr. Cho worked at New York State Veterans’ Home in Oxford for over fifteen years as a senior music therapist and an activity director. She has also taught piano and performed actively in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York. She won a Music Therapy Research Award from Temple University in 2016 and published “The Effects of Music Therapy-Singing Group on Quality of Life and Affect of Persons with Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Trial” in Frontiers Geriatric Medicine in 2018.

Teaching Interests

Music therapy methods
Clinical skill development
Research in music therapy

Research Interests

Music therapy and dementia care
Music therapy and special education
Music therapy for health and wellness management
Performance anxiety

Current Research

• The effectiveness of music-based interventions on college students’ stress management
• Therapeutic Songwriting for People with Dementia and Their Caregivers

Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Programs

• The effectiveness of music-based interventions on college students’ stress management, N/A (2022).
• Therapeutic Songwriting for People with Dementia and Their Caregivers, N/A (2022).