American Music Therapy Association

2019 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

Announcing AMTA 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

Each year, the AMTA Board of Directors honors two deserving individuals with the Lifetime Achievement Award.   The 2019 recipients are Dr. Robert Groene and Dr. Barbara Wheeler.

Robert Groene

Dr. Robert “Bob” Groene, PhD, MT-BC, has given himself tirelessly to the profession of music therapy. After working primarily as a clinician in the early part of his career, he launched a notable career in academia directing the program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and educating hundreds of future music therapists. Bob has served the Kansas City Metro Music Therapists, both the national and Midwestern Regional organizations of the American Music Therapy Association, and the National Association for Music Therapy before that in a variety of capacities. Some of his more recognizable contributions include service on the Standards of Clinical Practice Committee of AMTA, the AMTA Professional Competencies Review Task Force, the AMTA Assembly of Delegates, AMTA Conference Local Arrangement Chair, and President of the Midwestern Region.  He has also served as an editorial board member for The Arts in Psychotherapy, Music Therapy Perspectives, The Journal of Music Therapy, and the Missouri Journal of Research in Music Education. Dr. Groene received the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Excellence in Teaching Award (in both 2002 and 2004), the AMTA Midwestern Region Research Award, the AMTA Service Award, and a Presidential Commendation from the AMTA Midwestern Region. Bob is as a music therapist, mentor, and educator who is unfailingly supportive of his students and shows immense compassion for the people he has served as a music therapist

Barbara Wheeler

The accomplishments of Dr. Barbara Wheeler, PhD, MT-BC over her multiple-decade career in the profession of music therapy are many and multi-faceted. She has produced hundreds of publications, peer-reviewed journal articles, and presentations that have impacted not only the US music therapy community, but also international practitioners and students. More recently, she curated and edited Music Therapy Handbook for Guilford Publications. Her contributions are generously given as she has traveled throughout the world at the request of universities, music therapy associations and music therapists to educate the public about the power of music therapy to repair and heal, based on her extensive knowledge of best practices and approaches. Dr. Wheeler’s knowledge of music therapy and related research has also made her a sought-after reviewer and editorial board member for many major journal publications. Dr. Wheeler’s lifelong investment in promoting music therapy, its educational standards and standards of professional practice and credentials have been significant and she served the American Music Therapy Association as President, Vice President, Arthur Flagler Fultz Award Chair, and many other national and regional positions of professional service.

Congratulations to both these outstanding and deserving awardees!

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