Christine Oglesby

January 2019 Update: Christine’s schedule is full, and she is currently unable to take new students. 

Christine is a Board Certified Music Therapist who earned her B.A. in Music Therapy from Temple University, with a concentration in classical voice.

“Music Therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. After assessing the strengths and needs of each client, the qualified music therapist provides the indicated treatment including creating, singing, moving to, and/or listening to music. Through musical involvement in the therapeutic context, clients’ abilities are strengthened and transferred to other areas of their lives. Music therapy also provides avenues for communication that can be helpful to those who find it difficult to express themselves in words.” –American Music Therapy Association

As a music therapist, Christine has a broad range of clinical experience with clients of all ages and abilities. Her recent clinical work was at a music school in Philadelphia similar to Asheville Music School. She worked primarily with children on the Autism spectrum to meet non-musical goals through adaptive music lessons and music therapy. In sessions, she uses interventions which include improvisation, song-writing, and song recreation in sessions to meet the client where they are, as part of her person-centered approach to therapy. Christine’s sessions start with the client’s musical interests and go from there to foster change and meet the needs of the individual.

Christine completed her 1,000 hour internship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She then worked for two private music therapy practices, doing early childhood intervention music groups in pre-schools. She also provided treatment at a home for medically fragile children, working toward goals of increasing motor skills and helping children to reach developmental milestones. Currently, Christine is working with Asheville Music School’s outreach program, conducting a song-writing group at Open Hearts Arts Program for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Christine’s own musical journey began with singing solos in church, then performing in musicals and jazz band in high school, a cappella groups and opera in college, and singing and playing in folk rock and punk bands post-college. She is now focusing her musical energy on songwriting and taking in all of the local music that Asheville has to offer! While Christine’s primary instrument is voice, which she studied for 7 years, she is also proficient at guitar and piano, and dabbles on the ukulele and electric bass.

Christine also offers beginner voice, guitar, and piano lessons, in which she takes a student-centered approach, to encourage students to learn in the way that is best for them. Every student learns differently, and Christine’s flexible teaching style allows students to thrive at a pace that suits them best. Christine believes that, through music, we have the chance to gain a genuine understanding of ourselves, others, and the world around us.