Are you interested in a Music Therapy internship at Park Nicollet? Come join us and help us make an impact on the care and experience that our patients and their families receive every day.
The Music Therapy Intern provides music therapy sessions for patients in accordance with American Music Therapy Association National Roster Internship guidelines. The music therapy intern, under supervision and consultation of the supervising music therapists and the music therapy internship director, determines and utilizes music therapy approaches, which effectively aid in the restoration, maintenance, and/or improvement in psychosocial, physical, or spiritual health. The Music Therapy Intern delivers patient/family focused care for assigned patients under the direction of the staff music therapists.
Park Nicollet is part of the larger Health Partners health care system. The Park Nicollet Health Partners internship is a comprehensive medical Music Therapy internship where Music Therapy interns gain experience in many medical settings and populations. The main location for interns is based out of the Methodist Hospital Campus in St. Louis Park (a suburb of Minneapolis). Other part-time or optional locations extend to Bloomington, St. Paul and Stillwater.
Park Nicollet’s American Music Therapy Association national roster internship program began in 1998. Over 175 interns from approximately 40 different Music Therapy academic programs across the country have completed their internships at Park Nicollet.
Program Structure
Music Therapy interns will gain experience in facilitating group and individual Music Therapy sessions in a variety of clinical settings across the Park Nicollet and Health Partners health care network, including:
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One inpatient hospital setting: Methodist Hospital, Regions Hospital or Lakeview Hospital
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Frauenshuh Cancer Center and/or Regions Cancer Center
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Park Nicollet Home Care Hospice or Health Partners Home Care Hospice
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Struthers Parkinson’s Center
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Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Harmonicas for Health program
Interns receive feedback and supervision from at least three music therapy internship supervisors, selected from a team of eight board-certified music therapy internship supervisors, who have many years of experience and advanced training in the following:
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Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music
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Music Imagery
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Neurologic Music Therapy
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Hospice Music Therapy
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Music Psychotherapy
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Medical Music Therapy
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Creative Arts Therapy approaches, such as Mandalas
Interns are gradually given caseloads and responsibilities, including: documentation in the EPIC electronic medical record, participation in interdisciplinary team meetings, and administrative duties to fully prepare them to function as music therapists. Most of these internship locations are primarily focused on providing care for adults in medical settings, except for Regions Hospital where there are some pediatric and NICU patients.
On-line Application check list
This posting is intended for those applicants who are seeking internship start dates of January and April 2027. The application deadline is July 1st, 2026, at 11:59 pm, CST. If seeking later internship start dates, please wait for future postings to apply.
This is a checklist to assist in providing the required information to complete an application to the Music Therapy Internship Program:
___ Send an email to Dawn Miller ([email protected]) to let her know that you are planning to apply for the Park Nicollet Music Therapy internship and request additional information. Please include your Music Therapy academic program and preferred start dates.
___ Online Application. If the on-line application is not working, try a different internet browser to complete and submit the application. Please contact Jasmine Doughtery at Jasmine. Doughtery @parknicollet.com if you have any questions about the online application process.
___ Submit a private link in the on-line application questionnaire to a video recording that demonstrates your current vocal skills, plus piano and guitar accompaniment skills (4 – 6 songs.)
Please use a web-based version (YouTube/SoundCloud). Do not upload music links via your Google account or use downloadable versions (such as DropBox), as these are not compatible with the Park Nicollet computer security systems. The recording does not need to be studio quality, and it can be of you alone in a practice room. For confidentiality reasons, please do not include any samples with real clients. You may want to consider including one additional selection from your junior or senior year music recital. For confidentiality reasons, please do not include any samples with real clients. If you are unable to provide a private link and need to submit your music sample through other means, please contact the Music Therapy Internship Director at [email protected]. Please test the link with someone to ensure that the videos can be accessed.
___ Résumé describing your work, volunteer, Music Therapy clinical practica and field experiences. Please submit this in your on-line application.
___ Transcript of your college coursework. An unofficial transcript is acceptable. If you attended more than one university or college, please have transcripts sent from all academic institutions. The transcripts can be included with the on-line application or emailed directly to the Park Nicollet Music Therapy Internship Director.
___ 4 letters of reference, including one from your Academic Director of Music Therapy, Music Therapists from your clinical practica or field placement sites, and an employer or personal reference. Your letters of reference should include information about your professional potential, interpersonal skills (oral and written communication, listening skills, maturity level, empathy, follow through, etc.), academic performance, Music Therapy clinical practica and field placements, and musicianship.
___ A letter from your Music Therapy academic program director providing verification of eligibility for internship. This can be combined with their letter of reference.
Internship Provisions and Benefits
Stipend: A stipend of $1,500 is available and will be paid upon successful completion of the internship.
Meals: Interns receive 1-2 free meals in the hospital cafeteria during each eight-hour workday.
Mileage: Interns are eligible to receive reimbursement for commuting miles between homes or facilities of hospice patients at the official IRS yearly mileage reimbursement rate. Mileage is not provided for miles logged between other work locations, such as travel between the inpatient hospitals, Frauenshuh Cancer Center and Struthers Parkinson’s Center.
Living arrangements: Interns will need to make living arrangements independently. A few community members have made low-cost housing options available to previous interns.
Transportation: Due to the variety of locations for Music Therapy services, it will be necessary for interns to provide their own car.
Hours and schedule: The six-month, 1000-hour full-time internship will be scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with occasional adjustments so interns can participate in evening and weekend support groups and educational opportunities. Part-time internships for a longer time period may be available. If you are interested in a part-time internship, please reach out to Dawn Miller before submitting your application. If more than 1000 internship hours are required, the total hours can be adjusted.
Time Off: Up to 48 hours (6 days) of personal time off is given to interns during the 6-month internship. Interns may use this time off as they wish and are not required to take off holidays.
Communications technology: Interns are provided with laptops, iPads, work cell phones, access to EPIC electronic medical records system, voice mail and on-site computers, including access to the Internet and individual e-mail accounts.
Music Instruments: Interns are provided with portable electric piano keyboards, guitars, numerous rhythm and Orff instruments and songbook resources for use with clients.
Park Nicollet library access: Interns may use the hospital’s medical library for resources and literature searches for no charge. Medical librarians assist with literature searches.
Discounts: Interns receive employee discounts, including eyewear at the Optical Store, employee fitness center, Methodist Hospital Gift Shop.
Educational and conference opportunities: Up to 24 hours of internship credit is given for attendance at conferences and workshops related to the internship. In addition, Park Nicollet and Health Partners offer a variety of in-services on site.
Health benefits: Interns must carry their own health insurance. Park Nicollet Health Partners will arrange for emergency medical care if needed but will not provide payment for services received or provide workers’ compensation benefits.
Pre-requisites and Required Qualifications
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The Park Nicollet Health Partners Music Therapy internship program is a national roster American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) internship program. AMTA requires all prospective applicants to have completed a four year or Master’s equivalency degree in Music Therapy at an AMTA approved academic program, before beginning this internship.
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Interns must be able to provide their own transportation between work locations multiple times each day, including one hospital (Methodist, Regions or Lakeview), Frauenshuh Cancer Center, Struthers Parkinson’s Center, Home Hospice Offices, and the homes of hospice patients.
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Interns must be able to carry and transport music therapy equipment, such as electric piano keyboards, guitars and other musical instruments, to and from the hospice locations, multiple times each day.
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Interns must be able to set up or rearrange physical environments of home of hospice patients, which may include moving light weight furniture, to make them conducive for music therapy.
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Prior to starting the internship, interns are required to complete a criminal background check and a health assessment with Employee Health Services.
Preferred Qualifications:
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Excellent proficiency on piano or guitar and good proficiency on one other chordal accompaniment instrument (piano, guitar, harp, accordion)
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Good vocal skills, such as pleasant tone and ability to sing accurately on pitch
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Ability to sight read music from a Fake Book (melody and chords) with adequate proficiency
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Ability to independently assess and treat patients who may be non-verbal, unresponsive, imminently dying, or have communication or cognitive impairments
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Willingness to learn to a large and varied repertoire of music to meet needs of people of different ages, cultures and religious beliefs
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Strong verbal and written communication skills, listening, emotional maturity and ability to show empathy
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Willingness to collaborate with peer music therapy interns, Music Therapy internship supervisors, and interdisciplinary team members
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Openness to receiving and integrating feedback to promote growth and development during internship
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Willingness to work with critically or terminally-ill patients and families who may be dealing with emotional crises or high-stress situations
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Good time management, detail-oriented, highly organized, ability to follow through with tasks and meet deadlines
