Renate Rohlfing Awarded Mass Cultural Council Grant

Renate Rohlfing, an associate professor in the Music Therapy Department, was recently honored with a Mass Cultural Council Grant for Creative Individuals. This grant provides $5,000 in unrestricted funds and supports Massachusetts artists, culture bearers, and creative practitioners in advancing creative expression throughout diverse communities.

Rohlfing will use the funds to develop a book of sound and music awareness exercises designed to foster creativity, offer age-appropriate mindfulness techniques, and strengthen bonds between caregivers and children or community members.

“I was inspired to create this to offer ways for families and community organizations to have meaningful interactions and create memories together,” said Rohlfing. She was also influenced by Vivek Murthy’s recent op-ed in the New York Times on social media isolation, which motivated her to create more opportunities for in-person connections through music. Her goals for the project include encouraging creativity, promoting mindfulness, developing musical interest, and helping individuals understand their personal creativity.

About Renate Rohlfing

Renate Rohlfing is a distinguished pianist and music therapist. She was awarded the Sonderpreis Klavier at the 2016 Internationaler Wettbewerb für Liedkunst Stuttgart and has performed at prestigious venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall and London's Royal Albert Hall. A passionate advocate for integrating music and public health, she researches the impact of music on neurodiverse populations and develops projects that use music to process grief and enhance community connections. She’s also cofounder of Sounds That Carry, which supports arts organizations in field research and program/curriculum design. A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Rohlfing is a graduate of the Juilliard School and holds a master's degree in music psychotherapy from New York University.