Gene Ann Behrens Receives WFMT Lifetime Achievement Award in Bologna
On July 6, the city of Bologna became the backdrop for a milestone that echoes across the music‑therapy profession: Gene Ann Behrens was honored with the World Federation of Music Therapy’s (WFMT) Lifetime Achievement Award. Presented every three years, the award recognizes a career of sustained, influential work that has shaped the field.
Behrens, a retired professor emerita of Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, received the accolade in a ceremony that drew WFMT officials, colleagues, and partners from around the world. The federation’s president noted that the honor is reserved for those whose impact has endured globally.
Her academic journey began with a bachelor’s degree in therapy from Michigan State University. She earned master’s and specialist degrees from Kent State University and a doctorate from the University of Kansas. Over more than five decades at Elizabethtown, Behrens advanced the integration of neuro‑biological insights into clinical practice—a perspective she promoted through teaching, scholarship, and international outreach.
Behrens’ leadership extended beyond her home institution. On the WFMT council, she served nine years, including six as chair of the Global Crises Intervention Commission. In that role, she helped develop protocols for music‑therapy interventions in emergency and conflict settings, influencing practice guidelines used by practitioners worldwide.
Her global footprint is extensive: she has delivered over 160 presentations in 27 countries. Notable venues include the NATO Security Workshop on trauma in Ankara, Turkey; a grand round at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center; and the Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute in India. These engagements demonstrate her commitment to disseminating evidence‑based practice across diverse contexts.
Fieldwork has taken her to some of the world’s most challenging environments. In Bethlehem, Palestine, she spent four months working in schools and community settings with children and staff affected by conflict. She also trained staff in Hargeisa, Somaliland, and conducted workshops in Nairobi, Kenya. During the Gaza crisis, Behrens delivered Zoom‑based training for social workers, expanding access to music‑therapy resources in a region where in‑person services are scarce.
Her scholarly output includes book chapters and journal articles that examine trauma, neuro‑informed approaches, and the therapeutic use of music. She has served on several local and national professional committees, contributing to the development of standards and best practices for music‑therapy practitioners.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is one of the profession’s highest recognitions. According to the WFMT, it is presented only once every three years and is reserved for those whose work has had a lasting impact on the global community of music therapists. Behrens’ receipt of the award underscores her role in advancing evidence‑based practice and expanding the reach of music therapy into diverse cultural and clinical contexts.
Although retired, Behrens remains active. She continues to lecture, write, and travel, and she pursues photography—a hobby she says helps her maintain a daily practice of compassion and tolerance. Her ongoing engagement with the profession demonstrates a commitment to mentorship and the dissemination of knowledge.
The ceremony in Bologna highlighted the federation’s mission to promote music therapy as an evidence‑based profession and to support practitioners worldwide. Attendees included representatives from partner organizations, underscoring the collaborative nature of the field.
At the time of the ceremony, Behrens was residing in Pennsylvania. No further public statements were released regarding future projects, but her continued involvement in teaching and international outreach suggests she will remain active in the field.
The WFMT’s recognition of Gene Ann Behrens reflects the federation’s broader efforts to honor leaders who have bridged clinical practice, research, and global service. Her career exemplifies the integration of neuro‑science with therapeutic music practice, and her work has helped shape how music therapists respond to trauma and crisis situations across the globe.
