Adjunct Professor of Music Therapy, RVA Street Singers Adjunct Professor of Music Therapy, RVA Street Singers
Robin Rio, MA, MT-BC is an adjunct professor of music at Virginia Commonwealth University and a board-certified music therapist. After moving to Richmond in 2017 Robin began working in private practice providing music therapy for: wellness and personal growth; in medical and hospice settings; for individuals with emotional needs; for people in recovery, and for those with intellectual and learning challenges.
In fall 2018, Robin began teaching the VCU service-learning course, Music and Social Justice, which meets in a choir format with The RVA Street Singers to develop community through the arts with those affected by homelessness and their allies; she teaches, Introduction to Music Therapy, which has been offered as an online course and as an in-person course. Ms. Rio uses her voice, piano, percussion and guitar in the classroom and therapy settings, and integrates gentle movement and songwriting in creative, process-oriented music therapy. In 2020, Robin became the first hospice and palliative care music therapist for Bon Secours Mercy Health system, where she is part of the spiritual care department.
Robin recently had her work published in Frontiers in Medicine, A Community Based Support Group for People with Alzheimer’s and their Caregivers. She is the author of, Connecting through Music with People with Dementia: A Guide for Caregivers and is emeritus associate professor of music therapy at Arizona State University. Robin is especially interested in the intersections of creative arts and improvisation, leadership development, experiential learning, peer support, and spirituality.