UND Student Uses Music as Medicine
For Aubrey Mizerak, music has always been about more than performing. It's been a way to build relationships, strengthen communities and help people heal.
As a music therapy major at the University of North Dakota, Aubrey has found a career that brings together two lifelong interests: healthcare and music. Along the way, she's become a leader on campus, helped rebuild the Music Therapy Club, volunteered with inclusive community music initiatives and discovered firsthand how music can help people reach goals they never thought possible. But that path wasn't always so obvious.
When Aubrey arrived at UND from Ames, Iowa, she planned to pursue a career in healthcare. She initially enrolled as a chemistry major, later switched to forensic science and eventually found her way back to music, something that had been part of her life for as long as she could remember. By the time she discovered music therapy, she realized she didn't have to choose between her interest in healthcare and her passion for music.
"My dad is a physician, so I always thought I wanted to go into healthcare," Aubrey said. "But I've been really involved in music my whole life."
As A...