Jody KershnerMT-BC

Fellow, Institute for Healthy Singing

Jody Kershner joined the Institute for Healthy Singing & Voice Research as a Fellow in 2025. She is a board-certified and state-licensed music therapist based in Georgia, with a lifelong love of singing. She has been part of the William Baker Choral Foundation since 2009, singing under the direction of Lynn Swanson. She holds a degree in music therapy from Florida State University.

She has worked with people of all ages — from preschoolers and teens to adults and seniors — in schools, mental health facilities, day treatment centers, and assisted living communities. Clinical experience includes work with individuals on the autism spectrum, those with intellectual and physical disabilities, and people navigating mental health challenges, brain injuries, and memory loss. She currently divides her time between individualized adaptive music lessons and sessions in memory care and assisted living.

As a music therapist she uses singing and instrument play to support communication, emotional regulation, and social engagement. As a semi-professional singer she brings a focus on musicality, vocal health, and expressive performance, seeing healthy singing as a blend of artistic expression and personal well-being.