John A. Carpente, Ph.D., MT-BC, LCAT, is an Assistant Professor of Music and Music Therapy at Molloy College, Founder and Executive Director of The Rebecca Center for Music Therapy, the Founding Director of the Center for Autism and Child Development at Molloy College, and owner of Developmental Music Health Services, LLC. He is the Founding music therapist and creator of the DIR®/Floortime™-based music therapy program at the Rebecca School in New York City where he participated in weekly supervision and case conferences with Dr. Stanley I. Greenspan, co-creator of the DIR®/Floortime™.

Dr. Carpente received his Master of Arts degree from the Steinhardt School of Education and Human Development at New York University where he also completed his advanced clinical certifications, Levels 1 and 2, in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. He later went on to complete his doctoral degree in music therapy from Temple University and received his advanced practitioner certification in DIR®/Floortime™ from the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and  Learning Disorders (ICDL).

Dr. Carpente has over fifteen years of clinical and supervisory experience in a variety of settings as a clinician, clinical supervisor, and program director serving a wide range of client groups with developmental, neurological, and emotional challenges.  He has also provided clinical supervision to heath care professionals, as well as to countless music therapy professionals, interns, and practicum students from various universities and colleges throughout the United States.

A pioneer and leader in DIR®/Floortime™-based music therapy, Dr. Carpente’s clinical and research focus is on individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and their families, parent coaching, assessment, and supervision. Currently Dr. Carpente is the USA site manager for the TIME-A international research study involving  eight countries worldwide. It is the largest randomized controlled trial on clinical interventions for autism to date. He was the recipient of the “Excellence in Music Therapy Research Award” from Temple University and in 2012 was awarded with the esteemed “Faculty Research Achievement Award from Molloy College.”

As a program developer and advocate, Dr. Carpente has served on several boards and committees with special attention to autism spectrum disorder and child development. His advocacy and consultation have resulted in the development of numerous first-time music therapy clinical and training programs throughout Long Island and New York City. He was recipient of the Outstanding Contributions to the Discipline and Profession of Music Therapy Award by Temple University.

As an educator, Dr. Carpente has been a faculty member of Molloy of College in Rockville Centre, NY since 2001. His teaching style involves the use of both, didactic and experiential experiences. He has taught and continues to teach a wide range of graduate and undergraduate music therapy courses including: Clinical Improvisation, Internship Seminar, Functional Piano and Guitar, Psychotherapy Theories and their Relationships to Music Therapy, Music Therapy repertoire, Treatment Planning, Foundations of Group Music Therapy, Music Therapy Methods, Quantitative and Qualitative Research, and Thesis Advisement. In 2011 he was the recipient of the Faculty Recognition Award voted by music therapy graduate students for excellence in teaching.

Dr. Carpente has authored several book chapters and articles on the topic of developmental relationship-based music therapy and autism spectrum disorders. He recently authored the Individual Music-Centered Assessment Profile for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (IMCAP-ND): A Clinical Manual. He has presented and lectured his work internationally and domestically.