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Rosalie Rebollo Pratt music and medicine papers, 1972-1998

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 7885 Series 1

Scope and Contents

This series contains class notes, articles, histories, and other research materials concerning music therapy, various illnesses and their treatments, 1972-1998.

Dates

  • 1972-1998

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Open to public research.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from Rosalie Rebollo Pratt papers must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.

Biographical history

From the Collection:

Rosalie Rebollo Pratt (1933-2005) was a professional harpist throughout the United States and Europe until she developed a disease called scleroderma, at which time she became an educator and researcher in the field of music medicine.

Rosalie Rebollo Pratt grew up in New Jersey and first was introduced to the harp while participating in a choir. The director offered to give her harp lessons and because of this, she had many opportunities to perform and accompany. She later studied under Marcel Grandjany and then entered Manhattanville College at age sixteen.

While attending the college, Rosalie received an invitation from Francis Cardinal Spellman to study the harp in Italy. She was one of eleven students from the United States to receive the honor. She moved to Florence in 1954 and studied at the Pius XII Institute of Fine Arts. After three years, Rosalie earned her master's. She performed multiple times with the Italian Radio and established herself as one of the leading European harpists.

Upon her return to the United States, she became the principal harpist for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. At the height of her career as a performer, editor, and teacher, Rosalie was diagnosed with scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that hardens the skin and decreases flexibility. She was only thirty-six at the time of diagnosis, and in 1979, performing became too painful and she retired. Devastated, Rosalie was determined to move on. She started teaching music in elementary schools and then earned her doctorate in music education at Columbia University. She started teaching music education at a college level and established her second career in music medicine research and education.

Her research and work took her to Brigham Young University. She studied the effects of biofeedback in women during childbirth, engaged in projects with young boys with Attention Deficit Disorder, and worked with premature infants. She was one of the primary editors of "The International Journal of Arts Medicine" and was a guest at many conferences around the world. Eventually, the scleroderma began to affect her kidneys, making it necessary for dialysis. Rosalie continued to travel, but in 2005, her battle with scleroderma took her life.

Extent

5 folders (0.3 linear ft.)

9 boxes (4.5 linear ft.)

Language of Materials

English