Merrill Collins is a singer/songwriter/puppeteer /storyteller, and broadcaster. In recent years, she has been performing as a puppeteer, singing minstrel and storyteller for children with autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at a summer camp in Connecticut. Also, Merrill has performed as a first soprano with the Fairfield County Chorale, St. Luke’s Choir, the Metropolitan Singers/Greek Chorale Society at Avery Fisher Hall and the opera “Die Fledermaus” with the New Rochelle Opera Company.

Although music has always been in Merrill’s life, she majored in broadcasting and received her B.A. at Goucher College in Towson, MD. After college, she moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting and opera. She was accepted into The Circle in the Square Theatre School. After a few years, Merrill left New York for the West Coast. In L.A., she was hired as a radio producer for Dr. Laura Schlessinger on KFI AM640. To keep her music alive, Merrill explored the coffee house scene of L.A. Then, she moved back to New York where she was hired as a co-producer for Jim Cramer’s “Real Money” radio show on CBS radio. After the show ended, Merrill volunteered at a summer camp. There, she discovered her calling to become a music therapist. After being introduced to Dr. Amy Zabin and Karen Nisenson, both graduates of the NYU Music Therapy graduate program, Merrill was compelled to apply to the program.

Today, she is excited to be a first-year graduate student at NYU Steinhardt in the Music Therapy program and is currently conducting her fieldwork under the supervision of Karen Nisenson at Arts for Healing, a music, drama, and art therapy program for children with special needs, in New Canaan, CT. Music therapy at NYU now feels like the right size musical shoe.