Tamar Hadar

Tamar Hadar serves as a Postdoctoral researcher at New York University (NYU) collaborating with Prof. Kenneth Aigen on developing time-oriented analytical models for Nordoff & Robbins improvisations, while concurrently holding an adjunct lecturer position at Lesley University's Expressive Therapies Graduate department since 2019. At Lesley, she teaches Research & Program Evaluation and Thesis courses, having supervised over 20 graduate thesis students in music therapy methodologies.

Dr. Hadar earned her PhD from Bar Ilan University (Israel) in 2018 under Prof. Dorit Amir, with doctoral research examining dialogic moments in joint improvisation across therapeutic and jazz contexts. Her clinical background spans over 10 years working with infants and children (0-6) with developmental delays through multiple institutional settings including Aspire Health Alliance's Step One Early Intervention Program, Israeli ASD-focused nurseries, and Welfare Ministry-affiliated family centers.

Her research centers on music therapy improvisation dynamics, specifically investigating how intimacy, mutuality, and negotiation manifest during therapist-client musical interactions. She extends this analysis to instrument-therapist relationships, particularly among flutists, while maintaining strong clinical connections to autism spectrum disorder interventions and early childhood developmental support through music-centered approaches. Her work bridges theoretical music therapy frameworks with practical clinical applications for vulnerable pediatric populations.

Dr. Hadar's publication record demonstrates consistent contributions to music therapy literature, with recent articles analyzing therapeutic relationship dynamics through improvisational lenses and exploring embodied musical expression via primary instruments. Her research trajectory shows increasing sophistication in temporal analysis of therapeutic interactions, culminating in her current NYU postdoctoral work on time-oriented modeling.

• Supervised 20+ thesis students at Lesley University since 2019
• Active postdoctoral research at NYU with Prof. Kenneth Aigen
• Extensive clinical experience across multiple international settings

With dual research-teaching roles across NYU and Lesley University, Dr. Hadar maintains active engagement in both theoretical model development and practical clinical applications, particularly focusing on temporal dimensions of music therapy improvisation for developmental interventions.