What is Music Therapy?
Music Therapy Defined
An established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.
Board Certified Music Therapist
A professional music therapist holds a bachelor's degree or higher in music therapy. The curriculum for the bachelor's degree is designed to impart competencies in three main areas: musical foundations, clinical foundations, and music therapy foundations and principles as specified in the AMTA Professional Competencies. In addition to the academic coursework, the bachelor's degree requires 1200 hours of clinical training, including a supervised internship.
Upon completion of the bachelor's degree, music therapists are eligible to sit for the national board certification exam to obtain the credential MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified) that is necessary for professional practice. The purpose of board certification in music therapy is to provide an objective national standard that can be used as a measure of professionalism by interested agencies, groups, and individuals.
Music therapists adhere to specific standards for clinical interventions and ethical conduct in professional practice.
Job Description
Music therapists assess emotional wellbeing, physical health, social functioning, communication abilities, and cognitive skills such as problem solving, through musical responses. Music therapists design music sessions for individuals and groups based on client need using: music improvisation, receptive music listening, song writing, lyric discussion, music and imagery, music performance, and learning through music. Music therapist’s participate in interdisciplinary treatment planning, ongoing evaluation, and follow up.
- American Music Therapy Association
An established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.
Board Certified Music Therapist
A professional music therapist holds a bachelor's degree or higher in music therapy. The curriculum for the bachelor's degree is designed to impart competencies in three main areas: musical foundations, clinical foundations, and music therapy foundations and principles as specified in the AMTA Professional Competencies. In addition to the academic coursework, the bachelor's degree requires 1200 hours of clinical training, including a supervised internship.
Upon completion of the bachelor's degree, music therapists are eligible to sit for the national board certification exam to obtain the credential MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified) that is necessary for professional practice. The purpose of board certification in music therapy is to provide an objective national standard that can be used as a measure of professionalism by interested agencies, groups, and individuals.
Music therapists adhere to specific standards for clinical interventions and ethical conduct in professional practice.
Job Description
Music therapists assess emotional wellbeing, physical health, social functioning, communication abilities, and cognitive skills such as problem solving, through musical responses. Music therapists design music sessions for individuals and groups based on client need using: music improvisation, receptive music listening, song writing, lyric discussion, music and imagery, music performance, and learning through music. Music therapist’s participate in interdisciplinary treatment planning, ongoing evaluation, and follow up.
- American Music Therapy Association
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Example Music Therapy Goal Areas
Stages of DevelopmentSENSORIMOTOR STAGE (ages newborn-2):
Aptly named, the infant gets to know their environment through their senses and motor activity. Hearing the mother’s voice, crawling, etc. Music offers a manifold for sensory stimulation and motor activity. Even though hearing isn’t fully developed at birth, young infants can discriminate one sound from another. Infants are particularly attracted to infant-directed speech (speech that is typically slower, higher pitched, and has greater inflection) and lullabies or songs that contain characteristics associated with infant-directed speech. At 2 days old infants can respond to fluctuations in a rhythmic beat. At 2 months old infants will fix attention on a singer or musical instrument. Musical bells or chimes can elicit smiles or wiggles from a 3 month old, they develop movement to music as soon as 6 months old as well as match vocalizations. Babbling between ages 12-18 months are important development in motor control of lips, teeth and tongue. At 19 months melodic and rhythmic vocalizations can occur. Music is an ideal medium for learning sensorimotor activities during this age as well as disabled persons who function at a mental age equivalent. Music Development summary
PREOPERATIONAL STAGE (ages 2-7): This stage the child no longer needs the physical representations to identify, name, or understand objects or words. In addition to language growth they also increase in social awareness. The first few years they are egocentric (unaware of other’s points of view or needs). Parallel play is when children can play next to each other but cooperation or interaction is rare. Musical games can create opportunities to develop social skills to follow directions, take turns, cooperate with others, and engage in social amenities. This usually is best-demonstrated ages 4-6. Ages 2-4 toddlers may show brief moments of beat synchrony (being able to maintain a steady beat) and this also requires greater physical maturation. Ages 3-4, walking and galloping and jumping can be incorporated into musical games as well. Spatial concepts and basic hand-eye coordination are also increasing through this time. Music activities that require language, social cooperation, and physical activity promote practice and mastery of the skills that characterize this stage of development in therapeutic and everyday settings. Because music is fun it can bring enjoyment and normalcy into the child’s life. Music Development Summary
CONCRETE OPERATIONS (ages 7-11): Children begin to think systematically and can solve concrete problems mentally. Thinking logically helps the musical child by being able to notate music, remember songs, sing in rounds or other parts, and acquire concepts of rhythm, melody, and harmony. Being a part of a music or dance group helps develop community skills and loose that egocentric aptness. Fine motor coordination is refined. Musical activities also provide opportunity for personal achievement, focus, and mastery of musical skills. Music Development Summary Age 7-8 Appreciates consonance vs. dissonance Age 8-9 Rhythmic performance tasks improved Age 9-10 Rhythmic perceptions improves; melodic memory improves; two-part melodies perceived; sense of cadence Age 10-11 Harmonic sense of becoming established; develops some appreciation for the “finer points of music” FORMAL OPERATIONS (age 11-adulthood): The ability to think abstractly distinguishes this stage from the others. Formal thinking is refine through a multitude of learning experiences throughout adulthood. Music Development Summary Age 11-12 Increase in cognition appreciation of music and in emotional response to music Developmental Milestones Summarized from Introduction to Music Therapy Theory and Practice 3rd Edition Davis, Gfeller, & Thaut, 2008 and reference to Piaget's 4-stages of development. Parts adapted From Shuter-Dyson & Gabriel (1981) |