Music therapy, to put it simply, is using music as therapy in order to achieve non-musical goals. Some of my colleagues might think that’s an oversimplification of the definition, and I can hear my professors saying that definition isn’t good enough, which I get. There’s a whole book about defining music therapy, but I really think that definition works for those of you who have no idea what music therapy is and are thinking about music therapy as a service.
But don’t just take my word for it. Let’s look at what our organizations say about music therapy.
a more detailed definition
The Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) defines music therapy as the following:
Music therapy is defined as the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals for people of all ages and ability levels within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. A music therapist is an individual who has completed the education and clinical training requirements established by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) and who holds current board certification from The Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT).
The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) defines music therapy as the following:
Music Therapy is the clinical & 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. Music therapy interventions can address a variety of healthcare & educational goals:
- Promote Wellness
- Manage Stress
- Alleviate Pain
- Express Feelings
- Enhance Memory
- Improve Communication
- Promote Physical Rehabilitation
- and more
what does music therapy look like?
Music therapy experiences and interventions fall into one of four methods of music therapy: recreative, compositional, improvisational, and receptive.
Recreative experiences include any activities where the music therapist and/or client are recreating any previously written music.
An example of a recreative experience: The therapist recreates a client’s preferred song using voice and piano. The client may sing along, play instruments, or listen and then engage in a discussion about the music and lyrics.
Compositional experiences include any activities where the music therapist or client patient is writing new lyrics or music. Don’t worry; compositional experiences do not always mean writing a song from scratch.
An example of a compositional experience (that doesn’t include writing a song from scratch): The therapist removes words from a client-known song and works with the client to fill in the blanks with words that relate to what the client is processing.
Improvisational experiences include any activities where music and or lyrics are being created on the spot without a plan.
An example of an improvisational experience: The therapist may give a prompt like, “Play what that loss felt like for you.” The client, therapist, and/or group would then use an instrument or their voice to describe what the loss felt like.
Receptive experiences include any activities where the client is purely receiving music and not engaging with it in any other form.
An example of a receptive experience: The therapist plays calming music to promote relaxation. The client is not playing an active role in the music-making.
Where do music therapists work?
Music therapists work in range of settings and populations:
- Mental Health
- Behavioral Health
- Special Education
- Hospitals/Medical
- Hospice/Palliative Care
- Veterans and Military Service
- Addiction/Substance Use Treatment
- Perinatal Care
- Rehabilitation (Neuro/TBI)
As you can see, music therapy is a broad field covering a wide variety of populations. If you or a loved one are a member of any of these populations, ask your providers about music therapy!
Are you interested in music therapy?
Contact me or book a consultation call to discuss music therapy at The Peace Place!
Click here for more information about music therapy at The Peace Place.
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