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The New Music Therapist's Handbook (Berklee Guide)

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by Lake Dell

Shakespeare once said, If music be the food of love, play on. The power of music over the human mind is enormous, and thats putting it lightly.

Music therapy is the use of music for therapeutic purposes by a trained professional. The idea of using music as a healing influence dates back to the time of Plato and Aristotle.

In the modern world, music for therapy came to the fore when musicians played for war veterans to cure them of physical and emotional trauma. Since many of the patients responded well, nurses and doctors began requesting the services of musicians for therapy.

Soon, music therapy became recognized as an effective and scientifically-backed mode of treatment. The first music therapy degree program ever was established in 1944 in the State of Michigan, U.S.

Music therapy patients are first tested to see how they respond to music through emotional well-being, physical health, social functioning and cognitive skills. Once diagnosed, the patient is put in a program where a trained music therapist designs music sessions.

The music sessions are created based on the patients’ needs and responses to songs, lyrics, imagery, and performances.

Using music for therapy can be a very powerful way to reach children and adolescents. Elderly people and people with developmental and learning disabilities, people suffering from Alzheimers disease and age related problems and people in acute pain also benefit from music therapy.

You can usually find a music therapy professional in many different places such as rehab facilities and correctional facilities. Even some schools employ these professionals.

Some people mistakenly believe that a patient needs to have some particular musical ability to benefit from therapy. There is no one particular style of music that is more therapeutic than the rest. Any style of music can be equally effective.

Any person can be a patient. The patients background, needs and history help determine the type of music used.

Even healthy people can make use of the healing powers of music. Listening to or making music, playing or drumming can greatly reduce stress and improve productivity. Research shows that music is a vital support for physical exercise.

Music therapy is often used along with pain medication and even anesthesia. It helps to blend the treatments since the music can help dissolve and emotional barriers that a patient may have as well as elevate the mood. This will help the medication work more efficiently.

Depression can be fought using music therapy as the right kind of music relaxes and calms patients. It is even known to fully sedate some people.

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