Music Therapy Essay

Music therapy is not a person with Alzheimer’s listening to his or her favorite songs on an iPod with headphones; however, music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music to improve physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. Music therapy is only advocated in three states: North Dakota, Nevada, and Georgia. Because not many understand the value of music therapy, it is not advocated in many other states. The goals and accomplishments of music therapy should be acknowledged; people will then realize that music therapy really works. Music therapy should be advocated throughout the states because it is effective, and it improves the lives of people in emotional and physical pain.

A recent study of music therapy interventions was conducted on 1,891 participants. The study was offered by music therapists and medical staff.

There are many different ways that we benefit from music. Music can inspire better self-esteem, and confidence. It’s a great way to set the mood, and a wonderful tool. 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 (Gram, 2005). Music therapy can reach out to anyone, age, race, gender it doesn’t matter. Children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly with mental health needs can benefit from music therapy. As well as, those who have developmental and learning disabilities, those who suffer from Alzheimer's

Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by an accredited professional who as completed an approved music therapy program. “Music therapists hope that scientific research continues to define how their work differs from entertainment, and how it benefits patients as much as other more familiar complementary therapies such as art therapy.” (Mellskog) This shows how even though there is little research and evidence on music therapy, it is still very effective and a

According to Geretsegger et al. (2014), music therapy is an effective clinical intervention for a varied of medical conditions, which are profoundly supported by strong scientific evidence on their significance for mood enhancement and stress relief. The five conditions for which music therapy has been studied, backed up by good scientific evidence are; dementia, autism, sleep quality, depression and infant development.

Music therapy comes in all sorts of different shapes and forms, with the therapist choosing which process should be used with the patient in order to maximise the session’s potential. These can range from the patient playing a previously learned piece on an instrument (if they already have a musical background), to

Thesis: Music Therapy is a skillful use of music and musical elements by an accredited music therapist to promote, maintain, and restore mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

support therapist with there efforts of associated within arts to aid in helping patients through raising their disposition through music. The critical observations towards Music therapy by health and medical care has struck my cord of curiosity as to establish how they have stood up to these viewpoints.

Music Therapists (MTs) borrow from a range of non-music based therapy models in their development of Music Therapy-specific treatment models. Many widely used Music Therapy (MT) techniques have their roots in psychological theories and treatment models. Cognitive Behavioural Music Therapy (CBMT) draws on the widely-used and extensively researched psychology approach, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), to address CBT goals through MT interventions. Despite the many parralels between CBT and MT there is limited literature on CBMT; the existing literature indicates that CBMT may be an effective treatment for clients with a variety of needs. Improvisation in CBMT makes up an even smaller portion of the literature, however the theoretical underpinnings of the CBT approach are congruent with the use of music improvisation.

Music is composed of sounds intertwined with melody and rhythm that can have powerful effects on a person. It can help people focus on tasks or calm the mind. Research has shown that music has beneficial effects on the mind, body, and health of a person. A journal article by Rastogi, Solanki, and Zafar (2013) refers, on the contrary, to:

The mind is greatly impacted by music by showing healthful changes (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). Doctors now use music for their patients’ treatments in order to help them stay healthy (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). Heart patients acquired the same benefits from listening to classical music for thirty minutes as they did from anti-anxiety medication (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). Musical therapy has been used to help people with heart problems, which worked quite effectively. (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). People who have had migraines frequently, were trained to use music and relaxing procedures to reduce their headaches. Studies have also shown that music helps students with their intelligence levels (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). A majority of students had higher test scores than others because they listened to Mozart before their exam. People who listened to classical music for an hour and a half while revising manuscripts increased their accuracy by 21% (www.bellaonline.com/articles) (Mish 725.).

According to the American Music Therapy Association (A.M.T.A.), 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.” As a generally new and upcoming industry, music therapy is often underestimated. By incorporating different areas of the brain, music can reduce stress, ease

Music therapy, a clinical use of music interventions to accomplish therapeutic goals, involves a broad range of activities including playing an instrument, singing, or listening to music. Similar to occupational and physical therapy, this expressive arts therapy remedies psychological conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or hypertension to maintain the well-being of an individual. Likewise, music has been a therapeutic tool that has shown positive effects to parts of the brain including regions involved in emotion, sensation, movement, and cognition. Although music therapy is a somewhat new-found treatment, it is used prominently today. Administered by a trained therapist, this type of therapy is used in correctional facilities, nursing homes, hospices, and special education schools.

In order to understand how music can affect the body and mind, one needs to understand the composition of sound itself. Don Campbell describes it by

A song or a piece of music has the power to transform an individual and take them not only to a different state of mind, but quite possibly a different consciousness. Making or singing music also has the power to transform an individual. “There is a resemblance of music in pitch, volume, rhythm, melody and structure to the natural human expression of emotion in voice, demeanor and behavior” (Ushedo, 2006, 1). Making music can create an environment where it indirectly teaches individuals communication and social skills through the emotions brought out by the music. The social interaction between individuals with behavioral problems has been aided by using musical activities. It can “encourage or motivate communication through musical activities, which are responsive to the child to promote eye contact, turn taking, sharing, joint attention” (Stephenson, 2006, 297). While creating a calmer and more relaxed environment with musical activities, behavioral problems can be aided through the use of this form of music therapy.