Music Therapy: What Are the Benefits?

Music therapy has been a healing ritual long before recorded history. The word music derives from the muses in greek mythology. The muses were leaders of music, medicine, poetry, and the arts, some of which include, Apollo, Socrates, and Aristotle. Historical texts such as the Bible and Homers Odyssey have also referenced the therapeutic value in music therapy. “In the Bible, Sauls melancholy disappeared while David played the harp (hughes, 1984); In Homers Odyssey, the bleeding of Odysseus ceased when he heard a magic song sung to him by Autolycus (gruhn, 1967)” (Silverman 2257). In ancient cultures and traditions, exorcising the healing of diseases and pain through the therapeutic value in music was a magical practice for change.

Following the developing of social sciences, everybody has started to get concerned about the issue if music is good for healthy body and mental recently. This phenomenon makes the music therapy becomes popular. Music therapy is defined as “ the therapeutic use of music as to reduce anxiety, improve cognitive functioning, promote physical rehabilitation, or enhance interpersonal communication that typically involves listening to music, singing, playing musical instruments, or composing music “ in the Merriam-Webster.com. In other words, through the activity of music people can improve physical or psychological disease that achieves cure and health.

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

“The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) defines music therapy as ‘an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals’” (Barnett & Shale, 2013, p.48). Music Therapy (MT) is shown to be able to help people with many different kinds of mental health problems such as anxiety, stress, and minor cases of depression. There have been many studies done showing that MT is an effective form of therapy that can improve someone’s overall Quality Of Life (QOL). MT is known as an alternative technique therapy. It is often used instead of, or along with, medication to produce a result in the patience who need it. MT involves all aspects of the music process, including listening to, writing, singing, and analyzing music. Overall MT addresses physical and emotional problems and is used to enhance the life and health of the patient. This review is simply to inform readers of the effects music and MT has on mental health, specifically:

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.

c. Music therapy has been used for adult cancer patients and it significantly reduces emotional distress and boosts the patients quality of life. Same effect was had on war veterans with PTSD

I have this theory that when it comes to music there is an unseen power which transforms. In in my life I have felt the influence of this power but it wasn't until the other day that I witnessed this power in action. It was through a procedure called Music Therapy where the method of treatment involves the patient listening to music. The element of music has a history of an intuitive connection that has psychologically been beneficial. Music therapy bands together the concept of music, mental health, psychological, and physiological benefits. With more examinations to estimate the advantages for this procedure more debate arises. Many are eager to

Music is a powerful universal language that can unite people and heal broken hearts. Research on the healing power of music in the fields of medical health and clinical psychology date back many years. Several clinical studies have shown that music therapy has an ingrained ability to cause spiritual, physical and emotional healing. Although the real science behind the power of music to heal is yet to be fully documented, many people appreciate the fact that music can soothe the soul and bring joy, something that is beneficial to the body. Happiness in itself cannot be prescribed as a cure for illnesses, but it creates a perfect ground for positive coping. Because a happy heart and mind can easily overcome an ailment by creating a perfect fighting and survival mechanism.

Upon investigating whether Music Therapy generally improves perceived quality of life, I found five studies that clearly affirm that it does. In “Effects of Live Music Therapy Sessions on Quality of Life Indicators, Medications Administered and Hospital Length of Stay for Patients Undergoing Elective Surgical Procedures for Brain,” published in the Journal of Music Therapy in Fall, 2008, Walworth et al. examined the effects of live music therapy on quality of life indicators

The purpose of this literature review is to see exactly how accurate and effective music therapy is for patients who suffer Frontotemporal Dementia. After analyzing the results, one realizes that music therapy is just one way in which patients improve their lives by not promoting unhealthy habits of isolation, unwillingness to talk, and obsession. These studies have demonstrated that music therapy is not the cure for FTD, however, it contributes to the rehabilitation process for treating Frontotemporal Dementia. Ultimately, the agitation levels and irritability that patients who suffer from FTD causes their quality of life to diminish. Regardless, if the patients who suffer from FTD have better attitudes, the caregivers will also be able to

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.

Nowadays, in the society a lot of people get more stress from many situations and some people will have some health problems. Therefore, the music therapy will be created to diminish strain, express feeling, improve communication and treat people who have health problem. Music therapy is defined as “therapy based on engagement in musical activities: the therapeutic use of music (as to reduce anxiety, improve cognitive functioning, promote physical rehabilitation, or enhance interpersonal communication) that typically involves listening to music, singing, playing musical instruments, or composing music” in Merriam-webster.com. In the other words, it is the practice of using music or instrument helping people decrease pain, concern, stress. Moreover, music therapy can include singing, creating,