Music Therapy Explained

I define music therapy simply as using music intentionally to work toward clinical goals, or using musical experiences to better understand areas of clinical need.

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The Medical Definition

Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship with a credentialed professional.

Music therapists use experiences such as creating music, singing, playing instruments, movement, improvisation, songwriting, and listening to address physical, emotional, cognitive, communication, and social needs.

Music therapy does not require previous musical experience or ability.

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My Approach: Music-Centered Music Therapy

My primary approach is Music-Centered Music Therapy.

This approach places particular importance on the music itself and on the musical behaviors of the participant. Rather than treating music simply as a reward or background tool, the musical experience becomes the central part of the therapeutic process.

Music is inherently engaging, expressive, social, physical, and cognitive. By adapting the musical experience to the individual, music therapy can create opportunities for participation that may be difficult to access in other settings.

As a musician, I work to make musical experiences more accessible, meaningful, engaging, and responsive to the participant.

As a therapist, I use clinical knowledge to understand how those musical experiences relate to areas such as:

• communication and expressive language

• attention and engagement

• cognition, learning, and memory

• motor movement and coordination

• emotional expression and regulation

• social interaction and participation

• choice-making and independence

Sessions may involve traditional instruments as well as digital instruments, movement-responsive music, and custom interactive music applications. The technology expands the ways a participant can access and create music while the therapeutic process remains centered on the musical experience.

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What Are the Goals of Music Therapy?

Music therapy goals are individualized to each participant.

One important outcome is generalization: skills or responses demonstrated during music therapy begin to appear in other parts of everyday life.

For example, a participant who develops greater sustained attention during a musical activity may begin using that ability during learning, communication, or daily routines.

Music therapy can also reveal a participant's capabilities under the right conditions.

A person may communicate, move, attend, interact, or express themselves differently within music than they do in other environments. Observing those abilities can provide valuable information about how that individual learns and participates.

A third goal is access to meaningful musical experiences.

Music therapists adapt instruments, activities, technology, pacing, and musical structure so that people with different abilities can actively participate in making and experiencing music.

At its core, music therapy uses the human experience of music to create opportunities for connection, expression, movement, learning, participation, and growth.