My senior year of high school I was diagnosed with mild depression and anxiety, so I went to a therapist weekly to talk about what was going on with me and how to get better. Once we began talking about the good things in my life, I realized that music had a huge impact on it. I found that even in my every day life since I was young, I would listen to music when I was happy or when I was trying to get through something. I formed an emotional attachment with the words, and once I learned more about music I could understand more the meaning behind it. Music has and always will be my own personal form of “therapy.”
Music therapy as defined by the American Music Therapy Association or the AMTA 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. It is an established health profession in which music is used to create a therapeutic relationship to connect with the emotional, cognitive, physical and social needs of the patient. Once a patient is assessed, the therapist indicates treatment through the use of creating, singing, listening and moving to music. For example, if a patient needs work physically with forearm movement, a musical therapist will need to know which type of mallet the patient could use when playing the xylophone to help with that specific movement. Children, adolescents, adults and elderly can benefit from music therapy; it can help those with mental health needs ranging from learning disabilities or brain injuries all the way to acute or chronic pain, or mothers in labor. Music therapists work in psychiatric wings of hospitals, rehab centers, drug and alcohol programs, penitentiaries, nursing homes, or in private practices, among many others.
The concept of music as a healing influence started all the way from writings by Plato and Aristotle. However, it was after World War I and World War II when both amateur and professional musicians would play music in Veteran’s hospitals around the country when this idea became more known. It was then that researchers realized both physically and emotionally traumatized patients were being healed with music. This began to increase in demand by hospitals, so the first Music Therapy degree program began at Michigan State University in 1944. Nordoff and Robbins, founders of a certain approach to music therapy, believe music is a universal means of communication, and is grounded in the belief that everyone can respond to music, no matter how ill or disabled. The unique qualities of music as therapy can enhance communication, support change, and enable people to live more resourcefully and creatively.
I firmly believe that music can heal. I also believe that as a music educator, I can teach that music heals and use concepts of Music Therapy in my classroom. While at the end of the day a music educator’s goal is to teach a musical concept, and a music therapist’s goal is patient by patient based for the bettering of the patients’ needs, both believe in the power of music. By creating an unforgettable moment for students in a classroom with music, we can teach them to be inspired by music and to use music to heal.
In upcoming news: Interview time! There will be an interview with Westminster’s very own alumn, Karina Rozo! In my interview with Karina, I plan to ask her more about her process from changing to a music based program to a Music Therapy based program. She had the unique experience of being in the Music Education program at Westminster Choir College for a while before changing over to getting a BA in performance. I plan to ask her if she agrees that music educators can use music therapy in the classroom, as well as find out more all around about her philosophies of music and music therapy!
Music in Princeton 