The Effects of Music Therapy Music therapy is a popular growing field of health care that uses music to heal physical, emotional, cognitive and even social needs of individuals. Music is used to provide the treatment in order to strengthen patient’s abilities and transfer them to other areas of their lives. The effectiveness of music therapy has been a constant argument, but with time the therapeutic technique has been found to be as effective as traditional forms of therapy. Given the psychological and physical evidence of the effects of music therapy, the interaction between the therapist and patients of all ages has proven to have long-lasting benefits. As the profession of music therapy has been welcomed into health care today, the profession is placed alongside other medical services, facing the same demands of requiring verified and reliable outcomes to it’s effectiveness of a music therapy encounter. The RTC (Randomized Controlled Trial) is described as the “gold standard for medical research” (Edwards, 2004). The RTC has gradually become the acceptable method for research in all other health care services. With this being said, the concept of music therapy has been problematic given that the RTC cannot effectively be applied to the therapeutic technique, because there is no set of repeated trials with music to measure the phenomenon of music stimuli, and there is no scientific, experimental approach. The humanities, which is where music therapy is theoretically tied, often argues that “the humanities study human expressions and actions, implicitly accepting the notion that human beings are free to choose to do various things and they will, at times, freely produce exceptional and creative expressions. The sciences, on the... ... middle of paper ... ...thout this prominent, expressive and encouraging setting patients are placed in, the music preformed and interacted with may not have the same affect as it does on these individuals, no matter the age. It’s that sense of joy encompassed through the sound waves of music taught to these individuals that portray the everlasting effects of music therapy. Regardless of individuals incapability’s, music therapy has created a light at the end of a tunnel of hope for those not able. Music enriches the lives of those who struggle on a daily basis. With allotted time and effort, the health profession of music therapy will continue to grow and become more relevant in society, offering more help to those with disabilities or mental disorders. The growth of music therapy and associated techniques can become one of the most profound and beneficial forms of therapy for our youth.
Music therapy works because of its three fundamentals: the application of systematic thinking through music theory, the creation of an individualized treatment plan, as well as the patie...
Music therapy is defined as “a systematic process of intervention wherein the therapist helps the client to promote health, using music experiences and the relationships that develop through them as dynamic forces of change.” (Bruscia). Wilber’s quadrants breaks down major psychological theories and music therapy models into four quadrants (Abrams). These areas are the individual interior, individual exterior, collective interior, and the collective exterior (Abrams). The individual internal focuses on the therapeutic goals and the inner psychological process of the client (Dr. A. Meadows, personal communication, Sept 2014). The individual exterior focuses on skills and behaviors where the goals
While the idea of music therapy is fairly new, the music that feeds it is not. Studies are done every day to further improve the mechanisms used, and to get as close to perfecting, and understanding the practice as possible. Music feeds all, and it’s the one common language we all share.
In 1995, Ballard and Coates reported that “neither the lyrical content nor the music type affected suicidal ideation, anxiety, or self-esteem” (Journal Of Humanistic Counseling, Education & Development 1) Music itself has been used as a form of therapy in of residential and adult day care centers it’s been reported that music had been the cause of elevated or depressed moods. This suggests that music is an effective technique in therapeutic interventions and should be incorporated more thoroughly in medical and psychiatric practices. Experimental studies conducted by Prickett in 1988 have documented the effects of music on individuals as they interact with the environment. Participants of the study were reported to have shown increases in their expression of feelings, awareness, and socialization. Furthermore, music may also be able to help individuals cope with pain and anxiety. In other studies the use of music made traditional psychotherapy more effective and led to a drop in the levels of depression for more individuals that using regular therapies
Music therapy involves the clinical use of music interventions in order to alleviate pain, improve cognitive functioning, reduce social anxiety, and encourage overall physical and mental well-being (American Music Therapy Association). Techniques often involve individuals actively participating in music therapy through singing, comp¬¬osing, or listening to music. Evidence based studies have demonstrated that music therapy can elicit both a physiological and psychological response, resulting in cognitive and behavioral benefits that make it an ideal therapeutic tool in handling stress in normal daily activities as well as in the health care setting.
B., Gfeller, K. E., & Thaut, M. H. (2008). An Introduction to Music Therapy: Theory and
In summary, it is very reasonable to determine that music therapy has been a pronounced development. It has aided an abundance of people with dealing with all sorts of different issues they are faced with in everyday life; from emotional issues to illnesses. However, music therapy is not for everyone. There are many different types of therapies available for patients to choose from if they feel if music therapy isn’t for
Turner, Judith. "Music Therapy." The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. 3rd ed. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 2527-2529. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) defines music therapy as “…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” (ATMA, 2008). Though the writings of Aristotle and Plato are some of the earliest examples that describe how music can make a positive impact on both the behavior and health of an individual, music therapy is a relatively new concept (Degmečić & Požgain et al., 2005). In the Post-World War II era, experienced musicians began performing regularly in hospitals for war veterans that had suffered from physical or emotional trauma. These performances elicited perceptible, but surprising, positive physical and emotional responses. The physicians took notice and eventually began requesting that the hospital formally hire these musicians to aid in the recovery of these wounded soldiers. This practice eventually evolved into what is now known as music therapy (Degmečić & Požgain et al., 2005). By presenting evidence gathered in various research projects, this paper will attempt to introduce the reader to the benefits of music therapy. It will uncover the different aspects, methods and approaches to music therapy and how it positively impacts an individual with special needs and their family. The evidence presented will also dissect how this therapeutic method can be implemented in both a special education and general education classroom to help a child prosper and thrive as an individual. This information will ultimately exemplify how effective music therapy can be in a classroom that contains a child with special needs.
I’m writing my paper on Music Therapy, and how music affects the mind and body, to treat various illnesses. Music therapy is the prescribed use of music under the direction of specially trained therapists to influence changes in negative conditions and behavior. It accomplishes this by maintaining and restoring mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health .One type of theory is the idea that music, movement, and speech are inseparable. Music evokes unconscious thoughts and feelings, which in turn expand self-awareness. Music therapy is a powerful and non-invasive form of sensory stimulation which provokes responses due to the familiarity, predictability, and feelings of security associated with it. In some medical settings such as mental health services, it has been used to decrease patient’s perception of pain, anxiety and depression. ICU patients listening to music showed a significant decrease in blood pressure. It has been shown to calm the patient and to relax their mind and body. Music eases the burden on the arteries and nerves through relaxation. Du...
In the early eighteenth century, the phonograph has been used to reinforce patients in hospitals to sleep and during surgery and anesthesia process (Barrera et al., 2002, p. 379). In the nineteenth century, there was a desire to use the sounds of music to minimize pain. In the 1980s, the use of music therapy was documented, but it had not proved any effectiveness (Barrera et al., 2002, p.379). Also, Munro et al. (1987) reported that the Greeks used music in psychology treatment (p. 1029). Music therapy was defended by Munro et al. (1987) as “the controlled use of music, its elements and their influences on the human being to aid in the physiologic, psychologic and emotional integration of the individual during the treatment of anilines or disability (p. 1030). Recently, many studies have shown an improvement of that interest of using music therapy, and that significantly proved its useful effects on children with varies medical issues. Nowadays there are other therapies besides medical treatment for children with autism, language skills problems, and dealing with hospitalization due to cancer.
Music Therapy is the use of music to treat a range of conditions either physical or mental (Questia, 2017). It can be used to help a range of conditions such as: autism, mental health (for example anxiety and depression), learning disabilities and neuro disabilities (British Association for Music Therapy (BAMT), 2017). This could be proven useful due to its variety of conditions it can help with, it is a very different idea to help people and music in general is very enjoyable and uplifting. It can also be useful for it is a way people can express themselves, there are many cases in which people do not know how to communicate with others or do not like talking about their conditions or how they feel and communication is very important. However,
Meadows, A. N. (2011). Developments in music therapy practice case study perspectives. Gilsum: Barcelona Publishers.
In order to understand why the use of music therapy is growing, one must know what exactly music therapy is. Music Therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. Music therapy also provides avenues for communicati...
Music Therapy is the prescribed use of music and musical interventions to restore, maintain, and improve emotional, physical, physiological, and spiritual health and well-being. These are the key elements which define interventions as music therapy. Music Therapy is goal oriented and provides a system to work towards a specific therapeutic goal and objective. Goals identified can include communicative, academic, motor emotional and social skills. In the end the music development learned in the sessions hopefully have a relaxing, positive effect on the client’s physical, psychological and socio-economical functioning. Music Therapy became a profession in 1950 with the establishment of the National Association for Music Therapy and the American Association for Music Therapy Association. (AMTA) There were nonmusical goals set for the professional setting. “They included: improving communication skills, decreasing inappropriate ...