I think it might be good to talk about music therapy, for people that are unfamiliar.
Music therapy is one of the expressive arts therapies such as Art Therapy, Dance/Movement Therapy, Psychodrama, Poetry etc...
The American Music Therapy Association (musictherapy.org) is our national organization
Music therapy relies on a patient-therapist relationship as well as a patient-music relationship. Music therapists will typically use patient preferred music and the activities that music therapists will use with clients include live music making, improvisation (creating music on the spot), recreating music (music that is already written/composed), song/lyric discussion, relaxation and music, listening to recorded music, movement to music, singing, songwriting/composition, ensemble music groups, creating art to music, and other techniques related to supporting physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, education/special education, nursing and medical professionals, mental health professionals/psychologists, and social work.
Music therapy currently requires a bachelors degree and 6 month internship for certification and entry to the field. There may be changes coming to make music therapy a masters degree required field as there is already some discussion about that. During the training for music therapists, they must study music as all music majors do, but there are courses required in music therapy, and support areas such as biology, psychology, statistics and possible other areas depending on the school. If a student enters the field at the graduate level, they may also take graduate counseling classes. Advanced trainings in music therapy includes Neurologic Music Therapy, Nordoff-Robins Music Therapy, Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music, and Vocal Psychotherapy.
Although in many schools students can study any primary instrument- they must become proficient in piano, guitar, voice and percussion instruments.
Music therapists try to use music with their clients to improve health and wellbeing within 6 domains: physical, emotional, cognitive, social, spiritual, and music. Within these area various goals can be addressed and they can be goals that other therapists and professionals are trying to work on and music therapy can be used to support these goals, or music therapist will conduct their own assessment and address goals in the areas of need they find.
Currently music therapy is not always covered by insurance, some music therapists have been able to recieve payment, but its sometimes cases-by-case or made with appeals. Its being paid more often than in the past, and with more states beginning to license music therapists, there may be more insurance paying. Currently licenses for music therapist are in Georgia, Rhode Island, North Dakota, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. New York has the Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, which some music therapists may be eligible for.
The field of music therapy has been a profession in the US since the 1950s and the applications of music therapy can be quite broad. If you have questions of want to discuss, let me know!
