Music is central to our societies today as much as it was millennia ago. People in the ancient world used music both in their daily lives and in healing rituals and methods. The survival of Palaeolithic cave paintings and flutes made of bone suggests that people in antiquity danced to some form of music.
“The use of music to influence the human body was first mentioned in writing in Egyptian medical papyri dating back to 1500 BCE” – Roland Benenzon
Greco-Roman, Arabian, Indian and Chinese traditions of learned medicine all include various notions of musical therapy. Stories such as the story of David playing his harp to the troubled Saul also provide evidence of this.
Nowadays we have evidence for the practice and benefits of this type of therapy. It is an ever-growing field with a presence all around the world. The situation looks better than ever before!
So, what is music therapy? Here are a few definitions:
The American Association of Music Therapists (AMTA) describes it 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.”
The German Music Therapy Association says it is (personal translation):
“the targeted use of music within the therapeutic relationship to restore, maintain and promote mental, physical and spiritual health.
Music therapy is a practice-oriented scientific discipline that interacts closely with various scientific fields, especially medicine, the social sciences, psychology, musicology and education.
The term “music therapy” is a summary designation for different music therapy concepts, which are to be characterised as psychotherapeutic in nature, in distinction to pharmacological and physical therapy.
Music therapy methods equally follow depth psychological, behavioural-therapeutic-learning-theoretical, systemic, anthroposophical and holistic-humanistic approaches.
And lastly, the World Federation of Music Therapy defines it as follows:
Music therapy is the professional use of music and its elements as an intervention in medical, educational, and everyday environments with individuals, groups, families, or communities who seek to optimize their quality of life and improve their physical, social, communicative, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual health and wellbeing. Research, practice, education, and clinical training in music therapy are based on professional standards according to cultural, social, and political contexts. (World Federation of Music Therapy, 2011)
Thoughts on the Definition of Music Therapy
Firstly, AMTA’s definition defines music therapy as “clinical.” Music therapy is effective and based on evidence that comes from research and empirical observation. In other words, there is sound evidence that music helps people heal in many ways. In their definition, the way a music therapist helps clients is always in a clinical context.
Music therapy involves a therapeutic relationship with a trained professional who uses music interventions to help individuals achieve their unique goals.
The German Music Therapy Association’s definition emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of the field. Music therapy draws from various scientific fields and uses different therapeutic approaches. It is also distinct from pharmacological and physical therapy, as it focuses on psychotherapeutic methods.
Lastly, the World Federation of Music Therapy’s definition emphasizes the broad range of applications for music therapy. It can be used in medical, educational, and everyday environments with individuals or groups seeking to improve their quality of life in various ways.
A music therapist employs different music interventions to address specific goals. Music therapists have a myriad of ways to use music at their disposal. Possible interventions are:
- Songwriting
- Directed music listening
- Music and relaxation exercises
- Lyric discussion
- Singing/toning
- Moving to music
- Creating recordings and videos
- Adapted instrument lessons
- Improvisation
- And more!
Individualized Goals
Music therapists use music to accomplish individualized goals. A music therapist has the training to create a treatment plan and employ music interventions to accomplish the goals within the plan. And it is all within a therapeutic relationship, a relationship in which the patient/participant can feel safe, welcome, and understood.
In the United States, a music therapist is one who is a “credentialed professional,” that is, somebody who has gone through an approved program and has successfully passed the appropriate examinations. This is necessary to ensure that music therapy as a profession remains a reputable and effective practice. It also helps ensure that the general population might recognize its importance.
Not every country has the systems in place to offer a credential for music therapists, but they should all follow the WFMT’s recommendations that music therapists should have undergone an appropriate training.
Other Definitions of Music Therapy
Now, for another definition I like what music therapist Leslie Bunt says about music therapy. He says that “music therapy is the use of sounds and music within an evolving relationship between patient/participant and therapist to support and encourage physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual well-being.”
In this short definition, Bunt first recognizes that it is always an evolving relationship that is involved in the therapeutic process.
The word therapy comes from the Greek “therapeia, ” which means the human qualities of caring, attending and serving. Music is powerful by itself, but it is important to recognize that an evolving relationship will open channels of communication and will create trust, an essential element in the musical-therapeutic process.
This definition also recognizes that it is not always patients in the strictest sense of the word that benefit from music therapy. “Participants” is a more encompassing word for it recognizes that the musical-therapeutic process can happen in a diverse range of scenarios.
Bunt also recognizes that a music therapist encourages the well-being of a person in a holistic way that includes physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual levels.
Conclusion
In conclusion, music therapy is a profession that has a lot of potential to help people in improving and maintaining their individual and ecological wellbeing. For a very comprehensive discussion on what music therapy is, I recommend Kenneth Bruscia’s book, “Defining Music Therapy.” For now I leave you with these thoughts and look forward to updating this post in the future!
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