Music Therapy Papers

Music has become a huge part of society. There are so many different styles of music and each style speaks to someone a little differently than it does the next person. The use of music as therapy also known as, Music Therapy has also started to be a more important part of society as well. Music therapy is a form of emotional, psychological, and physical treatment using music. “Music therapy is identified by federal law as a service related to special education, but no state requires it for educational programs. As a result, funding for music therapist positions may not be available even where openings should exist.” A music therapist can be found in daycares, schools, prisons, rehab centers, hospitals, and hospices. “Music therapists must
have a bachelor's degree or higher in music therapy from one of AMTA's 72 approved colleges and universities, including 1200 hours of clinical training.” Three major subjects all music therapist need to be knowledgeable in is psychology, music, and medicine. Music therapy can be used in many different ways for example, through music rhythm, instruments, songs as a mode of communication and expressions, as well as social interaction. Some of the main reasons someone would use music therapy is to help with relaxation, anxiety, and any other emotional disorders, to help with psychological problems, hospital or hospice bound patients, or something as simple as to help with studying. Relaxing sounds like an easy task but for some people it is not. Listening to certain styles of music can help you relax. For example, while getting a massage they play ocean sounds, nature sounds, and Indian acoustics. These sounds are relaxing to the brain. Listening to upbeat music would not be helpful in trying to relax, it could possibly wake the brain up even more. Having trouble relaxing can stem from anxiety. Anxiety can also be helped with these styles of music.
“Music therapy has been used effectively in adults and children with psychiatric disorders." It has been used for patients with autism, dementia, Parkinson’s, and helped patients dealing with grief and depression. When used for an autism patient it helps modify their behavior and with dementia patients it helps with their agitation by soothing them and eliminating their social isolation. If motor skills and emotional problems need improved in a patient with Parkinson’s, then using music therapy will be beneficial. There is ample evidence used to help alleviate grief and depression in all patients. Each patient will benefit differently from different styles of music, use whatever works best for that patient. For example, playing a more upbeat style of music will be more beneficial to a patient that is grieving and depressed rather than someone needing help dealing with agitation.
Having a loved one be hospital bound or under hospice care can be very hard on families.
Families want the best care for their loved one and just want to make them as comfortable as possible. In some cases, a family or caregiver may decide that a loved one could benefit from music therapy. “The primary goal of music therapy in hospice care is to provide receptive and interactive music experiences within the context of a therapeutic relationship to improve an individual's quality of life, relieve symptoms, address psychological needs, offer support and comfort, and meet spiritual needs.” Music therapist provide different types of music for the patients. They can sing along with patients, play instruments for them, or just have some music playing in the background. The therapist along with the family and the patient will decide what works best for them.
What better way to use music therapy than to improve brain function? A simpler reason someone may use music therapy is while studying. It has been known that listening to Mozart music will boost brain power. Studies have shown that listening to classical music can enhance concentration and stimulate higher brain function, such as spatial reasoning. “The tests, conducted in the early 1990s at the University of California, showed that 36 undergraduates scored higher on spatial IQ tests after listening to Mozart's "Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major." Those effects, dubbed "the Mozart Effect," lasted 10 to 15
minutes.”
Music has been around forever, but there is a lot of people that to this day, they do not see the therapeutic benefits music has. No matter what someone’s mood is there is usually a song out there for it. Music therapy is beneficial in many ways and should be put to use way more than what it is. Teaching people how to cope with music therapy could save a lot of people from going down the drug and alcohol paths of life.