About Music Therapy
What is music therapy? Is it really proven to help people?
The short answer: Yes. Music therapy is the use of all types of music to improve cognitive functioning, motor skills, emotional development, social skills, and general quality of life (1). Music Therapy can include improvising and performing music, dance and moving to music or simply listening to music.
Some of the goals and uses of music therapy (according to the American Music Therapy Association) are:
Music therapy is used for a wide variety of professional treatments, including mood, psychiatric, and neurological disorders. While significant success has been proven in many treatments, we still have much to learn about the uses and effectiveness of music therapy for these and other disorders.
The field got its start in America in 1944, when Michigan State University and University of Kansas created undergraduate and graduate programs, respectively. Now, the American Music Therapy Association is the primary organization for promoting the use and exploration of music therapy nationally (1).
If you have an interest in music therapy, we encourage you to read more about this fascinating field or contact us for more information.
Other interesting links:
Post-Surgery Jazz, a study by Hershey Medical physician Dr. Flower Austin
Can Music Save Your Life? A Youtube video by AsapThought
Old Man Reacts to Hearing Music from His Era
Obama talks about the wonders of music therapy during his Veterans Day 2014 Speech
Sources:
(1) “Music Therapy”. Wikipedia Inc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_therapy
(2) “What is Music Therapy?” American Music Therapy Association. http://www.musictherapy.org/about/musictherapy/
The short answer: Yes. Music therapy is the use of all types of music to improve cognitive functioning, motor skills, emotional development, social skills, and general quality of life (1). Music Therapy can include improvising and performing music, dance and moving to music or simply listening to music.
Some of the goals and uses of music therapy (according to the American Music Therapy Association) are:
- Promote Wellness
- Manage Stress
- Alleviate Pain
- Express Feelings
- Enhance Memory
- Improve Communication
- Promote Physical Rehabilitation (2)
Music therapy is used for a wide variety of professional treatments, including mood, psychiatric, and neurological disorders. While significant success has been proven in many treatments, we still have much to learn about the uses and effectiveness of music therapy for these and other disorders.
The field got its start in America in 1944, when Michigan State University and University of Kansas created undergraduate and graduate programs, respectively. Now, the American Music Therapy Association is the primary organization for promoting the use and exploration of music therapy nationally (1).
If you have an interest in music therapy, we encourage you to read more about this fascinating field or contact us for more information.
Other interesting links:
Post-Surgery Jazz, a study by Hershey Medical physician Dr. Flower Austin
Can Music Save Your Life? A Youtube video by AsapThought
Old Man Reacts to Hearing Music from His Era
Obama talks about the wonders of music therapy during his Veterans Day 2014 Speech
Sources:
(1) “Music Therapy”. Wikipedia Inc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_therapy
(2) “What is Music Therapy?” American Music Therapy Association. http://www.musictherapy.org/about/musictherapy/
