2. What is music therapy?
• An allied health profession like speech
therapy and occupational therapy
• Assessment-driven
• Practiced by a board-certified
professional
• Music-based interventions
3. Music Education
• Primary focus is music achievement of
student
• Secondary benefits may be therapeutic
• Sometimes provided by music therapist
but is not music therapy
4. Recreational Music
• Primary focus is pleasurable experience
of participants
• Secondary benefits may be therapeutic
• May be provided by music therapist but
is not music therapy
5. Music Therapy
• 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.
• American Music Therapy Association
6. Music Therapy Process
• Referral
• Assessment
• Treatment Planning
• Implementation and Documentation
• Ongoing Evaluation
• Termination
7. Case Examples
• W. was referred by his mother for music-based
interventions to improve social skills.
• Assessment indicated strong connections to
music, difficulty playing or singing with
others
• Treatment involved explicit instruction in
social skills and music-making with 2 peers
8. Results
• W. is now attending Starfire U and has
a girlfriend.
9. Case examples
• M. was initially referred to improve
reading skills
• Plays piano by ear. Learned to read
music notation as parallel process to
reading text.
• Received tutoring in addition to music
therapy
10. Results
• Now reads lyrics to songs she is
playing. Intervention continues to
increase vocabulary and
comprehension.
• Performs for nursing homes several
times a month.
12. Goals
• Improve fine motor skills
• Increase attention to task
• Develop body awareness
• Decrease anxiety, tantrums,
hyperactivity
• Improve verbal/non-verbal
communication
13. Interventions
• Therapeutic Singing
• Therapeutic Instrumental Music
Performance
• Musical Mnemonics Training
• Auditory Perception Training
• Musical Executive Function Training
14. Training and Credentials
• Minimum bachelor’s degree in music
therapy from approved school
• 1200 hours clinical training including
supervised internship
• Pass national board certification exam
• Complete continuing education
requirements
