Music Therapy
People seem to love music. It offers a calm setting for children and helps with relationships, learning, self-expression, and communication. Music therapy can help children build skills, and helps with communication for those who find it hard to express themselves in words. This page provides an overview of music therapy
What is Involved in Music Therapy?
Music therapy is one of many “expressive therapies” (along with art, dance, drama, and poetry therapy) where credentialed music therapists use a variety of music interventions to help clients reach specific goals. These interventions often include:
- Singing
- Playing instruments
- Songwriting
- Movement to music
- Listening to music
Common goals include improving:
- Neurologic development
- Speech and language skills
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Coping skills
- Emotional self-expression and regulation
- Pain and anxiety management
What Will Music Therapy Look Like?
Can Music Therapy Help My Child?
Music therapy can be used to treat children and adults with a variety of diagnoses and conditions. Music therapists often work with individuals with these diagnoses:
- ADD/ADHD
- Anxiety and depression
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Cancer
- Cerebral palsy
- Cystic fibrosis
- Intellectual disability
- Dementia
- Deaf and blind
- Hospice
- Medical conditions (chronic pain, cardiac conditions, respiration issues, etc.)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Rett syndrome
- Spinal cord injuries
- Speech delays
- Stroke
- Substance use disorders
- Traumatic brain injuries
How Does Music Therapy Work?
Assessment
- Cognition
- Memory skills (short-term and long-term)
- Attention skills (e.g. maintaining attention despite distractions)
- Ability to follow directions (one-step directions & multi-step directions)
- Speech/Language
- Speaking ability (e.g. sounds only, complete sentences, one- to two-word utterances)
- Use of physical gestures
- Use of eye contact
- Ability to respond to questions (verbally & nonverbally)
- Ability to initiate conversation
- Speech intelligibility
- Use of assistive communication devices or sign language
- Motor/Physical
- Ability to sit, hold head erect
- Ability to stand
- Ability to walk
- Ability to grasp objects
- Ability to reach with arms
- Social/Emotional
- Use of coping skills
- Ability to express emotions
- Ability to imitate behaviors of therapist or peers
- Ability to share
- Ability to wait turn
- Ability to respond to the emotions of others
- Affect & body language
- Musical
- Shows interest in musical stimulation
- Sensory aversions
- Ability to imitate rhythmic patterns by clapping/moving/playing instruments
- Ability imitate musical patterns through singing or vocalizing
Treatment Planning and Implementation
Example Goals
- To improve verbal communication skills
- Increase number of vocalizations through singing
- Increase speech intelligibility through singing
- To improve gross motor functioning
- Improve arm functioning through instrument play
- Improve gait ability (walking) through rhythmic exercises
- To improve emotional expression and coping skills
- Identify at least two coping skills
- Identify and express feelings through song-sharing and songwriting
Why Music Therapy?
Music has a huge impact on our brains! Music is processed throughout the entire brain and therefore, it has many effects. Music can:
- Reduce our perception of pain
- Alter our breathing and heart rate
- Distract us from unpleasant stimulation (such as needle sticks, IVs, chronic pain, and more)
- Motivate us and direct our attention
By using musical elements such as the rhythmic beat of a drum or the melody of a song, music therapists can manipulate music to motivate and reinforce patients’ work.
For a list of research articles, please refer to the last section.
Access to Music Therapy
IDEA Act
- An IEP meeting is held
- An evaluation is requested and conducted
- An IEP meeting is held to discuss results and the addition of the service
Insurance and Costs
Other Information About Music Therapy
Where do Music Therapists Work?
- Hospitals (pediatric and adult)
- Nursing homes
- Hospice and palliative care
- Psychiatric and substance abuse facilities (adolescent and adult)
- Special education schools
- Drug and alcohol rehabilitation
- Physical rehabilitation
- Private practices
What Credentials are Required as a Music Therapist?
Resources
Services for Patients & Families Nationwide (NW)
Service Categories | # of providers* in: | NW | Partner states (4) (show) | | NM | NV | RI | UT | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arts/Music Therapies | 2 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 10 |
For services not listed above, browse our Services categories or search our database.
* number of provider listings may vary by how states categorize services, whether providers are listed by organization or individual, how services are organized in the state, and other factors; Nationwide (NW) providers are generally limited to web-based services, provider locator services, and organizations that serve children from across the nation.
Helpful Articles
Son JT, Kim SH.
The effects of self-selected music on anxiety and pain during burn dressing changes.
Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi.
2006;36(1):159-68.
PubMed abstract
Tan X, Yowler CJ, Super DM, Fratianne RB.
The efficacy of music therapy protocols for decreasing pain, anxiety, and muscle tension levels during burn dressing changes:
a prospective randomized crossover trial.
J Burn Care Res.
2010;31(4):590-7.
PubMed abstract
Allred KD, Byers JF, Sole ML.
The effect of music on postoperative pain and anxiety.
Pain Manag Nurs.
2010;11(1):15-25.
PubMed abstract
Leardi S, Pietroletti R, Angeloni G, Necozione S, Ranalletta G, Del Gusto B.
Randomized clinical trial examining the effect of music therapy in stress response to day surgery.
Br J Surg.
2007;94(8):943-7.
PubMed abstract
Nilsson U.
The anxiety- and pain-reducing effects of music interventions: a systematic review.
AORN J.
2008;87(4):780-807.
PubMed abstract
Walworth D, Rumana CS, Nguyen J, Jarred J.
Effects of live music therapy sessions on quality of life indicators, medications administered and hospital length of stay
for patients undergoing elective surgical procedures for brain.
J Music Ther.
2008;45(3):349-59.
PubMed abstract
Authors & Reviewers
Author: | Kayla Zuckerman, MA, SCMT, MT-BC |
2013: first version: Tamara (Tony) Ollerton, MA, SCMT, MT-BC Music TherapyA |
Page Bibliography
Allred KD, Byers JF, Sole ML.
The effect of music on postoperative pain and anxiety.
Pain Manag Nurs.
2010;11(1):15-25.
PubMed abstract
Leardi S, Pietroletti R, Angeloni G, Necozione S, Ranalletta G, Del Gusto B.
Randomized clinical trial examining the effect of music therapy in stress response to day surgery.
Br J Surg.
2007;94(8):943-7.
PubMed abstract
Nilsson U.
The anxiety- and pain-reducing effects of music interventions: a systematic review.
AORN J.
2008;87(4):780-807.
PubMed abstract
Son JT, Kim SH.
The effects of self-selected music on anxiety and pain during burn dressing changes.
Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi.
2006;36(1):159-68.
PubMed abstract
Tan X, Yowler CJ, Super DM, Fratianne RB.
The efficacy of music therapy protocols for decreasing pain, anxiety, and muscle tension levels during burn dressing changes:
a prospective randomized crossover trial.
J Burn Care Res.
2010;31(4):590-7.
PubMed abstract
Walworth D, Rumana CS, Nguyen J, Jarred J.
Effects of live music therapy sessions on quality of life indicators, medications administered and hospital length of stay
for patients undergoing elective surgical procedures for brain.
J Music Ther.
2008;45(3):349-59.
PubMed abstract