Music Therapy or Music Therapy

Contents

• Music and emotions
• What is Music Therapy?
• Do you need musical experience?
• What Happens in a Music Therapy Session?
• The history of Music Therapy
• Music Therapy Techniques
• Who can help Music Therapy?
• Can Music Therapy Cure?

Music and emotions

Music is one of the few things in life that has the power to move most people emotionally. A piece of music can bring back memories, lift our spirits or calm our soul and help us express our emotions when words fail us. It is this power that Music Therapy provides us, using the various musical components to provide a way of relating within a therapeutic relationship.

Music is something that almost everyone can relate to and, in fact, most of us listen to music at some point every day. Whether you're singing along to your favorite song on your way to work, listening to the radio at home, or dancing on a Saturday night, chances are there won't be a day that goes without music..

The idea behind Music Therapy is to take advantage of that shared experience in a therapeutic way. Music Therapy can help a variety of people, including those with emotional difficulties and physical limitations. Young children can benefit and improve communication, while older people can regain self-esteem.

What is Music Therapy?

Music Therapy is a type of creative therapy that consists of listening to and / or playing music. Depending on the participant's needs, Music Therapy can promote self-awareness, communication skills, and self-esteem. Therapy uses the social and communicative nature of music to do this and aims to facilitate positive changes in behavior.

Typically, the music therapist will conduct sessions using a series of instruments and / or their voice to elicit interaction and response from the participants. This type of relaxed and safe environment helps foster learning and emotional release for participants..

Do you need musical experience?

You don't need any prior musical experience and you don't need to know how to play an instrument to participate. If the therapist wants you to join, they will likely offer you an easy-to-play tool, an instrument like a drum or tambourine, or in fact you can just sit back and enjoy listening to the music..

It is also worth noting that Music Therapy is not intended to teach you to play an instrument and should not be a substitute for music lessons. That said, you may naturally gain better rhythmic control and develop musical sensitivity..

What Happens in a Music Therapy Session?

A music therapist can work with one person individually, or with a group of people. The therapy itself can take place in a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, prisons, residences, and private workspaces depending on the needs of the participants. Each therapist will have a different way of working and the structure of the session will largely depend on the nature of the issues being explored..

Your music therapist may encourage you to participate by singing or playing an instrument and may ask you to express how the music being played makes you feel. Sometimes other sensory aids (eg feathers) can be introduced; This can happen especially when it comes to children or people with disabilities. Some music therapists may ask you to put together a piece of music or write a song.

The history of Music Therapy

The use of music as therapy has taken place for centuries, as far back as ancient Greece. Apollo, for example, is the Greek god of music and medicine, which shows that the two have been linked at least since ancient Greek times. Music Therapy is practiced even in biblical times, when it was thought that David played the harp to rid Saul-like of an evil spirit.

Music Therapy as we know it today began in the wake of World Wars I and II. It was then that musicians (especially in the UK) would travel to hospitals to play music for soldiers who suffered emotional and physical trauma. French cellist Juliette Alvin pioneered clinical music therapy in Britain in the 1960s, and is still considered the strongest influencer of therapy..

Music Therapy Techniques

Music therapists use a variety of techniques depending on the needs of the people taking part. The following techniques are some of the most commonly used, however this list is not exhaustive and other techniques can be applied:

• Sing - Your music therapist may invite you to sing while they play a song. Singing can help develop joint and breathing control, and within a group setting can help improve social skills.
• Playing instruments - Playing an instrument can help you refine coordination and motor skills. Playing with others also improves cooperation and teamwork skills..
• Rhythm-based activities - Mimicking a rhythm, or making your own, can help develop coordination and range of motion. In some cases, it can also help relieve anxiety and aid relaxation..
• Improvisation - Give the opportunity to express yourself in a creative way thanks to musical improvisation can help when words fail.
• Composing / writing songs - Writing a song about your experiences can be easier than talking about it. Composing music can also help foster a greater sense of self-awareness by helping you better understand your feelings..
• Listen - Just listening to music can have therapeutic properties. May help develop cognitive skills and encourages memory and attention.

Who can help Music Therapy?

Thanks to the versatile nature of Music Therapy it has the potential to help a variety of different social groups. Almost everyone can benefit from music as therapy, however it is thought to be particularly beneficial for the following:

Children and families: Children are believed to have their first musical experience while still in the womb; music and sound leading to be a key communicator for young children. This means that Music Therapy can be experienced by very young babies. When it comes to toddlers and infants, the use of sensory aids is often recommended to attract attention and develop cognitive skills..

The goal of Music Therapy for children is to help them explore and express thoughts and feelings while developing communication and language skills. Therapy can also help increase self-awareness and build self-esteem. Listening to and participating in rhythmic-based activities is believed to support coordination while encouraging creative play..

While this type of therapy is geared even more toward children, the sessions can help cement bonds between parents and children. This can be especially important for those suffering from postpartum depression..

People with learning difficulties: When music is used in therapy for people with learning difficulties, it is the communicative element that is most often applied. Free expression and interaction is actively encouraged to help train and motivate participants. Encouraging melodies and physical movement of the system, help improve and develop coordination.

People with a neuro-disability: Music is processed within many parts of the brain, which makes it a valuable tool for people with a brain injury or a neuro-degenerative disease. There are typically three different approaches that are used to aid rehabilitation and quality of life, these are:

• Compensatory - in which music is used to compensate for losses (almost always in combination with tools such as communication and memory aids).
• Psycho-socio-emotional - in which music is used to facilitate emotional expression, social interaction, and adjustment to disability.
• Restorative - in which music is used to help regain ability and function.

Autism: Music Therapy is believed to help stabilize mood and increase tolerance for frustration for those on the autism spectrum. Therapy does this by helping the participant to identify emotions in a different way, which improves self-expression. It's often the feeling of not being able to express yourself that frustrates people with autism, and music therapy offers a way of doing that that doesn't require words..

Music engages the brain, both at the neo-cortical and subcortical levels, which means that the listener is not required to "think" while listening to the sounds. This makes Music Therapy ideal for those who have difficulty concentrating. The repetitive sounds used in music therapy also provide stimuli and subsequently teach the brain to respond to such stimuli better..

People with dementia: Older people can feel isolated, and those with dementia even more. Music therapy for the elderly aims to improve self-esteem, promote social interaction and promote memory recovery. Sometimes listening to a song from the past can trigger previously forgotten memories, something that is very valuable to those who have memory problems..

Listening to music can also help aid relaxation and relieve stress. Giving older people the opportunity to explore their own creative abilities also helps to develop a stronger sense of self..

Anxiety and depression: Working as a means of communication, music can help people dealing with depression to express themselves in a more creative way. Whether music therapy is carried out individually or through a group, the very nature of the music helps to alleviate the feelings of isolation that are often experienced by people with depression..

Music Therapy has also been hailed for its ability to build self-confidence, help individuals take responsibility for their decisions, and make more choices independently. Anxious thoughts and feelings can often be intervened with the use of music, with calming melodies that help reduce stress and even lower blood pressure..

Serving as a creative outlet, Music Therapy also helps individuals develop ways of coping when difficult situations arise..

People with schizophrenia: Studies have shown that music therapy can help decrease symptoms of schizophrenia, including: flat affect, speech difficulties and the inability to find joy in activities. Therapy helps reduce feelings of isolation and can increase interest in external events.

It should be noted that Music Therapy often works best for people with mental health problems when used in combination with other treatments, such as other types of psychotherapy and medication..

Can Music Therapy Cure?

Music Therapy has the potential to affect an individual for the better, however, some conditions are irreversible. In some cases, Music Therapy can have a healing effect, and in others it can help slow deterioration. Depending on the issues being addressed within therapy, it may be necessary for the individual to undergo additional treatment, or to combine different types of treatment.

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