5 minute read
The history and benefits of Music Therapy
Music is a relaxing hobby for many - whether it’s playing piano in your downtime, going to see your favorite artist live, or putting on the radio on your drive home - but for some, it goes beyond that. It’s a crucial resource for their physical and mental health.
Music therapy is a commonly used practice today for treating a wide variety of behavior and mental health conditions. Although music therapy is a relatively newer form of healthcare having only gained significant popularity in the last century, music as a therapeutic practice dates back thousands of years.
According to an article written by Kathleen M. Howland, a certified music therapist and licensed speech language pathologist, by the 5th century the Ancient Greeks had believed music could heal both the physical body and the soul. Plato and Pythagoras, both Greek philosophers, wrote about the positive effects of music and greatly supported music therapy as a practice.
By 1879, the first scientific study on music therapy, titled “Music Physically Considered,” was published. By World War II, music therapy found a great significance when musicians were asked to play in hospitals for returning soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In 1998, the American Music Therapy Association was founded.
Today, music therapy is very common. Alli Dunn is the director of music therapy programs at the Chicago Center for Music Education (ChiME). ChiME serves people of all ages, but Dunn mostly works with children from three to five years old.
According to Dunn, music therapy is a treatment that can follow along the entire life journey and treat a variety of conditions. Music therapy can be neurological by treating pain relief, it can treat mental health among all ages, and it can be a form of elder care.
While music therapy can be used throughout all phases of life, it’s not usually the first choice for treatment. At ChiME, Dunn says they don’t diagnose. Rather, families will go to them already knowing they want their child to go to music therapy or they will work with schools who may benefit from a music therapy program.
“You don’t have to be a musician to benefit from music therapy,” Dunn says. “You don’t have to have a sense of rhythm or be able to sing. What I look for most when I’m working with kids is if they have an inherent motivation when music is involved.”
Music not only improves your mental health, but it also affects your physical health. For instance, a powerful song can give you goosebumps or bring tears to your eyes, even if there aren’t any words.
“Music is one of the only things that stimulates the entire brain as a whole,” Dunn says. “Our body trains to what we’re listening to. Your breathing and your heart rate do tend to match the music you’re listening to or the music you’re making.”
In a therapy setting, louder instruments are used to get your energy up and softer music will calm your body down. ChiME takes on an educational setting in their practice, and music therapy is used to help with a child’s academic, collaboration and attention skills.
Furthermore, there are a wide variety of benefits from music therapy. Music skills are targeted, but music therapy can also help with a variety of other skills, such as fine and gross motor skills, cognition skills and communication skills. As therapists work with clients, they are consistently tracking measurable data and logging when learning objectives are met. Thus, music therapy is a scientific and evidence-based practice, says Dunn.
“For a lot of our kids, one of our goals as an art therapy team is to provide a potential lifelong hobby,” Dunn says. “We’re not saying that anyone who’s in music therapy with us needs to pursue guitar lessons one day or anything, but by giving them access to successful music making… we’re hopefully giving them that opportunity.” organization. With that too comes a sense of community,” Dunn says.
A big priority at ChiME is maintaining diversity in their programs. Whether it’s music, education or health industries, Dunn says that these professions have all been very white Eurocentricbased.
We try and use a lot of diverse music from artists, genres and communities that have been systemically marginalized. We’re also trying to promote a value of diversity and be an anti-racist organization. With that too comes a sense of community,” Dunn says.
One of the greatest things about music therapy is how accessible of a treatment it is. Music is a universal language, and this applies within the world of healthcare as well. Many communication and language barriers are removed when doing music with a therapist.
“We have a lot of students who don’t communicate traditionally,” Dunn says. “They can participate just like their neurotypical peers can. Physical boundaries are removed because, as therapists, we know how to physically support students who need it. We know how to adapt instruments by making straps for shakers or removing parts if needed. Making music accessible for all the kids is so fun. We play and enjoy every single day. It’s the best job in the world.” try and use a lot of diverse music from artists, genres and communities that have been systemically marginalized. We’re also trying to promote a value of diversity and be an anti-racist
