Day 8 - Pondering the future

Lately, the new Star Trek movie has been all over the news. I'm a passive participant in the "Star Trek Fan Club" but all the media hype does have me thinking about a question I ponder from time to time - What is music therapy going to look like in the future?

Music therapy has certainly undergone a revolution conceptually. Initially, it was a restorative medium used to treat the "mental and physical health" of injured soldiers (Davis, Gfeller, & Thaut, 2008, p. 32). Today, it is being used to treat mental and physical health as well as it is being used for social skills training, emotional well-being, hospice and palliative care, neonatal care, spiritual health, and community based/integrated settings.

Another more recent trend has been "increasing awareness of the importance of sensitivity to cultural differences by the helping professions (Davis, Gfeller, & Thaut, 2008, p. 447)." There are a number of reasons why this change is taking place. First, music therapists, who have been trained using traditional "western music (tonally)" are taking their expertise back to their home countries and applying regional and culturally specific variations and/or modifications (Gao, 2009). Judging from the number of news reports/news articles, another hotspot for the development of music therapy appears to be taking place in India (Google search engine, daily, term "music therapy"). Secondly, individuals are much more mobile, physically, than ever before. Consequently, an increasing number of different cultures can be found in particular countries or geographic area. A perfect example can be found in the most recent edition of the Voices e-journal on music therapy that recently featured an article entitled, "Musical Preferences of Argentines Living in Australia: Implications for Music Therapy Clinical Practice". Finally, groups such as Music Therapists for Peace (Edith Boxill) and PlayingforChange have highlighted a social justice/activism role for music therapists and musicians. At the University of Windsor, the university and music therapy program are described as having a international focus and a focus on "social justice".

So how does this impact music therapy? First and foremost, the musical repetoire that music therapy students are exposed to must, by necessity, include culturally specific musical examples. It is no longer sufficient to go with the standard "North American", "Western tonality" based songs such as, "You are my sunshine" and "Home on the Range". In my area of practice (working with geriatric clients) I often see that persons with Alzheimer's will often revert to their "mother tongue" as their dementia progresses, rather than retain English as their primary mode of verbal communication. I also recently completed some training entitled, "Supportive Pathways" where the need to understand culturally specific socialization patterns may impact how you deal with a particular individual. For example, in some cultures, direct eye contact with "an elder" is discouraged and frowned upon. Here in North America, we expect to see a person "look at me[us] when I am talking to you!" This might also be important to consider as part of the training of music therapy students and music therapists.

Speaking strictly as a music therapist working and practiscing in North America, I have also begun to see a generational change in the music. By this I mean that music of the 1920's and 1930's, preferred by many of my clients today, is giving way to music of the 1940's and 1950's. I am personally looking forward to working with the generation that grew up on the music of the 1960's!.

Finally, a lesser obvious impact upon music therapy practice is the proliferation of music, in terms of availability. The early 20th century, at least in North America, saw home based music making, and small publication runs of popular music. Presently, the availability of music from every conceivable genre and/or source is a given and music is becoming increasingly personalized (think iPod versus group singing). This was brought home by an assignment that I had students in my Introduction to Music Therapy course complete recently. Specifically, I had them complete a 20-minute audiobiography of their life. Unlike the previous class of students that had completed the same assignment two years ago, this class presented a more diverse pool of musical examples, including many that could be categorized as "world music" (BTW: The audiobiography assignment is a great assignment that students tend to really enjoy and take pride in, once it is complete). As music sourcing becomes increasingly diverse, and individuals seek out a wider range of music, I believe that improvisation will become an increasingly important part of training. We [music therapists] will no longer be able to learn a narrowly defined set of songs and reproduce them for group or individual consumption. Elements of music such as rhythm and harmony are common to music of a wide variety of cultural groups.

Have I reflected your thoughts about the future of the profession of music therapy or do you have some additional ideas related to "Where are we going as music therapists"?

Bibliography

Davis, W. B., Gfeller, K. E., & Thaut, M. H. (2008). An introduction to music therapy: Theory and practice. Silver Spring, MD: American Music Therapy Association.

Gao, T. (2009, April 30). Music therapy in China. World Federation of Music Therapy/Regional Liasons Blog. Retrieved on May 7, 2009, from, http://www.wfmt.info/WFMT/Regional_Liaisons_Blog/Entries/2009/4/30_Music_Therapy_in_China.html.

Moore, C. C., & Baker, F. A. (2009, March 1). Musical preferences of Argentines living in Australia. Voices, 9(1). Retrieved on May 7, 2009, from, http://www.voices.no/mainissues/mi40009000303.php.

Day 7 - The Nature of Music

I admit that there are times when I don't want to listen to music after a day of work (is that heretical?). It is not that I don't enjoy music, but sometimes I just need precious SILENCE! Apparently I am not alone - Bill Drummond has created "No Music Day", an event held annually on November 21st in Great Britain. And yet, just a few hours in the woods can reinvigorate my brain and make me seek out music with enthusiasm. So what is it, exactly, that is different? And as a music therapist, how exactly do I define music?

Music has been defined as "organized sound" (Edgard Varesé).

"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."
(Aldous Huxley)

And my favorite quote of all -

"Without music, life would be a mistake."
(Friedreich Nietzsche).

(You can find some other quotes about music via Wikiquote, an offshoot of Wikipedia.)

In answer to the question of "What is different about being in nature?" I can respond that perhaps it is the "disorganized" nature of the sounds that appeal to my "primitive" brain? You can't, after all, plan or conduct a chorus of birds! Perhaps it is the fact that I simply cannot, by any means, replicate some of the sounds that I hear? Any sound that is produced by a musical instrument, a machine, or by human effort, CAN be reproduced, whether by the same individual or someone else in an almost identical form. But can any instrument or individual truly replicate the sound of a waterfall?, or the rustle of wind through the leaves?

And why does this even matter? Because - I am a music therapist!. I accept what the client brings forward, through the therapeutic process. I want, and hope, that they will use "music" to communicate their thoughts and feelings, conscious and unconscious, good and bad. Moreover, I want, and hope, that I will be able to use "music" to reflect those thoughts and feelings back to them in an appropriate way that honors what they have chosen to share with me. One the greatest gifts that I was ever given by a client involved just such an interaction.

I had been working with a young lady with Cerebral Palsy for about a year and a half. While she had made some progress towards the goals and objectives that were established, progress was beginning to slow down. As a new "tween", she liked to listen to music and one of the activities she had chosen to do in each session was to "listen to a few favorite songs". On this occassion, she chose a song that she had not suggested before entitled, The Rodeo's Over by Corb Lund. The lyrics are as follows (courtesy of CowboyLyrics.com):

the rodeo's over, the folks have gone home
and the cowboys are all down the road
well boys, she was a good un, we kicked a hole in the sky
and even the rank ones got rode
it was as wild as they come and it was almighty western
and none of us thought it would end
but finish it did, with a bang and a whisper
and now i must leave you my friend

we may do it again in some future season
but somehow it won't be the same
cuz our draws will be different and our injuries healed
and it's likely the weather will change
so take from the lessons and be glad for the memories
of the days that we rode in the sun
for after today, there’ll be no man can claim
that we didn't have us a good run

so burn all the blankets and dry all the tears
we can always go further out west
and i'll meet you out there in the vastness somewhere
i swear it but first i must rest

To me, this epitomized her desire to terminate the therapy sessions, although she was unable to verbalize her feelings. The music, verbalized these thoughts for her. Indeed, the entire mood and tonality of the song reinforced the feelings told through the lyrics.

So what do you consider to be the nature of music? Do you ever have days where you can't stand to listen to a single piece of music? And what is it that brings you back?

I look forward to reading your responses and comments!

Where in the world?

By now you may have the idea that music therapy is an extremely diverse and complex concept, and profession, to understand. You may be thinking - "it sounds interesting but I don't know if there are any music therapists in my geographic area?" Rest assured, music therapy is a worldwide phenomena and there are many different areas of the world where music therapy is practiced. The philosophies of practice and actual working out of the music therapy may be slightly different however behind every international group of music therapists, there is the overriding belief that, "music is a powerful medium with a tremendous capacity to introduce positive change in an individual or group of individuals!"

So where can I find out more information? I'm glad you asked! The most important source of reasonably current information about music therapy in different countries, particularly those outside North America, is found in the Voices online music therapy journal. Click on the "Country of the month" link on the title bar. This site also takes you to the content in the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy published three times a year, as well as various columns and discussions. Another site that features information about various music therapy programs and associations in various countries is the website of the World Federation of Music Therapy and the European Music Therapy Confederation. Sadly, the Music Therapy Today e-journal is no longer, although back issues are archived on the MusicTherapyWorld site. In North America, you can find music therapists in your area by visiting either the American Music Therapy Association or the Canadian Association for Music Therapy website.

In addition to websites, there are a number of other resources that you can use to find and contact various associations (professional and student) throughout the world. There are a number of associations and individuals that maintain a presence on Facebook. Rather than searching through all 500 facebook groups that come up in a search of the term "music therapy", here are a few to get you started.

1. American Music Therapy Association
2. World Federation of Music Therapy
3. I Support Music Therapy
4. Top 10 Things Music Therapists Love to Hear
5. Evidence-Based Music Therapy

Facebook is also being utilized to help assist in protesting the proposed closure of music therapy training programs and engage members in the appointment of a president-elect of the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). (My apologies to those other music therapy programs facing closure that are not hyper-linked here).

In addition to "music therapy" proper, there are a number of other noteworthy websites/groups that may be of interest. These are generally "specialty" forms of music therapy practice, in the same way that medicine/healthcare has a number of "specialty" areas such as pediatrics, obstetrics, etc.

1. The Association for Imagery and Music (Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music)
2. The Center for Biomedical Research in Music (Colorado State University)
3. Medical Music Therapy (Florida State University)
4. Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy - this is just one of many links to the Nordoff-Robbins approach to music therapy and centres located throughout the world in countries such as the United Kingdom(Britain), Ireland, and Australia.

These are but a very few of the possible websites that you can visit.

Do you have a link or an internet-based resource that I can feature in future blog postings?

Please feel free to comment or send me an e-mail: jlmt@telus.net/contact me through Twitter (Username: JLisaMT). I look forward to your comments and questions!

Day 5 - Change is key!

Change is inevitable - that is a unchanging fact of life. How you choose to view it, positive or negative, is your decision. I would have to say that I sit on the "positive" side of the fence. One of the things I like best about my chosen career is that no two days are ever the same. Not only do I not see the same clients every day, I don't necessarily see the same client hour to hour. When working with clients with Alzheimer's type dementia, there is a period of time know as the "sundowning period". Not everyone believes that this effect occurs however I would have to say that, at the very least, it occurs quite frequently. Essentially, the agitation and restlessness of persons with Alzheimer's increases whenever "dusk" occurs. This can change throughout the year as during the winter months, the days are shorter - during the summer months, the days are longer. Music can be very beneficial in helping to increase relaxation and bring some measure of quietness on the unit. However, what worked one day may not work the next. I love the challenge of finding that "right mix of the familiar and unfamiliar" to create a positive effect in my work and clients.

This blog is another journey in change. I've never blogged before so I am not as familiar with the software as I should be. It has been a steep, but rewarding learning curve since I began this blog. Initially, I started with the simple textual based entry. I've since added a "comment" function, and you will note some major additions today. This includes a "upcoming conference and presentations" widget (or section) and a "free daily download" widget. One of my favorite musical genres is jazz. I find that, by visiting the AllAboutJazz website, I can introduce myself to artists and music that I would not ordinary find or become aware of! (And that is likely the purpose behind that widget).

Finishing up for today, I wanted to let you know that there will also be a change coming up in my postings. Between May 9th and May 25th I will be visiting my family in Ontario. As I will not always have internet access, postings may be more sporadic. I'll be taking the opportunity to work on another project - The Music Therapy Educational Collaboration Project that I will discuss further when I return home to Alberta.

Day 4 - Considering Private Practice?

I've just finished my taxes for another year - Argh! After a late-night trip to the post office to beat the 12 PM deadline, I've got a little time to sit back, check Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr (Can you say information junkie!). My mind is full of deductions, expenses, and income statements and my living room is full of piles of paper (LoL). With that in mind, here are some of my thoughts on running a private practice or being self-employed.

When I began my first music therapy job, I didn't have a choice - it was private practice/contract or nothing. Thus began my journey into the world of self-employment and I haven't looked back since. Many people cite the ability to "be your own boss" as a benefit of private practice. What they don't say is - you also need to be the accountant, public relations person, and secretary! I also don't remember a course about "How to run a business" during my training (They should definitely include a "Business 101" course as part of the overall degree requirements).

Being the accountant means that you have to keep track of things like cancelled sessions, damgaged instruments, gas and meal receipts AND come up with a system to invoice and record expenses properly*. Another, less enjoyable, part of being the accountant is following up on deliquent or overdue accounts. Being in private practice means that you can never be sure when you will receive payment for the invoice(s) that you submitted last month. If you have a "need to know" exactly when money is to come in, don't choose private practice. (I've had some invoices that took three months to be processed). And please, if someone has a foolproof way of getting invoices paid on time - PLEASE let me know!

*TIP - find out what tax categories you will be needing and set up your annual spreadsheet accordingly - it will definitely save you a lot of time come tax preparation!! A

Being the person in charge of public relations means that you have to develop your advertising plan/brochure, arrange for pictures (remember what I said in my previous post: no pictures = no interest), and the newer responsibility of ensuring that consents and releases are obtained before you put anything in said brochure or newspaper article! In this position it pays to be an OPTIMIST. You are probably going to have quite a few "no's" before that one "maybe" or one "I think about it". It also helps if you are an "extrovert" rather than an "introvert" (coming from someone who was very shy and had difficulty expressing himself in public). I still get nervous when speaking in front of a large crowd but a measure of comfort can definitely be learned.

Finally, being the secretary means that you get any other job not covered in the previous two roles. Some examples include: writing progress reports and/or letters to funding agencies, answering calls from anxious parents, and, of course, cleaning the bathroom!

Have I made it sound like I hate being in private practice? There are certainly days when I long for a full-time position in a nursing home (my specialty is geriatric clients) and I am an employee, not a contract worker. Overall, however, I do enjoy the freedom, responsibility and challenges that come with being in private practice.

What is your opinion?

Day 3 - The "When" of Music Therapy

Have you ever "Googled" yourself? Are you part of the "Y" generation, the "X" generation, or simply the "old school" generation? In my last post I described the difficulties of answering the question, So what is music therapy?. In today's post, I am going to tackle the "when" of music therapy. By this I mean, When is it appropriate to define or try to describe music therapy and when is it not appropriate?

Initially, after I obtained my Master's degree in Music Therapy, I realized that the public had very little awareness of music therapy and what the role of a music therapist was. I was anticipating, therefore, that I would have to spend a lot of time educating potential employers, the families and friends of clients and even my own family about the question, What is music therapy? Thus, my first response to the question of When is it appropriate to discuss music therapy? was, quite simply, whenever and wherever I needed to!

Today, some fourteen years later, I realize that there is a time and a place to discuss music therapy, and the role of a music therapist.

The "KISS" (Keep It Simple Stupid) method.

This works well when you are on the elevator and a person on the elevator says something like, "So you are going to entertain the residents are you?". You don't have much time to respond if you are only going up a floor or two. I usually respond, "Actually, I am on my way to work with several individuals, using music as a form of therapy" By the time I have completed my statement it is usually time to leave the elevator and the dialogue is finished. I would like to think that I have peaked their curiosity in learning more about music therapy but I doubt that is often the case.

The "Educational Display" method.

During National Music Therapy week, or during conferences on topics related to music therapy (such as autism and aging), I have often used those three sided sheets of pressboard to inform people about music therapy and the services that I offer. The key to this type of display, I have found, is pictures.

No pictures = No traffic
(past your display).

Even with a few pictures, I find that the public is seldom interested in taking more time than is necessary to give the display a cursory glance.

The "Talking to the media" method.

My experiences with the media have been both good and bad. Quite often, the reporters or interviewer come with their own, preconcieved ideas about the role of music therapy. This can shape their questions in ways that you do not expect, or create misconceptions that you need to correct. While you have slightly more control when dealing with text-based material vs a video segment, content is often sparse and brief. The media is looking for the very short "sound bite" or "quotable" text, not a long-winded correction of something that they have misconstrued or presented incorrectly. Production deadlines are often tight as well, adding to the pressure. (I remember one video segment where the news reporter wanted to videotape me working with a client. The session was held about 2:00 pm, the deadline for having the segment included in the nightly newcast was 3:30 pm, and they had to drive across the city to edit and produce the final clip. There was no time for retakes, long explanations or unexpected interruptions!)

Having said this, there is a positive side to dealing with the media. First, I have found that the public generally responds more intuitively, and remains interested for a longer period of time, if they are watching an audiovisual presentation. We seldom have time, or opportunity, to videotape ourselves in our clinical work. Thus, having something short and brief to show at a presentation or show to a potential employer, that looks professionally done, is definitely an asset. In the United States, they have PSA's (Public Service Announcements) by famous musicians/musical groups and medical professionals that have assisted in generating awareness about music therapy. The key here is, looking and sounding professional. Take some time with a colleague, friend, or family member and practice your "sound bites" and "short answers".

As an aside, wouldn't it be great if we could have a "media" booth, as part of our exhibition space at conferences? I'm not talking about a simple videocamera and microphone. I'm talking about a professional looking space, that is somewhat isolated from the noise and business of the conference, where the specifically invited media could sit down with a few chosen guests and talk about music therapy. Alternatively, the production and distribution of a podcast(s) is becoming increasing frequent. Wouldn't it be great to create a podcast of the keynote addresses at a conference, and then release them through iTunes or another similar podcast listing service using a Creative Commons licence? This has already begun in part through the efforts of a music therapist named Janice Harris MT-BC who has a weekly podcast entitled, The Use of Music in Establishing Peace and Wellness. Similarly, the 2006 Canadian Association for Music Therapy (CAMT) annual conference held in Windsor, ON (across the river from Detroit, MI) produced podcasts of the three keynote addresses. They can be obtained by visiting the following link - 2006 Keynote addresses (3)

The "Social Networking" method

This is the newest, and perhaps, most effective method for getting the word out about music therapy. The term social networking employs internet-based applications such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, blogs, RSS feeds, etc. to share ideas and thoughts with other like-minded persons. Several music therapists, including myself, have begun to embrace these technologies in meaningful ways (I'll be doing a separate post about useful music therapy blogs). Some examples include: The Music Therapy Maven and the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Blog.

Major music therapy association are using and establishing a presence on Facebook. These allow the associations to interact and present a more "public face". Websites have become "passé" as the younger generations embrace these technologies. Some noteworthy examples are: the American Music Therapy Association and the World Federation of Music Therapy (You can find and join these "groups" or "associations" by clicking on Facebook and doing a "groups" search).

Using these technologies is not without risk. The presence of malicious individuals "attacking" and altering content on electronic, Internet networks and websites is increasing significantly. Secondly, is the whole notion of individual privacy and your "online profile". Many younger adults and teens who are "tweeting" their every move do not realize that what they say now may have a profound impact on their future. An recent article published in USAToday stated that, "Only 15% [of university admissions counselors] last year said they did not use social media, down from 39% the previous year." (Marklein, M. B., 2009, April 28).

It is also not without potential benefit. The notion of a Personal Learning Network (PLN), where individuals cultivate personal and professional relationships amongst a group of colleagues, independent of their current geographic location, is being increasingly discussed in relation to online and distance education. Secondly, the notion of Open Courseware and Open Content is causing educators to dramatically reconsider their relationship with students and the role that "control of knowledge" plays in limiting the dissemination of research and understanding of a topic (Caswell, Henson, Jenson, & Wiley, 2008).

In conclusion, there are a number of answers, and questions, related to the notion of When is it okay to discuss or define music therapy? Do you have a different answer?

Bibliography

Caswell, T., Henson, S., Jensen, M., & Wiley, D. (2008). Open educational resources: Enabling universal education. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 9(1): 1-11. Retrieved from, http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/viewArticle/469/1001&oi=ggp on April 25, 2009.

Marklein, M. B. (2009, April 29). College recruiters are Twittering too. New York: USA Today. Retrieved from, http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-04-29-admissions-
twitter_N.htm on April 29, 2009.

Please feel free to comment on, or repost this blog entry with proper attribution.

Day 2 - Defining music therapy

According to the Facebook site, "Top Ten Things That Music Therapists Love to Hear", the number one answer is, What is music therapy? This is meant sarcastically and not factually. It begs the question, however, of what, when and how is it necessary to define ourselves.

The what?

Bruscia (1998) devotes an entire monograph to the subject of defining music therapy. While there are many music therapy associations, each gives a different definition of music therapy. Davis, Thaut, & Gfeller (2008) clearly articulate that the definition of music therapy has undergone constant revision and evolution (p. 7-8). These are just a few of the difficulties that we, as music therapists, face when asked, "What is music therapy?".

The contextual approach

Music therapist work in a variety of clinical environments. These range from institutional to community based settings, educational to medical settings, individual and group therapy, using improvisational, recreative, and receptive methods. Clients can range in age from pre-term (during pregnancy) to age 100+. They can have physical, psychological, emotional, social, spiritual and medical issues independently or simultaneously. Thus, one approach to answering the question can be - to answer contextually.

For example, if I was answering a potential employer in a long-term care facility, I might answer in the following manner:

Music therapy is a form of therapy employing music and musical activities that encourages individual and group quality of life. Unlike entertainment, that seeks to simply entertain and encourages a passive response, I strive to engage my clients in music making, socialization, and physical activation. I also seek to provide opportunities for clients to develop former musical skills and/or develop new musical skills. My approach is based on scientific research and metholodogy developed over the past 30 years in which music therapy has been an established profession.

Answering a parent of a child with special needs, I might answer this question in this way:

Using music and musical techniques, I will strive to engage your child in a multisensory experience. In part, my approach will be driven by research findings and my training however I will take most of my cues directly from your child and their reaction(s) to the interventions (positive and negative, verbal and non-verbal) that I provide to him/her. I encourage questions and set clear goals and objectives in order to demonstrate my effectiveness.

Finally, answering a group of medical professionals, I might answer in the following manner.

Music therapy is a profession built on a solid base of quantitative and qualitative research. It is multisensory, employing largely non-verbal and musical interventions. Clear goals and objectives are formulated after the music therapist completes an initial assessment, including the medical, social and musical history of the client(s). Validation of clinical outcomes is ongoing and improved quality of life is viewed as a significant aspect of treatment outcomes. Finally, music therapy can serve as an independent treatment or be part of a multidisciplinary approach to treatment.

The simplistic approach

Given the complexity of contextualizing the description of music therapy, another approach can be to simplify the description of music therapy. Davis, Thaut, & Gfeller (2008) describe such an approach in chapter one of their text entitled, Clinical practice in music therapy. They, it can be argued, cite three elements as essential to music therapy - music, therapist, and client. Remove one of these elements and you are left with something that is not music therapy. For example, if you remove the "therapist", you are left with "client and music" and thus, someone who is capable of listening, and making music. The purpose of doing so, however, is not therapeutic and results are likely to be short-term or short-lived (i.e. going to a concert featuring your favorite band or artist). Remove the "client" and you are left with "therapist and music" or a situation in which the therapist is making music for themselves, perhaps for enjoyment purposes. Finally, remove the "music" and you are left with "therapist and client" in a verbal environment.

The "leave it up to public awareness" approach

Music therapy is a relatively new professional discipline, when compared to fields such as law/criminal defense, medical, or education. In the United States, the first music therapy association was formed in June 1950 (Davis, Thaut, & Gfeller, 2008, pg. 33). The Canadian Association for Music (CAMT) was formed in 1974. While the public thinks rightly, or incorrectly, that they understand what it means to be a "doctor", a "lawyer" or "teacher", they do not have the same understanding of what it means to be a "music therapist". Context can again come into play as an individual may answer from the viewpoint of being the parent or friend of a client, being a client themselves, or having no experience with music therapy and choosing to respond or give an answer.

Further complicating is the issue of "title protection". At present, there is no protection for the title of "music therapist" (at least in Canada). Thus, anyone can call themselves a "music therapist" without there being any assurance of their work experience or educational background. This means that public are given various examples of "what it means to be a music therapist" and "how music therapists work" without regulation or accountability to any professional body. In Canada, one can guarantee that a person is a music therapist by ensuring that they use the initials, MTA after their name. This is a credential referring to Music Therapist Accredited that is granted to individuals after they have completed their music therapy training, internship, and have had their work reviewed by a group of music therapy peers. In other countries, check for a professional association of music therapy and inquire of them what, and how, they certify individuals are music therapists.

Finally, there is the media or public organizations who often distort the terms "music therapist" and "music therapy". Frequent are news reports of individuals using music "as their therapy". But is this - "music therapy"? Similarly, if music has brought about a change in an individual, whether long term or short term, the word "therapy" is often applied. Public organizations or individuals can also report to provide recordings of music that are "therapeutic" or "soothing" and/or employ "music therapy techniques". The Mozart effect is one such highly public, and publicized, example. Another is "harp therapy". I am not saying that there are not therapeutic elements or benefits from such music or musical techniques, simply that it confuses the public with regards to the question of "What is music therapy?".

Clearly, there is no easy answer to the question - What is music therapy? Is it any wonder that music therapists shudder slightly when they are asked to explain what they do?

Bruscia, K. E. (1998). Defining music therapy. 2nd ed. Nilsum, NH: Barcelona Press.

Davis, W. B., Gfeller, K. E. and Thaut, M. H. (2008). An introduction to music therapy:
Theory and practice. 3rd ed. Silver Spring, MD: American Music Therapy Association.


Tommorrow...."When" do you explain about music therapy.