What is music therapy?
Music therapy has many different definitions. Here are just two:
“Music therapy is a form of treatment whereby a mutual relationship is set up between patient and therapist, enabling changes to occur in the condition of the patient and therapy to take place. The therapist works with a variety of patients, both children and adults, who may have emotional, physical, mental or psychological disabilities. By using music creatively in a clinical setting, the therapist seeks to establish an interaction, a shared musical experience and activity leading to the pursuit of the therapeutic goals determined by the patient’s pathology.” - Association for Professional Music Therapists in Great Britain pamphlet entitled "A career in music therapy".
"Music therapy is the use of music and/or it's musical elements (sound, rhythm, melody, and harmony) by a music therapist, and a client or group, in a process designed to facilitate and promote communication, relationship, learning, mobilisation, expression and organisation (physical, emotional, mental, social and cognitive) in order to develop potentials and develop or restore functions of the individual so that he or she can achieve better intra- and interpersonal integration and, consequently a better quality of life." - World Federation of Music Therapy (Ruud, 1998, p. 53).
Music therapy has many different definitions. Here are just two:
“Music therapy is a form of treatment whereby a mutual relationship is set up between patient and therapist, enabling changes to occur in the condition of the patient and therapy to take place. The therapist works with a variety of patients, both children and adults, who may have emotional, physical, mental or psychological disabilities. By using music creatively in a clinical setting, the therapist seeks to establish an interaction, a shared musical experience and activity leading to the pursuit of the therapeutic goals determined by the patient’s pathology.” - Association for Professional Music Therapists in Great Britain pamphlet entitled "A career in music therapy".
"Music therapy is the use of music and/or it's musical elements (sound, rhythm, melody, and harmony) by a music therapist, and a client or group, in a process designed to facilitate and promote communication, relationship, learning, mobilisation, expression and organisation (physical, emotional, mental, social and cognitive) in order to develop potentials and develop or restore functions of the individual so that he or she can achieve better intra- and interpersonal integration and, consequently a better quality of life." - World Federation of Music Therapy (Ruud, 1998, p. 53).