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Music Therapy, as defined by the American Music Therapy Association, is "...the prescribed use of music by a qualified person to effect positive changes in the psychological, physical, cognitive, or social functioning of individuals with health or educational problems." Through the medium of music, Music Therapists work with clients to achieve non-musical goals. Areas that may be addressed include: Fine and Gross Motor Skills, Cognitive Enhancement, Communication and Language, Pain Management, Mental Status/Emotional Affect, Attention and Focus, Creativity and Self Expression, Team Building, and Quality of Life. Clients are actively engaged in a therapeutic arts process that may include: songwriting, improvisation, singing and/or instrument playing, receptive listening. The ultimate purpose of Music Therapy is to help individuals attain and maintain their maximum levels of functioning. To arrange lessons with Music Therapist Jennifer Hastings, call 425-644-0988. Who can benefit from Music Therapy? Music Therapy services are rendered to individuals of every chronological age, mental age and adaptive level of functioning. What does a Music Therapist do? Professional music therapy involves a comprehensive assessment of emotional well-being, physical health, social functioning, communication abilities, and cognitive skills through musical responses. The therapist will design music sessions for individuals and groups based on client needs using music improvisation, receptive music listening, song writing, lyric discussion, music and imagery, music performance, and learning through music. Who is a qualified therapist? Persons who complete one of the approved college Music Therapy curricula (including an internship) are then eligible to sit for the national examination offered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists Music Therapists who successfully complete the independently administered examination hold the music therapist board certified credential (MT-BC) The National Music Therapy Registry (NMTR) serves qualified Music Therapy professionals with the following designations: RMT, CMT, ACMT. These individuals have met accepted educational and clinical training standards and are qualified to practice Music Therapy. What happens in a music therapy session? For the first 1-2 sessions, an assessment is conducted. The client is observed for means of communication, fine and gross motor skills, ways of interacting with peers and adults, and cognitive abilities. This includes input from the parent or guardian about the client’s goals in other therapies. From this document, goals are written that reflect the client’s needs, incorporating his/her musical interests and abilities. Goals are pursued for four to five months, unless the goal is fulfilled before that time, and progress reports are written during December and June. Music therapy sessions are individually tailored, but there are similarities in most sessions. A typical music therapy session involves three components: Movement to music, with the hello song, begins the session. Movement, especially to rhythm, organizes the bodily systems and prepares the client for the activities to follow. It gives the client the opportunity to become engaged in the world around them with greater awareness and to be expressive creatively. Singing/Vocalizing for speech goals, communication, expression, and greater interpersonal connection. Singing is a great way to work on speech needs. Familiar songs can be sung much more slowly to practice sounds and difficult words. Many songs are chosen that most closely resemble speech for greater transference from singing to speaking. Improvisational singing is a way to encourage greater vocalizations from clients who do not speak yet. Clients are given songwriting opportunities for greater self-expression and creativity. This can range from simple filling-in-the-blank of known songs to writing entire songs and albums. This strengthens memory and articulation, as well as self-reflection. Instrument playing: This can manifest in many ways. Some clients learn to play an instrument, to read music, and eventually "graduate" to taking lessons with another instructor at the facility. Others play in a less structured, more expressive manner. The playing of instruments accomplishes many tasks: Instruments played with mallets, such as the drum and marimba, provide opportunities to improve gross motor skills and eye-hand coordination. They also involve crossing the midline and foster flexibility. When two mallets are used simultaneously, both sides of the brain are used and must communicate with each other. This is a necessary skill that is needed for most tasks we do perform physically. The piano, guitar and autoharp require isolation of the fingers and thus improve fine motor skills. Rhythm is a unifier: rhythmic patterns and pulsation support bodily movement that might otherwise be uncontrolled, random, or uncoordinated. Thus clients that don’t have great motor skills may be able to play instruments. Clients are often motivated to play favorite songs on an instrument of their choice, strengthening cognitive skills as well as eye-hand coordination and ear training. |
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Music Works Northwest
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