Music undoubtedly plays a part in all of our lives — whether you’re just a casual listener and use music as a backdrop to your life, or are someone like me: a full-blown music nerd who plays instruments, sings in a choir, and listens genres from classical to hip-hop and everything in between. But, no matter what your relationship with it is, “therapy” probably isn’t the first thing you think of when you think “music.” However, music therapy and music therapists are a thing, and today, I want to introduce you to them!
What Is Music Therapy Anyway?
Like the name implies, music therapy is a form of clinical therapy based around music. You may have heard about the connection between music and memory or the cognitive benefits of music in passing. Music therapy utilizes both of those and much more in order to help clients. Different aspects of music like rhythm, emotional stimulus, melody, tempo, and pitch are processed by different parts of the brain. Because of this, music therapy is a practice that is used to help all kinds of people in all kinds of different ways, whether it be mental, physiological, physical, or cognitive.
Because it is such a wide field, there are multiple ways that music therapy is used. Sometimes, it is done through listening to music — perhaps a more passive, receptive interaction with it. Other times, it involves the process of creating music, whether it be singing, playing instruments, producing, composing or improvisation.
What Is Music Therapy Used For?
Music interacts with the brain and body in various different ways. As a result, there are a diverse range of ailments, conditions, illnesses and such that music therapy is used for. It can be used instead of, or on top of, other types of therapy, like cognitive behavioural therapy. When it comes to physical and physiological issues, it is usually used on top of other forms of treatment.
Some health conditions that music therapy is used for include:
- Cancer
- Dementia
- Anxiety
- Schizophrenia
- Depression
- Strokes (rehabilitation)
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Brain Damage
General benefits of music include:
- Stimulating emotions (mood-making)
- Relieving stress
- Coordination, comprehension and math skills (when creating music)
- Self-esteem
- Creative exploration/expression
- Motor function
The Future of Music Therapy
Historically, humanity has been deeply intertwined with music. Despite this, there is still a long way to go in researching and refining music therapy. These examples only skim the surface of the power that music has, and it is something that is still being researched.
There are current and recent studies being conducted on the topic. For example, a recent study looked into the details of the treatment of depression through music therapy. Another one in October looked at music therapy aiding burn patients. In August, the University of Gothenburg in Sweden looked into the effects of music therapy on rehabilitating stroke patients.
Conclusion
Music therapy is a fascinating topic, bringing together arts and science, proving that they are not mutually exclusive. The intersections and relationships between music and health are intriguing and worth keeping an eye on. Music therapy may not be a complete cure to any of the conditions it is used with, but music is still a powerful thing. Most people know this in terms of things like emotion and fandoms. Hopefully, now you also know that music has many different health and cognitive benefits!