FAQs

What is Music Therapy?

Music Therapy is the clinical & evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. Music therapy interventions can address a variety of healthcare & educational goals.

American Music Therapy Association

What is Neurologic Music Therapy?

Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT)® is a research-guided clinical system that is driven by advances in neuroscience and the understanding of the perception, cognition, and production of music and how music can influence and change non-musical brain and behavior function.

The Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy

What training do Music Therapists receive?

Music therapists must complete an approved program, earning a bachelor’s degree or higher in Music Therapy. This includes 1200 hours of clinical and internship training. Following this, they must pass a national board certification exam to earn their professional credentials and be recertified every 5 years.

Who can be helped by Music Therapy?

Everyone, from preterm infants to the elderly, and every stage in between! Musical perception, cognition and production engage the whole brain; helping train, connect and motivate to promote wellness, development and healing.

Can Music Therapy be used with other professional therapies?

Yes! Music therapy works within all the domains: physical, cognitive, communication, social and emotional. Music therapy works because of the music itself: music is time ordered, it exists in the present, it is real, it evokes emotions, involves the senses and makes associations. It also assists people with self-regulation by providing self-expression and healthy reinforcement.

Music therapy offers social reinforcement, cooperation, entertainment, and motivation. For all these reasons, it is well-suited to partnering with other medical and rehabilitative health care disciplines, such as Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Occupational Therapy.

How can Music Therapy help people with Dementia?

Research shows that active music-making involving singing and rhythmic activities engage people living with Alzheimer’s and motivate them to actively participate with others.

How is Music Therapy different from musical entertainment?

Listening to live or recorded music is enjoyable and can even be therapeutic for people. Music therapy goes much deeper, engaging people in the physical, cognitive, communicative, social and emotional domains. Music therapists plan therapeutic music activities, called interventions, based on individualized goals and objectives. Music therapists assess a client’s response to music and adapt in the moment to meet their needs.