As a music educator and therapist, it is always nice to read a music education article that quotes or references music therapy. Such is the case with Mary Crum Scholtens’ “Using Music to Encourage Joint Attention for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Attention as a Reciprocal Relationship” published in the June 2019 Music Education Journal. She shared some practical ways as well as references and suggestions to educators who are working with students on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
This study took place by the geriatric department in Lanspitali University Hospital in Reykjavik, Iceland. Researchers found that a majority of people living with Alzheimer’s disease show many episodic behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, such as agitation and restlessness. This can lead to decreased wellbeing in patients, decreased quality of life, and an increase of heavy burden on the caregivers, (Scansdottir & Snaedal, 2006). These symptoms can determine the difference in one’s life as to where they live; at home, in a nursing facility, or an institution.
Treatment to these symptoms are mostly pharmacological, which can include but are not limited to sedatives, neuroleptics, or antidepressants. This use of pharmacology may be inappropriate for the patient and their wellbeing due to side effects.
Families living in poverty often experience stressors such as housing instability, poor nutrition, substance abuse, social isolation, mental illness, and violence in the community. These economic and emotional stressors often distract from consistent and supportive parenting and impacts the physical and mental health of children and adults.
In this study, Nagel & Silverman looked into the effects of music therapy on families experiencing poverty. They identified five music therapists who had experience or were currently working with families experiencing poverty in urban areas of the United States. The researchers conducted interviews with the music therapists and identified the following themes:
This is my first blog about internships. As the internship director for our company, this topic has been on my mind as of late because I am working to complete the necessary paperwork for Central Ohio Music Therapy, LLC to become a National Roster Internship site for the American Music Therapy Association. Knowing that good experiences and education can provide keys to success, this mixed methods study sounded interesting when I went to look for resources recently.
I will say that understanding how undergraduates view the internship process was not something I had thought about before. Internships can vary in length depending on the facility or company hosting the internship. Students completing their undergraduate or equivalency studies, are required to complete 1200 clinical hours in order to receive the privilege of taking the Certification Board of Music Therapy’s national examination. Students will often complete between 150 – 180 clinical hours in their undergraduate program with fieldwork supervised by their professors, board certified graduate students or outside professionals.
Between my YouTube playlists, music-streaming apps and good old-fashioned mixed CDs, I have well over a dozen playlists labeled some variant of “Music for Relaxation.” In fact, as I write this, my headphones are playing a droning tune from a Spotify playlist called “Meditation Music.” How many of us use this music, in the foreground or background, to relax, go to sleep, concentrate and focus? What are the characteristics of this type of music that make it the best for accomplishing these things? In a study from the UK, four researchers analyzed different styles of music marketed as relaxation music, and the results show just how your age may determine which Relaxation Playlist you choose next.
“Tell me about yourself.”
Have you been in an interview and been asked this question? Or heard it on a first date?
In college we rehearsed our answers to this in a business class. We perfected our answers to fit in the space of an elevator ride to best sell ourselves. What in your past has made you who you are? Your likes, your dislikes, your experiences? What would you name as the most important events that have formed your identity? How would you define your sense of self?
Depression is a common problem that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. “Music therapy has been used in a range of ways to treat depression… approaches can be active or receptive,” (Maratos, A., Gold, C., Wang, X., & Crawford, M., 2008). Music therapy can be provided in an engaging or relaxing manner and can have an effect on mood and spark self expression when it may be difficult to express feelings. In this study, it stated that music can help reduce stress, sooth pain, and energize the body. It can also provide others with insight to one’s relational and emotional problems throughout talking about musical dialogue.
The objectives within this study were to find studies of music therapy’s effect on depression and compare it to other forms of music therapy as well as psychological or pharmacological therapies. Studies reviewed focused on music therapy for adolescents as well as adults. These authors are looking into what proponents of music therapy will be the most beneficial for those who experience mental distress. There were several scales based on self rating and clinician rating that were used in this research. Other outcomes examined involved social and occupational functioning, self-esteem, quality of life, etc.
Music therapy is used in both inpatient and outpatient mental health settings to support patients in their recovery process. Music therapists use a variety of interventions to achieve interdisciplinary goals outlined for each patient. A 2016 study conducted in Ireland examined six mental health patient’s experiences in music therapy and ways they felt participation in music therapy aided their recovery process.
How well you are able to walk and get around is something that many of us don’t think about. However, if you have multiple sclerosis (MS), it can be a challenge and getting tired is a part of life. Therefore, researchers looked at using musical cues to help improve walking gait and endurance for those with MS. There is no doubt that if you are able to ambulate better, your quality of life improves!
When you take the time to go to therapy for a particular ailment or need rehabilitation, you expect it to work, right? Doctors prescribe therapy for treatment, maybe to eliminate symptoms caused by an injury or illness. Finding a historical article that highlights the success of Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) was revolutionary for me today. Anytime you find proof that what you are doing is working, that brings a sense of relief and pride, does it not?
There is a wealth of research supporting music therapy in mental health treatment, but a surprising lack of research regarding music therapy for women with addictions. In “Women’s perceptions of the usefulness of group music therapy in addictions recovery”, Gardstrom, Klemm, & Murphy (2017) look to the women within treatment for their thoughts about the effectiveness of music therapy in their own treatment.
This article states that music can support clients therapeutically to combat their addiction as well as spark cravings for substances. “This article describes such a music therapy program tailored to clients with addiction problems, to tackle some of their major difficulties and specific impairments,” (Dijkstra & Hakvoort, 2004). It is also worth noting that music is an extremely powerful tool, and is as helpful or harmful to someone’s recovery. “It touches feelings of longing, craving, pain, pleasure,…and shows their coping strategies, (Dijkstra & Hakvoort, 2004).
This article states that The Dutch Health Care Council reports addiction as an almost chronic illness of bio-psycho-social etiology. This theory combines one’s biology, psychology, and social processes as a multi-dimensional approach to recovery. “If we would use a one-dimensional treatment strategy, we would not be able to tackle their problems,” (Dijkstra & Hakvoort, 2004). But how does music therapy fit into recovery and this bio-psycho-social model?
It is often difficult to get a glimpse of music therapy in psychiatric settings due to necessary privacy laws. However, Johnson & Heiderscheit (2018) conducted a survey of music therapists working in adolescent inpatient mental health units to get a clearer picture of the overall work music therapists are doing in the adolescent psychiatric setting.
“Music therapy uses musical experiences and the relationships that develop through them to enable communication and expression, thus attempting to address some of the core problems of people with ASD,” (Geretsegger, et. al, 2014). This study is an analysis of ten randomized control trials (RCTs) that compare music therapy to standard or ‘placebo’ therapy, and no treatment.
Music therapy can look several different ways throughout a course of treatment, it can include improvisation, singing/vocalization, listening to live and recorded music, active music making and several other experiences. These interventions can directly support people with ASD to improve and develop communication (verbal and non-verbal), social skills/interactions, initiating behavior, social-emotional reciprocity, and adverse effects. This study states that secondary outcomes found improved social adaptation skills, quality of life in school and home environments, quality of family relationships, cognitive abilities, and no changes to hypersensitivity of sound. Results showed for all but two outcome categories under research, suggesting benefits of music therapy in comparison to other types of care.
“Music is a multimodal stimulus that activates many brain structures related to sensory processing, attention, and memory, and can stimulate complex cognition and multi-sensory integration,” (Strzemecka, 2013). This writer from Poland goes on to state several different ways that music is processed in the brain and how stroke affects so many parts of the brain so severely. He then goes on to state that rehabilitation should be addressing several different needs of the patient that are desirable by the patient.
Music, not just music therapy, can be used to support patients in their daily lives. Just listening to music on a daily basis can help with memory and attention. Music training can help with processing of speech and music. Listening to music can activate different parts of your brain related to memory, reward behavior, coping, emotions, regulating one’s immune system, hormones, and satisfaction of needs.
Youth living within low-resource communities are at a greater risk for poorer socio-emotional development. A youth’s socio-emotional competence includes their ability to use one’s skills and knowledge for navigation within different environments, interactions with others, and adapting to expectations. Music therapy clinicians often serve children and youth who have experienced threats to their adaptation resulting from exposure to social, cultural, or economic stressors. Pasiali and Clark decided to examine the potential benefit a music therapy social skills development program may have on improving social skills and academic performance of school-aged children who have limited resources in afterschool programs.
Music therapy in medical settings is on the rise, so what are doctors and other healthcare professionals perspectives of music therapy? In the study, “An Exploration into the Perception of Music Interventions in Hospitals Amongst Healthcare Professionals” Naomi Chadder conducted a survey to look into perceptions of music therapy in medical settings in the United Kingdom.
Thirty-one healthcare professionals agreed to the study completing a face to face interview, an online survey, or an online survey with a follow up interview. Survey responses were collected from doctors, nurses, interdisciplinary staff, or other (educators, volunteers, physiotherapists, dietitians, and social workers). Responses were collected from hospitals where music therapy was in place and where little music or music therapy was used so multiple perspectives and experiences could be understood.
Music therapy has an effect on many areas of one’s functioning. These areas include cognition, physicality, communication, social interaction, and emotional wellness. When someone experiences a stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI), these areas can be impacted greatly, and music therapy can be a method of support as well as rehabilitation. This article states that at the time, there was little research in the stroke and TBI realm, but there were other studies that assessed positive effects for other populations. This article quotes another study in 1992 by MacRae Statine, “Because music is laden with emotional associations and memories, it provides an effective medium for evoking emotional responses. This study specifically addresses “whether music therapy is effective as an aid to enhance a patient’s mood, social interaction, and involvement in therapy during acute rehabilitation”.
For many individuals, music is a strong part of their environment. Music can be an individual’s go-to on tough days, pump-up for working out, a hobby, a career, and even an identifier. Within every culture, music has more than likely played a role in one way or another. In an article by Cunha written in October of 2016 titled Musicking Together: Affective, Cognitive and Physical Aspects of a Music Therapy Group Work, music showed its true colors as an identifier within a Community Music Therapy (CoMT) group that consisted of five women, six students, and a teacher.
Direct Care Staff (DCS) are the “front line” of care for many. If someone is in a facility or even in a home, the DCS staff is there 24/7 taking care of a variety of needs. Caregiving is hard work, but many in this field are dedicated to making sure the individuals they are taking care of receive the best of care. As a therapist seeing clients and patients in a variety of settings, I often turn to the DCS to ask how the client is doing, especially if their expressive language is difficult to understand or the ability to communicate has been compromised.
Researchers Staab and Dvorak interviewed five DCS who work specifically with older adults who have intellectual disabilities. The purpose of this study was to record and document their perception of the benefits of music therapy for their clients because these DCS participate in music therapy with their client. Also, the facility where the DCS work acts as a fieldwork placement for music therapy students who attend a local university near the facility.
“Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer among women worldwide,” (Zhou, et. al., 2011). This study was based in China and the writers state how relevant breast cancer rates are in their country as well as in the western regions of the world. They state that the primary treatment for breast cancer is surgery among several other treatment options, and those can lead to negative side effects and unhealthy mood, such as depression. The prevalence rate of depression in China ranges from 3.0% to 47.6%, and in other countries it ranges from 34.4% to 89.5%.
One tool to care for these patients is the use of music therapy, and the purpose of such is to “improve, maintain, remediate, or prevent one or more of the clinical issues in clients as specified in their needs for habilitation and rehabilitation” (Zhou, et. al., 2011). Some benefits stated in this article can include evoking positive emotions and memories, improving sense of self and mood, enhancing psychological wellbeing and decreasing psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and fear, etc.
In a pediatric rehabilitation setting, Leung (2008) collaborated with a Speech-Language Pathologist in the case of an 11-year-old male, Sam, who sustained severe injuries from a collision with a barbed wire fence while riding a four-wheel motorcycle. Due to the severity of Sam’s injuries, he was referred to Leung for improved verbal articulation and communication by the speech-language pathologist. Using a co-treatment collaboration model, the music therapist and speech-language pathologist used song singing and drum and vocal improvisation.
If you have a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), you are always looking for treatment modalities to help them with their social challenges and bring out their strengths as a person. As a therapist and parent of an adult child with ASD, I know that I have wanted the best for my child so he can be as independent as possible.
Through various trials and studies, music therapy researchers as well as non-music therapy researchers have studied the benefits of using music with children challenged by the limitations and challenges that come with having ASD. This group of researchers wanted to look specifically at how the auditory-motor connectivity can change if exposed to music and music activities over a period of time. Their study included 51 children ranging in age from six to twelve years in which approximately half of them received music and the other half received non-musical interventions. Specifically the children in the music group were exposed to songs and improvisation techniques, which focused on socialization.
A lot has changed within this past year regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. “The European Paediatric Association-Union of National European Paediatric Societies and Associations (EPA-UNEPSA) has established a collaborative working group with key Chinese academic institutions and medical centers with the purpose of facilitating the reciprocal exchange of information and sharing scientific knowledge,” (Jiao, et. al., 2020). The purpose of this group is to raise awareness to children’s psychological needs during epidemics and report early data collected.
Children are affected by the COVID-19 epidemic by experiencing fears, uncertainties, and physical and social isolation. A study conducted in Shaanxi Province in February 2020 was that the most common psychological and behavioral problems in children ages 3-18 were clinginess, distraction, irritability, and fear of asking questions about the epidemic. This was conducted by an online survey that also addressed poor sleep, poor appetite, physical discomfort, agitation and inattention, clinginess, and separation problems. This study’s intention was not to diagnose but to screen for disorders as a “first step approach”. “Understanding their reactions and emotions is essential to properly address their needs,” (Jiao, et. al., 2020).
Continue Reading!
Music therapy has been a growing treatment option for military populations. In fact music therapy as a profession finds its origins in the military settings of World War I and World War II Veterans as music for wounded soldiers was included as a part of reconditioning treatment. In “Music Therapy Treatment of Active Duty Military: A Overview of Intensive Outpatient and Longitudinal Care Programs”, two music therapy programs working with military populations are outlined.