Music Therapy and Its Uses
What is music therapy and how does it work?
Whenever a music discussion is going on in a music forum, usually the careers that are discussed for a musician are composition, film scoring or performing duty as an orchestrator.
Music therapy is a field encompassing interventions that can help deal with a variety of healthcare and educational issues. Music therapy should not be taken lightly. It is a developing field, which is of immense help in promoting wellness, managing stress, expressing feelings, and enhancing memory, while it is also used for promoting physical wellness.
Music therapists first see the emotional well-being of a person, their communication abilities and physical state by observing their musical responses. They, then formulate a music therapy plan tailoring it according to the needs of the client.
As a music therapist, you could get a chance to work with people and contribute something meaningful to the lives of people with various disabilities. Music therapists can work in different settings such as general and psychiatrist hospitals, rehabilitation centers, day cares and nursing homes.
The treatment might include singing, moving to, creating or listening to music. With practice the client’s abilities strengthen, which can then be transferred to other areas of their lives. Music can also serve as a mode of communication for those who find it difficult to express themselves in words.
According to many research studies, music has proven effective in many areas such as providing emotional support to clients and increasing their motivation to stay engaged with their treatment. Studies show that music can stimulate brainwaves to resonate in sync with the beat. A faster beat will bring increased concentration while a slower tempo will induce a calm state.
Who can benefit from music therapy?
Music therapy can be effectively engaged for children, adolescents and the elderly with psychiatric disorders, mental retardation and learning disabilities. It can also be used in treating brain injuries, acute and chronic pain, substance abuse problems and aging related conditions. There have been instances when music therapy has been used for cancer patients.
Music therapy is being promoted on a large scale by the American Music Therapy Association. The association works to increase public awareness of the benefits of music therapy. It is striving hard to make quality music therapy accessible to greater number of people.
Careers in music therapy
People who pursue music therapy should have a genuine interest in people and the desire to help them.
Registered music therapists will find various opportunities in traditional clinical setting. They will also find employment opportunities in other areas of health care delivery such as hospice care and pain/stress management clinics.
So, the next time there is a music discussion going on regarding careers in music, you know there is one more career to add to the list.
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