In the last decades of the information age, where technology has rapidly advanced and information is readily available through search engines connected to databases on the World Wide Web, medical studies have similarly advanced and enlarged their domain to psychological and physiological areas of study in addition to their traditional physical concerns. Music therapy, one area of study, has shown growing development and interest. Music therapist Deforia Lane defines music therapy as “the systematic application of music to aid in the treatment of the physiological or psychological aspect of an illness or disability” and notes that the human soul relates inseparably to this treatment (Lane 15). It is an increasingly prevalent and effective program which has a history, method, and effect.
The importance of music in an individual’s life has only recently acquired scientific support, although for much of human history its benefits have been suspected. Music has been an important part of cultures around the world for good reason. Interestingly enough, “embryologists agree that the ear is the first organ to develop in embryo”, suggesting even the beginning of the importance of sound in an individual’s life (Campbell 23). Also, it has been discovered that the ear “becomes functional after only eighteen weeks, and that it listens actively from twenty-four weeks on” (Campbell 23). Even as an embryo, before ever being exposed to light or a comforting touch, humans experience sound from the beginning of their existence. A mother’s voice becomes the first embrace her child will receive, with soothing harmonies and warm tones from simple conversations, creating symphonies during infancy. Although hearing greatly depends on the function of the ...
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Jones, J. D. "Songwriting and Lyric Analysis." Journal of Music Therapy 42.2 (2006): 94-110. American Music Therapy Association. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Lane, Deforia. Music as Medicine. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994. Print.
Monro, D. B. The Modes of Ancient Greek Music. Oxford: Clarendon, 1894. Print.
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Wigram, Tony, Bruce Saperston, and Robert West, eds. Art & Science of Music Therapy: A Handbook. New York: Routledge, 1995. Print.
Music therapy works because of its three fundamentals: the application of systematic thinking through music theory, the creation of an individualized treatment plan, as well as the patie...
Lyric analysis – Lyric analysis is a popular music therapy method, defined as the expansion from existing song or lyrics to any broader use. Sometimes two songs are chosen, and patients are asked to compare both the similarities and differences in musical style, timbre, lyrical content, levels of emotion, kind of emotions, and ways of expressing those emotions. Songs mark many solid memories from important life events, and the music may improve a person’s ability to look back over their life. Either with patient preferred music or songs that address topics to focus on, lyric analysis may be used to facilitate life review and reminiscence.
Music therapy is defined as “a systematic process of intervention wherein the therapist helps the client to promote health, using music experiences and the relationships that develop through them as dynamic forces of change.” (Bruscia). Wilber’s quadrants breaks down major psychological theories and music therapy models into four quadrants (Abrams). These areas are the individual interior, individual exterior, collective interior, and the collective exterior (Abrams). The individual internal focuses on the therapeutic goals and the inner psychological process of the client (Dr. A. Meadows, personal communication, Sept 2014). The individual exterior focuses on skills and behaviors where the goals
Music therapy involves the clinical use of music interventions in order to alleviate pain, improve cognitive functioning, reduce social anxiety, and encourage overall physical and mental well-being (American Music Therapy Association). Techniques often involve individuals actively participating in music therapy through singing, comp¬¬osing, or listening to music. Evidence based studies have demonstrated that music therapy can elicit both a physiological and psychological response, resulting in cognitive and behavioral benefits that make it an ideal therapeutic tool in handling stress in normal daily activities as well as in the health care setting.
(2002). 1. Psychodynamic Movement : A Basic training Methodology for Music Therapists. / Pedersen, Inge Nygaard. Analytical Music Therapy. red. / Eschen, Johannes Th. (ed.). London : Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2002.
As music varies around the world so does a cultures use of the songs and lyrics created. Songwriters may quickly scribble words down on a piece of paper or have a melody running in their head, with the anticipation that those sounds and words will turn into lyrics for a song. A song or melody may spark both positive and negative feelings in each person’s life, especially by the author. Music is used for countless activities (ceremonies, celebrations), therefore the ideas discussed in this paper focus on whether the song writing process acts as a therapy outlet. Accordingly, the goal is to examine one musician’s ideas about song writing and review literature on how song writing is currently used in music therapy.
B., Gfeller, K. E., & Thaut, M. H. (2008). An Introduction to Music Therapy: Theory and
Music is everywhere we go; we listen to it in the car, while doing work, and there are even people who pay to listen or watch an artist perform live. Yes, life goes on without music, but music has such an impact on our lives. Life is a rollercoaster of emotions and we have music to fit our emotions to be just as we feel. Music has a great deal of importance of many people. It can have a meaning that they cannot explain to others and are able to connect with the song. By doing so experts are able to help patients overcome many sicknesses with the help of music. Music therapy is capable of being an advantage for many individual patients, it can encourage responses from patients that other methods of therapy cannot get from them. Also, it improves the patients in distinctive ways other than for an illness.
American Music therapy Association. (2013). Music Therapy journals and Publications. Retrieved from American Music therapy Association: http://www.musictherapy.org/research/pubs/
In the early eighteenth century, the phonograph has been used to reinforce patients in hospitals to sleep and during surgery and anesthesia process (Barrera et al., 2002, p. 379). In the nineteenth century, there was a desire to use the sounds of music to minimize pain. In the 1980s, the use of music therapy was documented, but it had not proved any effectiveness (Barrera et al., 2002, p.379). Also, Munro et al. (1987) reported that the Greeks used music in psychology treatment (p. 1029). Music therapy was defended by Munro et al. (1987) as “the controlled use of music, its elements and their influences on the human being to aid in the physiologic, psychologic and emotional integration of the individual during the treatment of anilines or disability (p. 1030). Recently, many studies have shown an improvement of that interest of using music therapy, and that significantly proved its useful effects on children with varies medical issues. Nowadays there are other therapies besides medical treatment for children with autism, language skills problems, and dealing with hospitalization due to cancer.
Meadows, A. N. (2011). Developments in music therapy practice case study perspectives. Gilsum: Barcelona Publishers.
In order to understand why the use of music therapy is growing, one must know what exactly music therapy is. Music Therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. Music therapy also provides avenues for communicati...
...cott, Elizabeth. "Music and Your Body: How Music Affects Us and Why Music Therapy Promotes Health." . N.p., 10 Apr. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
Campbell, D. G. (1997). The Mozart effect: tapping the power of music to heal the body, strengthen the mind, and unlock the creative spirit. New York: Avon Books.
Music Therapy is the prescribed use of music and musical interventions to restore, maintain, and improve emotional, physical, physiological, and spiritual health and well-being. These are the key elements which define interventions as music therapy. Music Therapy is goal oriented and provides a system to work towards a specific therapeutic goal and objective. Goals identified can include communicative, academic, motor emotional and social skills. In the end the music development learned in the sessions hopefully have a relaxing, positive effect on the client’s physical, psychological and socio-economical functioning. Music Therapy became a profession in 1950 with the establishment of the National Association for Music Therapy and the American Association for Music Therapy Association. (AMTA) There were nonmusical goals set for the professional setting. “They included: improving communication skills, decreasing inappropriate ...