Therapeutic Elements of Music

How many of us think through how and why we use the music that we use in sessions? I do not often think through the therapeutic elements of the music that I use other than I try new things to engage my clients. When asked why I pick the musical interventions that I use, I am often unable to explain the exact reasons why I felt that changes were necessary. I often follow instinct.

This is a problem.

I am a music therapist who never really learned how to explain the effect of music on humans. Now, I took and passed all my coursework on the physiological effects of music on behavior, I have done some additional reading on this topic, and I think that we all (music therapists, I mean) know that music works, but do not really know why music works the way it does.

There are many difficulties with trying to examine the therapeutic elements of music and their effect on human behavior. Music causes different reactions in every person who is within range. It is difficult to predict how a person will react to any part of the music presented, much less to separate one element of the musical experience as the focus of a study. How can you separate melody from duration, pitch from harmony? You cannot.

It is going to be my quest this year to focus on the therapeutic elements of music.

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