Music Therapy: Here’s What You Need To Know

It is a therapy where music is used professionally to deal with the emotional, cognitive, physical, psychological, behavioral, spiritual, communication and social issues of a person. A qualified music therapist treats the patients according to their capabilities and needs. Different elements of music used include key, harmony, form, melody, texture, meter, rhythm, pitch, timbre and duration. The therapy may not just mean listening to music, instead it may also include making music, modifying existing songs, drumming, writing songs, playing an instrument or singing.

Image depicting Tibetian Singing Bowls

Uses of this therapy

Areas where this therapy is used include schools, nursing homes, NGOs, cancer centers, rehabilitation centers and hospitals. It is said to be beneficial for people of all ages either suffering from illness or not. Thus, this method proves to be helpful for the people who cannot express something through words. It is often used to get relief from depression, anxiety, personality disorders, Schizophrenia, speech disorders, PTSD, behavioral issues, autism, brain injuries, hearing impairment, physical issues and hypertension. It is also used to lower the stress of women during labor. It basically slows down the rhythms of the body as the heart rate as well as blood pressure responds to the type and volume of the music which changes our behavior accordingly. Moreover, it relaxes the muscle tension, improves respiration, lowers blood pressure and reduces the discomfort overall.

History

It is said that Aesculapius, the son of the ancient Greek god Apollo used music to cure the mental diseases. Ancient Egyptian priest-physicians used music for healing by around 5000BC. Hippocrates too got into the picture by around 400BC. More details can be found here. In the 20^th century, during the first and second world wars, the community musicians used to play music for the army veterans and the veterans found it fruitful in overcoming the mental issues.

Conducting the sessions

These sessions can be conducted one-to-one or in groups in a calm environment to avoid other distractions. A typical session can last from 30 minutes to 1 hour and has to be scheduled first. The type, mode, lyrics, melody and time for the music session can be different which will be decided by the therapist depending on the abilities, issues and mood of the patients. The patient will have to sit or lie down while listening to music through voice, a headset, speaker, an instrument or a tool. The instruments and tools include pan flute, tuning forks, drums, harp, tuning forks, singing folks, guitar, piano and other such instruments.

Some sessions may include much physical movement for the patient. Hence, the client will have to inform about the physical issues to the therapist accordingly. Short homeworks can be assigned to the patients by the therapist. In that case, the clients can be asked to use smartphones to play required music and note down the progress.

Therapy for infants: singing while rocking the baby, singing or humming softly.

Therapy for toddlers: Instruments here include harmonicas, xylophones, shakers and drums.

Therapy for school going students: They can start learning to play guitar, piano, harmonium or xylophones. Some audio books liked by children are: The Hobbit, Alice in Wonderland as well as James and the Giant Peach.

Therapy for teenagers: These patients can even start writing songs.

Therapy for adults: Methods here include karaoke, project harmony chorus and drum circle.

Qualifications to be a professional music therapist in India

The designation of Music Therapist will be Music Therapist-Board Certified(MT-BC). In order to be a professional music therapist, one must have at least a BA degree in his/her field. Then MA or Doctoral degree can be obtained in the respective studies which can be combined with music therapy. Those who did not take music as majors in their undergraduate course may choose equivalent courses before MA. However, certification has to be obtained from Certification Board for Music every five years by the therapist.

Institutes offering the course

·         MET Institute of Alternative Careers, Mumbai.

·         Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry.

·         Nada Centre for Music Therapy, New Delhi.

·         Indian Association of Music Therapy, Delhi.

·         The Music Therapy Trust, Delhi.

·         Chennai School of Music Therapy, Chennai.

·         Indian Institute of Medical Music Therapy(IIMMT), Chennai.

Limitations of the therapy

It should not be considered as the only way to treat a medical condition. This therapy has to be carried out along with medications and/or other interventions. A reference from the doctor might be required. Not every person finds it effective. The type and pitch of the music chosen depends on the conditions of the patient. Sometimes, it may also lead to distress for the patient.

Conclusion

Music Therapy is beneficial in different ways for many people but may not be the standalone way to treat an issue. Also, many people might not be aware about it and won’t understand its advantages. Thus, more awareness has still to be increased resulting into increased job opportunities in this field.