History of Music Therapy: "The idea of music as a healing influence which could affect health and behavior is as least as old as the writings of Aristotle and Plato. The 20th century discipline began after World War I and World War II when community musicians of all types, both amateur and professional, went to Veterans hospitals around the country to play for the thousands of veterans suffering both physical and emotional trauma from the wars. The patients' notable physical and emotional responses to music led the doctors and nurses to request the hiring of musicians by the hospitals. It was soon evident that the hospital musicians needed some prior training before entering the facility and so the demand grew for a college curriculum. The first music therapy degree program in the world, founded at Michigan State University in 1944, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1994. The American Music Therapy Association was founded in 1998 as a union of the National Association for Music Therapy and the American Association for Music therapy" ~Excerpt from American Music Therapy Association
Overview: "Music therapy is the skillful use of music and musical elements by an accredited music therapist to promote, maintain, and restore mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Music has nonverbal, creative, structural, and emotional qualities. These are used in the therapeutic relationship to facilitate contact, interaction, self-awareness, learning, self-expression, communication, and personal development" ~Excerpt from Canadian Association for Music Therapy
Websites Related to Music Therapy: American Music Therapy Association, Canadian Association for Music Therapy, British Society for Music Therapy, New Zealand Society for Music Therapy, Australian Music Therapy Association
Wikipedia's page on Music Therapy: Listed here
Find a Therapist who practices Music Therapy: Are you looking for a therapist or counselor who practices Music therapy? Click below to find one:
Resources related to Music Therapy: Musical Selections for Brief Music Listening Experiences
Books about Music Therapy:
