The following section is quoted from the music therapy page of the Baycrest Centre's website.
Q. What happens in music therapy sessions?
Music therapists carefully choose the music therapy interventions depending on the unique needs of individual clients. Therefore, one music therapy group session may look very different from the other. Some of the interventions that are often used include: singing, improvising vocally and instrumentally, lyric discussion, relaxation to music, music and imagery, movement to music, and composing songs.
Q. What qualifications do you need to become a music therapist?
Music therapists are University educated individuals who complete an honours degree in music therapy. The last requirement in completing that degree is a 1000 hour clinical internship under the supervision of a Music Therapist Accredited (MTA). After the completion of the Internship, interns are eligible to apply for Accreditation with the Canadian Association for Music Therapy (CAMT). This requires the assembly of an accreditation package with descriptions of the clinical internship and examples of clinical writing such as a case study.
Q. Who is Music Therapy for?
Music therapy is beneficial for everyone from infants to seniors. Depending on the needs of the clients, Music Therapists adapt the interventions to meet the needs of the clients and work with them toward their individualized goals. Music Therapists work with children and adults with intellectual disabilities, children with autism, adults with neurological disorders, mental and emotional disorders, and dementia, etcetera.
Q. How do you know you are being effective as a therapist?
Music therapists evaluate their work constantly on an on-going basis through the changes in client's facial expression, gestures, postures, verbal feedbacks, consultation with client's family, colleagues and other professionals from the clinical team, and literature readings. Progress notes are recorded in the client charts and reflect the progress clients are making towards their goals outlined on the music therapy assessment.
Myths & Misconceptions
1. Music Therapists are entertainers.
No. Music Therapy sessions are designed to be enjoyable for the clients, therefore sessions often are fun and entertaining, but much more is happening here. Music Therapists work with the clients to identify needs and work toward psychosocial, emotional, spiritual, physical and cognitive goals that are unique to each individual. Music Therapy is a health care profession.
2. Isn't only classical music used in music therapy?
No. Music Therapists assess the client's needs and preferences of music. The music used in the session is customized to better serve individual client's cultural, spiritual, psychosocial needs. It is provided through both live and recorded music. Music Therapists are accomplished musicians capable of playing several instruments.
3. Isn't music therapy just a passive activity, meaning you sit and play music to people?
No! Music therapy is a continuum of passive to active measures where people engage in activities in order to facilitate goal acquisition in the cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual domains.
4. Isn't music therapy beneficial only for those people who have a music background?
- No! Music interventions are designed and adapted to the person's ability level and so having a background in music is not required. The goals of music therapy are not primarily to develop musical abilities. The goals are generally non-musical in nature.
Q. What happens in music therapy sessions?
Music therapists carefully choose the music therapy interventions depending on the unique needs of individual clients. Therefore, one music therapy group session may look very different from the other. Some of the interventions that are often used include: singing, improvising vocally and instrumentally, lyric discussion, relaxation to music, music and imagery, movement to music, and composing songs.
Q. What qualifications do you need to become a music therapist?
Music therapists are University educated individuals who complete an honours degree in music therapy. The last requirement in completing that degree is a 1000 hour clinical internship under the supervision of a Music Therapist Accredited (MTA). After the completion of the Internship, interns are eligible to apply for Accreditation with the Canadian Association for Music Therapy (CAMT). This requires the assembly of an accreditation package with descriptions of the clinical internship and examples of clinical writing such as a case study.
Q. Who is Music Therapy for?
Music therapy is beneficial for everyone from infants to seniors. Depending on the needs of the clients, Music Therapists adapt the interventions to meet the needs of the clients and work with them toward their individualized goals. Music Therapists work with children and adults with intellectual disabilities, children with autism, adults with neurological disorders, mental and emotional disorders, and dementia, etcetera.
Q. How do you know you are being effective as a therapist?
Music therapists evaluate their work constantly on an on-going basis through the changes in client's facial expression, gestures, postures, verbal feedbacks, consultation with client's family, colleagues and other professionals from the clinical team, and literature readings. Progress notes are recorded in the client charts and reflect the progress clients are making towards their goals outlined on the music therapy assessment.
Myths & Misconceptions
1. Music Therapists are entertainers.
No. Music Therapy sessions are designed to be enjoyable for the clients, therefore sessions often are fun and entertaining, but much more is happening here. Music Therapists work with the clients to identify needs and work toward psychosocial, emotional, spiritual, physical and cognitive goals that are unique to each individual. Music Therapy is a health care profession.
2. Isn't only classical music used in music therapy?
No. Music Therapists assess the client's needs and preferences of music. The music used in the session is customized to better serve individual client's cultural, spiritual, psychosocial needs. It is provided through both live and recorded music. Music Therapists are accomplished musicians capable of playing several instruments.
3. Isn't music therapy just a passive activity, meaning you sit and play music to people?
No! Music therapy is a continuum of passive to active measures where people engage in activities in order to facilitate goal acquisition in the cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual domains.
4. Isn't music therapy beneficial only for those people who have a music background?
- No! Music interventions are designed and adapted to the person's ability level and so having a background in music is not required. The goals of music therapy are not primarily to develop musical abilities. The goals are generally non-musical in nature.