Music Therapy Techniques, Exercises, And Outcomes
Somehow, amid our busy, harried lives, most of us find time to enjoy music. Whether you play an instrument, sing, write music, or listen to your favorite songs, music can make you feel better and more positive than you did before. Since Aristotle’s time, music has been used to help people heal. Then, following the World Wars, musicians working with veterans developed a new kind of therapy – the art and science of music therapy.
What Is This Kind Of Therapy?
This kind of therapy is a type of intervention for various mental and physical challenges and conditions. It is based on the results of research studies and clinical reviews. The goals of this therapy depend on the needs of the individual and the setting where this therapy is taking place. A credentialed music therapist conducts therapy sessions where clients participate in music-related activities to enhance their physical and mental well-being.
This therapy is used to help people with conditions like:
- Asthma
- Brain injuries
- Depression
- Dementias, including Alzheimer’s
- Disabilities, including cognitive, developmental, and physical
- Mental health conditions
- Pain
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Substance abuse
Therapy Vs. Passively Listening to Music
Just passively listening to music can be very pleasant, but therapy is something very different. If you’re in a therapy session, you’re actively engaged with the music.
Even when the exercise you’re doing is receptive listening, it’s listening with a purpose. The therapist frames the musical experience before listening and leads a discussion afterward to help you gain new insights and perspectives.
Passive listening isn’t a structured music experience. That’s fine for what it is, but therapy is carefully designed to elicit specific outcomes. You may listen to music while you’re in the hospital to pass the time and feel more at home. However, therapy offers more benefits for your physical and mental health.
Therapy Techniques
Music therapists use a variety of techniques, including both creative and receptive interventions. People with physical and mental illnesses often find it hard to talk freely about their challenges and emotional pain surrounding their condition. Expression becomes an important factor in their recovery.
The strong emotions that often come with mental and physical conditions can be hard to deal with, too. People often feel stressed as they go through various therapies designed to help them work on their problems. When this happens, people sometimes need to receive therapy that soothes them and makes sense of their treatment.
Musical therapy has also been proven to help patients build motivation to get more involved in all aspects of their treatment. Most patients find it easy to become engaged in therapy. That engagement tends to translate into more cooperation with their overall treatment for whatever condition or illness.
Creative/Expressive Music Interventions
Creative music-making gives you the chance to express yourself in comfortable ways. You can improve your self-esteem when you create or perform music. You develop your cognitive skills when you take on the challenge of expressing yourself through music. Also, as you work with other patients to create and perform music, you can build better relationship skills.
Improvisation
When you improvise in music performance, you call on your cognitive skills to create music you’ve never heard before. You become more mentally flexible as you participate in this in-the-moment experience.
Improvising can take many forms within the context of music therapy. Your therapist may give you simple instructions to get you started. They might play music themselves and even start the improvisation exercise. Or, you might work from basic chords to improvise a melody or harmonize.
Song Writing
There are two main types of song-writing therapy techniques. The therapist can guide you and a group in writing song lyrics. This is a relatively simple task that nearly anyone can do. If you’re more musically inclined, the therapist might work with you to create the melody and harmony, too.
Songwriting is a technique that allows you to deal with your emotions constructively, which is an important skill to have when you complete your therapy. It gives you a chance to do mental work that’s not only fun and enjoyable but also improves your mental capabilities.
Drumming
Drumming is typically a group exercise. The therapist offers various kinds of drums to patients, and they play together with or without accompanying music. The therapist uses drumming to get patients involved in their therapy and help them engage with each other. Drumming is especially helpful for people who have difficulty communicating in a social situation. The drum beats give them away from interacting with others on a nonverbal level.
Music Performance
Using music performance in musical therapy is a great technique for building self-esteem. With the therapist there to support them through the performance, patients have a chance to build their self-confidence.
Music performance techniques can be used within the group setting, with or without an additional audience. Deciding to perform and then preparing for the performance allows patients to make a concrete plan, follow through with it, and achieve success.
Movement to Music
Moving to music could be considered both an expressive and a receptive therapy technique. It helps patients feel a deep connection between their minds and bodies. It helps them relax and reduces their stress. With the therapist’s support, they feel more comfortable with who they uniquely are.
Reflective/Receptive Interventions
Receptive listening therapy techniques are designed to improve your engagement with the music. As you become more engaged in the music experience, you become more motivated to participate in your treatment.
Receptive Listening
Receptive listening in therapy means that you listen in a focused way. The receptive listening technique allows therapists to help people talk about and come to terms with problems they’re facing. As they build a framework for a better life, the music provides periods of respite from the work of getting better.
Lyric Discussion
Therapists can use the lyric discussion to help patients identify their specific problems or understand them better. Musical lyrics often bring up intense feelings, giving the therapist a chance to help them deal with them.
Lyric discussions can be done in group sessions to assist in relationship issues, shall they arise. When someone disagrees with another person’s interpretation of lyrics, the therapist can teach assertiveness and empathy skills.
Another way to use the lyric discussion technique is for the therapist to focus on the lyrics’ technical aspects. This may prompt patients to interact more freely since the subject is not usually rooted in the problems they’re in therapy for. Along the way, the therapist can identify problems and work with the patient more indirectly.
Music and Imagery
Music and Imagery is a specific therapy technique developed by Helen L. Bonny, Ph.D. If you see a therapist trained in this technique, they’ll talk to you about your current situation before guiding you in a relaxation technique. Finally, they play music while you talk about whatever comes to you as you listen, whether that’s images, thoughts, feelings, memories, or all of those.
This technique aims to integrate all aspects of your being to become physically, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually healthier.
Mood and Music
Music has a great impact on mood. Often, music therapists use specific music styles to help people experience their feelings and improve their moods. This technique is often helpful when something unsettling has happened at the treatment center or an individual has had a crisis at home.
Therapy Exercises
Basic techniques are only helpful as therapists bring them to life in specific therapy exercises. The exercises are designed to be enjoyable, engaging, and serve some purpose in your therapy. If you’re in therapy for very long, you come to expect the unexpected since each session can be very different from the last.
Progressive Singing Tasks
One exercise used for people with speech problems, often due to brain injuries or other physical problems, comprises a series of progressive singing tasks. You might start by humming along with a song. As you become comfortable with that, the therapist suggests trying singing using a simple sound like “la.” Each task builds on the last, with the primary goal of helping you speak or speak more confidently.
Improvising with Simple Instruments
Playing simple instruments is a fun exercise that anyone from toddlers to seniors can enjoy. Music therapists can lead this exercise in a way that builds social skills. Each person usually gets a chance to choose their instrument. The therapist leads the exercise with instructions and suggestions and may improvise along with the group.
Writing Your Lyrics for an Existing Tune
You can explore your issues, express your feelings, and improve and display your verbal skills through a write-your-own-lyrics exercise. Either you or your therapist chooses a song for the tune of your creation. Then, you write lyrics.
After you finish the lyrics, you can share them in group therapy or with your therapist in a solo session. Again, you have another opportunity to deal with your problems in a way that acknowledges who you are and how you process things.
Drumming Along with Recorded Music
A therapist might choose a recording as background for a drumming exercise. For example, they may choose a song identified with a certain culture and tell you how people in that culture deal with problems. After a discussion of the differences in cultures, the drumming experience begins.
The therapist tells everyone to think of a rhythm they want to drum. The therapist starts the drumming. Then, they signal each person to join, one at a time. Soon, everyone is drumming, each with their rhythm. After the song ends, the therapist leads a discussion about how each person contributed to the experience.
Therapy Outcomes
This kind of therapy promotes several positive outcomes. Different techniques and exercises focus on producing different results. However, any or all the following outcomes can come from one single therapy session.
- Improved communication
- Feelings expressed
- Identifying problems
- Resolving psychological issues
- Regaining prior physical abilities
- Improved emotional well-being
- Pain management
- Improved social functioning
- Increased cognitive skills
- Learning relationship skills
- Stress management
- Increased engagement with the overall course of treatment
- Motivation to get better
Therapy does offer many benefits. This therapy is very helpful to many people suffering from physical and emotional problems. At ReGain.us, you can choose the type of therapy you prefer. What’s more, you can have that therapy on your schedule, from wherever you choose. Music therapy is one modality of many, but whatever you choose, one thing is certain. If you are interested in gaining the skills you need to build a better life for yourself, the right therapist can help you sing that tune!
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a typical music therapy session like?
In a typical music therapy session, clients use music to express themselves in various ways and reach goals specifically outlined by their therapists. Session planning for music therapy sessions includes incorporating music therapy ideas, like music bingo and themed session plans.
Music allows people to communicate feelings that they cannot necessarily get across in other mediums. The session planning for a music therapy session is goal-oriented and intended to effect change in a person. Another example could be a therapist using session planning to start a conversation with a client about specific feelings. Another therapist could try utilizing session planning with younger clients by using music bingo.
Since music can be used in many different ways, therapists’ session planning results in new ideas and music therapy session ideas that are fun. By freely playing music with their clients, therapists can use music lessons to develop a healthy and friendly bond.
Lastly, themed session plans can be fun and help with improving mental health. For instance, therapists may have Halloween-themed music therapy sessions. During these Halloween-themed music therapy sessions, therapists can sing classic Halloween songs like “Dry Bones” or “Black Cat.” They may also host a music bingo that uses Halloween-themed music therapy songs.
Does music therapy actually work?
Music therapy works for various people, as it has proven benefits and evidence-based music interventions for many clients. Various music therapy session ideas can help people with their personal problems. Furthermore, a board-certified musical practitioner conducts a music therapy session who partakes in educated session planning and may use fun activities, such as music bingo. Therefore, the benefits of music therapy can include:
- Decreased stress
- Lower blood pressure
- Improved sleep
- Learning pain management
In addition to these benefits, a 2017 study concludes that a 30-minute music therapy or music therapy session alongside traditional care after a spinal surgery helped many individuals manage their pain. Music therapy sessions can be helpful because clients are not just passively listening to music. Through guided help from a trained professional, people also engage with their emotions when interacting with the music.
Therapists may think of various music therapy session ideas that are focused on one goal. The music therapy association often references Anna's story, who used music to overcome her experience with sexual abuse.
Anna’s therapist used a few music therapy session ideas when trying to help Anna confront her past. These included the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM), which uses music to a person’s unconscious thoughts. Other intervention ideas involved letting Anna use music as a venue to let out her emotions.
These music therapy session ideas helped Anna understand herself and where she needed to go next while recovering from her traumatic past. In this instance of music therapy, music therapy works because therapists are focused on a specific goal. These goals help clients understand what they need to do to get the most out of their sessions.
Music therapy's power is often considered kindness—the kindness from therapists who conduct session planning and clients wanting to improve their mental health. In Anna’s case, it takes incredible strength to be honest about her feelings and allows her story to be shared to support music therapy.
How can I do music therapy at home?
While many people get the most out of music therapy guided by a professional, there are some aspects you could try at home to test things out. You can try out many music therapy session ideas on your own that can result in positive benefits for your mental wellbeing. They include:
- Create multiple song playlists that are themed session plans
- You can have one playlist with upbeat music and another that makes you emotional or includes children’s music. Then, try engaging with these songs by really listening to the lyrics and instrumentation. You could also play music bingo with your playlists.
- Attend performances
- Search your local area for concerts with music you like. You can also have themed session plans by attending a Halloween-themed music therapy concert if you enjoy thrills and horror. Other music therapy session ideas include watching live performances on Youtube or other video-platforms.
- your love of music.
- You can perform activities with close friends and family. Music intervention ideas can include music bingo and Halloween-themed music therapy, among other music therapy session ideas. For families, they could incorporate children’s music into their music bingo so that the whole family is involved. Your session planning can be about anything, so long as you are actively engaging with music.
Music therapy at home does not have to be complicated or involve an ensemble. You can conduct your session planning based on your favorite songs. Music interventions can be as simple as listening to a song and personally relating to the lyrics, possibly while visualizing a particular goal. Such intervention ideas are impactful if you put effort into them and indicate if a professional music therapist's visit is a good next step. During music therapy, music therapy professionals could assist more with the goal visualization after the client has opened themself to the idea of using health music during at-home practices.
How much does a music therapy session cost?
On average, the hourly rates for an individual music therapy session are between $50 to $90. For a group music therapy session, the costs range from $60 to $90. Lastly, a music therapy session assessment can be as low as $65 and high as $110.
Insurance coverage for music therapy varies on a state-by-state basis. Specific insurance companies that are likely to cover music therapy include:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Cigna
- United Healthcare
- Aetna
Ultimately, it is best practice to contact your insurance company and ask if they cover music therapy.
What happens if you listen to music every day?
If you listen to music every day, what happens to you depends on how you engage with the music. Music therapy session ideas attempt to keep the client focused on improving themselves by using music specifically. , during music therapy, music therapy works best when someone is an active listener.
Furthermore, music connects people in different ways. Some people listen to music for entertainment, while others rely on music to help them get through the day. Some may use Halloween-themed music therapy sessions or other fun ways to get into the spirit of a holiday and expose themselves to songs they may not have heard before. Others may make music a fun activity by using music bingo to identify songs and test their knowledge of specific genres.
Respect for artists can also contribute to music therapy's thoughtfulness, as one remembers the people creating and demonstrating personal and heartfelt songs. For example, children’s music may be simple on the surface, but the lyrics possess a deep meaning that both adults and kids can feel. Music is an expression of the human soul. Thus, some clients may find that the best healthy music songs communicate the song and, in turn, deeper emotions that help the client express who they are.
How does music therapy work in the brain?
What music helps with anxiety?
What equipment do music therapists need?
What are the 4 methods of music therapy?
How do you conduct a music therapy session?
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