The Goals and Gifts of Music that Keep on Giving

When defining the field of music therapy, many may use the phrase “the use of music to achieve nonmusical goals”. Although music is the forefront of the therapeutic process, the goals that can be achieved are vast and often imperative to ones’ well-being. 

In private or community-based practice, we get the unique experience of working with people in the community- stepping right into their world! Whether this be a group home, a long term care facility or even a school, this is a space that is meaningful and familiar in some way to them. This has various implications, but overall it is an opportunity to look at the ways in which skills developed within music therapy can generalize to their daily lives. 

Some of the examples of this in action (from my own experience, as well as others on the Keynote team):

• A client and therapist use melody to reinforce his mother’s phone number. His school teacher reports that he was able to sing the song and recall the phone number when they needed to give her a call

• A client is a non-verbal communicator, but engages in vocalization to a preferred religious song. The song is recorded and used as a backdrop for this client’s baptism

• A playlist is created to support anxiety during medical procedures. The client shares that she plays the playlist during a routine blood draw without tears or stress

• A client and therapist write songs to outline the steps of routines and activities of daily living. The client’s staff reports that the client took a shower independently, which is a new skill

• In development of new speech skills, a client is able to communicate her desire to receive communion at home

The list could continue on. Music therapy supports the goals that keep on giving!