Читать книгу The Creative Arts in Counseling - Samuel Gladding T., Samuel T. Gladding - Страница 43

Music as therapy is usually known as music therapy. Techniques associated with music therapy are production, reproduction, and reception. Production techniques focus on emotional expression and the creation of relationships through musical improvisation in which the client and therapist create something musically new. Reproduction techniques involve the client and therapist playing or singing precomposed pieces of music as well as learning or practicing musical skills. These pieces may be especially powerful in exploring memoires and relationships. Reception techniques involve the client listening to live or recorded music. These musical experiences may be used to focus on conscious awareness of the client’s current mental state as well as to facilitate relaxation or pain management (Mössler et al., 2012; Verstegen & Silverman, 2018).

In music therapy, sound, whether played or listened to, often serves as a musical symbol of a symptom (McClary, 2007). According to the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), music therapy is offered as a degree in more than 70 American colleges and universities and is practiced all over the world. In addition, in 2015, AMTA formally defined music therapy as “the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program” (AMTA, n.d., para. 1). It is meant to effect positive changes in the psychological, physical, cognitive, or social functioning of individuals. Thus, the process is goal directed. It may take one of many forms, but according to Peters (2001, pp. 6–8), music therapy has five main elements:

1 It is prescribed.

2 It involves the use of musical or music activities; for example, “singing, playing musical instruments, listening to music, composing or creating music, moving to music, or discussing lyrics and characteristics of songs or instrumental compositions” (p. 6).

3 It is directed or supervised by specially trained personnel.

4 It is received by clients from newborns to geriatrics.

5 It is focused on achieving definite therapeutic goals (e.g., physical, psychological, cognitive, or social goals).

In music therapy, clients improve their level of musical functioning while simultaneously accomplishing objectives related to new or improved behaviors in the areas of motor skills, academics, communication, social interactions, or emotions (Giordano et al., 2020). The number of musically related activities (e.g., singing, playing in a rhythm band, playing Name That Tune) that can be used to accomplish these goals is extensive. A main task for the music therapist is to be versatile and creative (Memory, 2002). Therefore, music therapists must be fluent and expressive in the language of music. Peters (2001) noted, “Technical musical skills needed by the music therapist include keyboard, guitar, and vocal skills; the ability to arrange, compose, and improvise simple songs and accompaniments; [and] proficiency in playing a variety of melodic and percussive nonsymphonic instruments and conducting skills” (p. 12). Overall, music therapists must be specialists in music and human behavior but must be generalists in their ability to apply this knowledge in various situations (Michel & Pinson, 2013). They must also be imaginative, intuitive, improvising, and intellectual (Bunt & Hoskyns, 2002).

According to Hadley et al. (2001), music therapists do some or all of the following:

 Assess emotional well-being, physical health, social functioning, communication abilities, and cognitive skills through musical responses

 Design music sessions for individuals and groups based on client needs using music improvisation, receptive music listening, song writing, lyric discussion, music and imagery, music performance, and learning through music

 Participate in interdisciplinary treatment planning, ongoing evaluation, and follow-up

To become professional music therapists, individuals graduate from specifically designed college programs with a minimum of a bachelor of music in music therapy. Educational standards are established and approved by AMTA, which is the integrated organization formed from its predecessors, the National Association for Music Therapy and the American Association for Music Therapy. For a person to become a music therapist, AMTA requires successful completion of a specific number of coursework hours as well as supervised internships in approved programs of study.