Music Therapy

“The music teacher in our school has had more success with ‘one potato, two potato, three potato, four’ than all the psychologists, child psychiatrists, and counselors have had with drug-induced stability,” says the principal of a school in D.C.; Interestingly enough, music has been found to be such a successful method of learning (of those who are willing to try it), there is an entire practice devoted to it: music therapy. 

And its been around longer than you’d expect, too. Starting in the 19th century, music therapy uses the emotional, physical, mental, social, and spiritual aspects of music as an organic way to aid the patient in whatever way necessary. This practice has been used to treat Amnesia, Dementia, Parkinson's, and countless others. 


For a lot of people, using music can really trigger something within someone, that other forms of therapy cannot. Sessions of music therapy may include “improvising, [where] the client makes up his or her own music extemporaneously, singing or playing whatever arises in the moment,” which gives the patient full freedom to truly express themselves; or perhaps composing, where “the therapist helps the client to write songs, lyrics, or instrumental pieces, or to create any kind of musical product.” Whatever it is the patient may be doing, it certainly seems to be working. I feel like a broken record when I say, yet again, that there’s this form of help, that is literally sitting under everyone’s noses, that people just don’t realize, and it frustrates me to no avail.

Has music therapy ever come into your life? Have you ever heard about someone using music therapy to get them through something?