Music and Therapy

The purpose of this blog is to gather articles regarding music therapy, heighten my own interest in music therapy, and educate those who might be reading about music therapy. Feel free to ask questions and give suggestions as to what you would like to see on this blog.

[autistic-people-are-awesome]

Why autism and music go together

Music allows autistic people to express themselves, learn a new language, immerse themselves in a world of sensory sound pleasure, its like being in your own comforting world and most people actually praise you for it unlike more stimming which is stigmatized.

[healingmusic]

State-of-the-art special needs school opens its doors in Calgary

The Calgary Board of Education, with the help of provincial government funding, has built a brand new special needs school in Varsity Acres.

[healingmusic]

Music therapy is no longer languishing on medicine's fringes - Macleans.ca

Music therapy is gaining legitimacy in the medical community, leading to more programs and jobs

Colin Lee, music therapy professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada: “If you look at health care across the board, there are roles for music therapists everywhere...Wherever there is health care, music therapy can add to the treatment.”

[healingmusic]

8 Ways Music Therapy Transforms the Brain

Music therapists use music to affect the brain in specific ways to promote positive changes.

[healingmusic]

Music Therapy for Hospice Patients: Moments with Erica from VITAS

Erica is one of VITAS Healthcare's music therapists, who visit patients and make a connection through song. Our thanks to Tinmen, Inc., for producing and don...

Music Therapy in Hospice Care - "...bringing in a human element is the biggest part of what music therapy is, so that we can match what the patient needs and respond accordingly."

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Andrea has been at Holland Bloorview for 16 years, helping kids of all ages and disabilities discover that there really is something magical about music.

Music therapy with children in a hospital setting

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Music therapy strikes a chord | Cochrane

Music therapy strikes a chord: A closer look at Cochrane evidence on music therapy

[healingmusic]

What is music therapy? George, a young boy with autism, lumbered down the hall, whining and crying as he approached the music therapy studio. He entered...

[spreadingmusicandlove]

THE LIFE OF A MUSIC THERAPIST

[earthtonesmusictherapy-blog]

YESSSS

[thenotsosecretworldofmollyb]

Why Music Therapists Should Care About Feminism Too

 Feminism is important and I think as a profession, music therapists undervalue it. Predominately female, we buy into the idea that we’re above gender inequalities. It’s a non-issue for us. Sure, we serve clients from marginalized populations - the elderly, the poor, those with mental health problems, the mentally or physically disabled. The list goes on and on. But as a population we aren’t marginalized. Girls run the world… Or at least the profession.

‘Glass ceiling’ is a term many are familiar with. There’s often talk of phenomenal women “shattering” glass ceilings. Essentially, the ‘glass ceiling’ refers to the unofficially acknowledged barriers that prevent the ascension of women and other minority populations into the top jobs.

But how does this relate to music therapy which is predominately female? Cue the ‘glass escalator’. When men enter female dominated professions, rather than encountering a glass ceiling due to their minority status as expected, they receive advantages and opportunities that promote them in their careers. It’s like they are on an escalator ushering them to the top. This occurs due to a myriad of reasons: they’re seen as more competent, they’re expected to want to advance, they bond with their male supervisors better, and they identify with the more masculine aspects of their job.

Only 12% of music therapists are male. However, men

comprised 24% of music therapists with doctoral degrees in 2004

held 27% of all music therapy faculty positions in 2004

authored 30% of the articles in the Journal of Music Therapy (JMT) from 2000-2005

authored 29% of the articles in Journal of Music Therapy from 2011-2015

serve as chief editors in 2 out of the 8 peer-reviewed journals published in English that have ‘music therapy’ in their title

comprise 31.25% (10/32) of the current Journal of Music Therapy editorial board

Furthermore, Edwards and Hadley found that the average male music therapist makes approximately $11,000 more annually than their female counterparts. (This was in their 2007 article Expanding Music Therapy Practice: Incorporating the Feminist Frame. It’s also where I got the first 3 statistics). Considering the the median salary for a music therapist in 2015, was $48,000, $11,000 is a LARGE sum.

However despite these discrepancies, many music therapists feel that gender bias and discrimination done not have an impact on their daily or professional lives. In a 2013 study, Sandra Curtis found that 46% of female respondents reported it having no impact. 46% of female respondents… They argued that progress had been made and that believing it had an impact was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Based on the numbers and personal experiences (Have you not had a male colleague initially seen as more competent?) I argue that music therapist need feminism. Gender inequalities exist. Just because we’re female-dominated doesn’t mean we’re exempt. Perhaps it means we need feminism more. But that’s just my opinion.

(I would like to mention my thesis is on oppression, which is an umbrella term for all -isms. I’m exploring occupational oppression within music therapy as an explanation for negative workplace factors that lead to high job strain and subsequent burnout. It’s kinda cool.)

[healingmusic]

Music therapy now a fixture at children's hospitals

There are now 6,000 credentialed music therapists practicing in the US, 15 percent of whom work in medical or surgical settings.

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Doctors Now Prescribing Music Therapy for Heart Ailments, Brain Dysfunction, Learning Disabilities, Depression, PTSD, Alzheimers, Childhood Development and More - Didge Project

Music has proven time and again to be an important component of human culture and is now being seen as music therapy in many medical environments.

I would say that the title is a bit misleading. The article is about a combination of music therapy, therapeutic uses of music, and music education, so still a good article promoting the benefits of music.

For more information on music therapy in Canada and the US:

http://www.musictherapy.ca

http://www.musictherapy.org

[paperbackward]

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” - Stephen King

(via paperbackward)

As I’m starting with new clients as a music therapist after finishing internship, I can’t emphasize how true this is.

[imamusictherapist]

TEDx Talks Given by Music Therapists

When Meds Fail: A Case for Music Therapy, Tim Ringgold, MT-BC

Healing Connects Through Music Therapy, Jodi Winnwalker, LCSW, MT-BC

Music–the Beautiful Lie, Daniel Goldschmidt, MT-BC

Moved by Music, Jenni Rook, MT-BC, LCPC

[healingmusic]

Health Canada calendar of health-related days, weeks and months that have been announced by recognized health organizations and are recognized throughout the health professional community

Health Canada recognizes Music Therapy! 

[healingmusic]

@MusicHeals_CA