WHAT DOES MUSIC THERAPY DO FOR CLIENTS?

Depending on the client’s goals and objectives, music therapy may target any of the following therapeutic areas.  This is not an exhaustive list, just some examples:

Physiological:  heart rate, blood pressure, gastric motility, hormone levels, immune response
Psychophysiological: pain, arousal, relaxation, fatigue, energy levels
Sensorimotor:  gross and fine motor coordination
Cognition:  attention, memory, learning
Behavioral patterns
Emotional:  range of emotion, affect, congruence, anxiety, depression, motivation
Interpersonal: sensitivity to others, interactional skills, relationship patterns and styles
Creativity:  originality, inventiveness

Why is music so effective?  According to anthropologist Alan Merriam (1964), no other known cultural activity reaches into, shapes, and controls so much of human behavior as does music. (Therapeutic Uses of Music with Older Adults)