What are the Benefits of Music Therapy?
Society as it is today heralds music above most forms of art, it almost seems impossible to escape its sonic landscapes - and I mean, why would anyone want to? Unless your friend’s uncle is blasting Country radio at the family barbeque like he usually does, all music is so much fun to listen to (just kidding about Country music, unless it’s older country. I’m actually a big fan of Loretta Lynne!). Music being the driving force in so many people’s lives it only makes sense to use it as a medium for therapy.
A (very, very) Brief History of Music Therapy
While music has been used for therapeutic reasons all the way back since the time of the ancient Greeks, our contemporary understanding of music therapy only dates back to about the 1940s.
Ira Altshuler is credited with being one of the first people to have large-scale music therapy operations for mentally ill patients at Detroit's Eloise Hospital - combining psychoanalytic techniques with his love of music. Willem van de Wall, a student of Altshuler, worked in state-funded hospitals and prisons. His work with individuals (who were deemed “unsafe to society”) showed how transformative music therapy could be. While these people would typically be watched by guards in rooms with bars and locks to prevent assault, none of these precautions were taken when Van de Wall worked with them!
While Dr. Altshuler was showing the efficacy of music therapy and Willem van de Wall was publishing his findings on the benefit of music therapy, E. Thayer Gaston was busy structuring the burgeoning field into a recognized science. Many people call Gaston the “father of music therapy” as he was able to formalize music therapy into a recognized field of study, alongside publishing many works that would popularize the industry. Psychology has changed a lot from the time of these three music therapy innovators, and while other forms of therapy to help mental illness have declined or disappeared entirely (looking at you, lobotomies!) music therapy has only grown since then. What was once a humble field spearheaded by musically inclined therapists has grown into a robust field with over 26,000 practitioners in the United States alone!
So…. What are the benefits?
It seems redundant to state the benefits of music therapy without first addressing the benefits of music in general. Even if you aren’t a musician, I’m sure that you’ve naturally felt a lot of the benefits of music in your life already. When we’re feeling sad we listen to a playlist, album, or song to help us through. When we’re hanging out with friends we throw on some party tunes to help elevate the mood. Maybe you have a particular song you hum when you’re stressed out to calm you down? That’s music being beneficial! Let’s look at some of the benefits music has on people:
Elevating Mood - This seems like a no-brainer, when we listen to music we tend to feel happier. Studies have shown the direct correlation between listening to our favorite songs and the release of neurochemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin.
Regulating Emotion - Keeping in line with the above statement, since music helps release these neurochemicals that are essential for a healthy mind it follows that listening to music helps regulate our moods.
Energizing Us - With the number of playlists on Spotify entitled “work-out routine” or “morning music” it’s almost self-evident that music can help get our hearts pumping and ready to face a new day!
It’s Good for the Heart - While music is good for our hearts (like a good Studio Ghibli film is good for our hearts), studies show that music can improve our heart’s health! I wasn’t kidding when I said music can get our hearts pumping.
This is truly just scratching the surface of the benefits that music, in general, has on our physical and mental health. If I were to list all of the benefits this would quickly turn from a blog post to an academic article.
Combining an art form that is so useful by itself and focusing that energy into therapy only boosts the efficacy of these health benefits. Let’s take a look at how music can be combined with therapy to gain a deeper insight not only into your mental health but into music as a whole!
Songwriting - Sometimes it can be difficult expressing your emotions to a therapist using traditional talk methods, many people have found it much easier to write down lyrics for a song, improvise, or sing their thoughts to express their emotions instead. Speaking of which:
Singing Along - Not the best at writing lyrics? Don’t worry: Not only do music therapists help you get your creative juices flowing, but we’re also here to work with you. Sometimes it’s easier to sing along to music that already has lyrics that you relate to instead of writing down something new.
Banging out the Tunes - Music has come a long way since the time of Gregorian chanting, we now have these fancy things called “instruments”. Silliness aside, music therapy isn’t just singing, we like having instruments to play as well. Music therapy can even help clients who don’t have a voice, are non-verbal, or are still discovering what their voice means -- But that’s a blog post for another time. Music therapists love playing for you to sing along with, or help you learn your own songs on guitar, piano, or any instrument! I personally offer my clients therapeutic music therapy piano lessons and voice training!
Dance - You might not think that dance has anything to do with music therapy, especially because Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) exists! While DMT is wonderful, it explores and interprets how people’s bodies move based on the principles of dance; Music therapists interpret movement through how the music helps you move! Music therapy and movement can be a good approach for improving motor function and balance.
This isn’t an exhaustive list of what we offer, but rather a tiny insight into how music therapists approach music in a typical session. When we ask you to share lyrics that you’ve written or lyrics that you relate to, we explore what that means to help you overcome your difficulties. While it’s difficult to talk about some heavy topics, it may be easier for you to show a song you relate to as a jumping-off point for discussion instead.
Furthermore, something that we all struggle with is confidence and being vulnerable. Our job as music therapists is to create an environment for you to feel comfortable to express yourself not only musically, but emotionally as well. With music these feelings can arise as well: Sometimes people feel a bit insecure about sharing your singing voice or lyrics they’ve written. No need to worry, I strive to offer my clients a safe space where they can explore themselves through the avenue of music.
Even if you aren’t musically inclined, music therapy has so much to offer! It’s my opinion that music has the power to heal the hearts of everyone, and it’s a principle that I live my life by. If you’re more interested in the effects of music therapy, what a typical session looks like with me, or are curious about the services I offer, feel free to contact me for a free consultation!