Music Therapy Examination Paper Example

Introduction

"Music may have different effects, based on listener characteristics: age, culture, medical conditions that affect hearing, musical aptitude, and experience. Other factors affecting music influence include elements of the music, means of delivery, setting, and active versus passive participation."

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Kathi J. Kemper

As human beings, music does play a significant role in identity, heritage, spiritual beliefs, culture and the strong beat touches the human soul. Music therapy on its part forms an expressive arts therapy that uses music to maintain and improve the psychological, emotional, social, and physical wellbeing of people. It makes use of the ability of human beings to simultaneously perceive music and connect hence facilitating their state of wellbeing. Under music therapy, human beings are facilitated with a sense of independence, confidence, communication, and self-awareness making them better understand their environment. People with multiple forms of disabilities or illness have often been the commonest users of music therapy though, anyone else whether sick or not can enjoy music therapy following its healing benefits. Thus, it is fundamentally right that music therapy is suitable for all human beings in their prevailing state since it expresses multiple aspects that assist in human normalization and attaining the state of wellbeing.

Music has been very well known and used as a therapeutic tool since it affects many brain areas. This critical idea behind music therapy in consideration of the nature of music and its diversity has continued to support it as an effective way of treatment for different problems both mental and physical. It all began during and after World Wars when hospitalized veterans were played for music as they travelled. Later, clinicians and doctors started to make discoveries that led to them realizing that indeed healing power of music. This was the initial stage music therapy was born, and various tests and studies followed to unearth its reality while creating awareness among others. This beginning was the basis for many other researchers through their studies to continue discussing the issue of music therapy.

Multiple studies have indicated that music therapy can influence all the five human senses and ensure they grow strong. Fundamentally, the crucial aspects improved by music therapy are cognitive skills, memory improvement, and lowering of agitation. For instance, children who have issues related to communication disorders undergo through structured sessions that ultimately improve their speech elements. With the help of guided imagery, music therapy creates a state of consciousness that is altered with the intent to uncover emotionally hidden responses and facilitate creative insight stimulation. Thus, with the help of music therapy, multiple responses are examined and discussed in a way that allows people to express themselves in socially accepted ways at the same time considering issues personally affecting them. Natural Standard research presents scientific evidence in which the use of music therapy is perceived useful in enhancing the mood, and relief of anxiety and stress. Thus, the idea behind the use of music therapy in quality life improvement is based on evidence where clinical interventions have been applied.

When applying music therapy on clients, music therapists aims primarily at improving the health of the client in multiple domains. These include emotional, social, motor, cognitive, educational, and communication where both receptive and active experiences of music are relied upon. Achieving treatment goals in music therapy involves re-creation, improvisation, composition, and discussion of music and deceptive methods. As significant qualitative and quantitative research literature on music therapy back its appropriateness in assisting in gaining quality life, those in the field continue to make discoveries that support other benefits associated with music therapy. It is in this context that multiple hospitals have adopted using music therapy to manage pain among patients, promote movement, lower depression, ease muscle tension, and patient calming among other many associated benefits.

Aims of the dissertation

Considering evidence presented by case studies on the effectiveness of music therapy, it has become a common mode of treatment used within all health settings. The usage of music therapy in treatment, however, seems to be gaining speedy momentum as the demand for music therapist continues to increase. Though little has been understood by many people especially the perceived patients who suffer multiple physical and mental issues, there is a need for people to understand how effective this form of treatment operates. It is in this line that this study aims to evaluate the significance of music therapy in the context of being an imperative tool to elevate the general wellbeing of humans.

Chapter Plans

Chapter 1: What is music therapy?

Due to music therapy as the emerging field of study in the health sector, many researchers seem to have continued to make discoveries extending the branch of music therapy. However, the essential thing is that, despite the disparities, the definition of music therapy relatively entails common aspects. According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy is defined as using music to address multiple issues related to emotional, cognitive, and social context amongst people of all ages. Usually, the involved person is a professional who has been credentialed and confirmed to have completed an approved music therapy program. The most typical people to use music therapy are ill and disabled groups though everyone is at liberty to apply this kind of treatment if found suitable for one's use to gain health stability. The idea was developed following observation of the pattern of making and listening to music which confirms to providing a communication channel and expression beyond words. Thus, this definition provides that music therapy is both clinical and evidence-based. The identified interventions of music are used to allow an individual to accomplish goals through a therapeutic relationship.

Who are involved in music therapy?

Usually, when applied, music therapy can involve an individual client or a group of individuals. The process entails multiple ranges of activities starting with listening to music, drumming, guided imagery, playing the instrument, writing and singing songs. Thus, the range of activities involved in music therapy makes it believe that all people of all ages are legible for music therapy whether they are tone deaf or virtuosos, having some illness, and those who are fully healthy. This is because any client will undertake specific activities that will facilitate the health process. In practice, when involved in music therapy, then all aspects of the body, mind, behavior of a person, and brain are touched. For instance, in the case of the intellectually disabled clients, it is best if painting therapy is used in particular to a specific problem. Otherwise, it is still okay to use music therapy in this case to improve memory ability. By the intervention considering all these aspects, it is evident enough that these aspects are interconnected, interrelated, and work in cohesiveness and the output of all of them is the behavior displayed by an affected individual. Thus, it is observed that music has the power of providing a distraction for the mind, alter the mood of a person and lower body rhythms changes which will reflect the behavior a person indicates.

What does a music therapist do?

Music has intuitive aspects which require that music therapist looks upon it in music therapy to back the clients and ensure the environment and the society around them is supported. This support should not be limited to specific age or abilities but rather all and different ages and abilities at all life stages. This means the process needs to start as early as possible and ensure all that is required to be achieved is ultimately achieved. First, music therapy context involved creating a therapeutic relationship between the music therapist and the client. In this state where that relationship has been established, it becomes easier for the therapist to identify individual aspects such as cognitive, and emotional to help address them. This relationship often allows successful music therapy sessions of interaction between the therapist and the client. In a case where the stress-free environment and interactive situation is created, the client is placed in a position perceived suitable for him to express his emotions and feelings. This is usually crucial for a treatment process that ought to be the success with the help of instrument of music therapy.

The effectiveness of music therapy often is delivered by music therapists who are well trained and certified to work in different healthcare conditions as well as educational settings. It is essential that music therapists have knowledge and skills that allow them to offer treatment intervention even in most severe conditions and clients with all health issues. The most frequent cases of clients attended to by these therapists are those having emotional health issues including depression, anxiety, stress, and grief. Therapist as well as normalizes those who undergo traumatic head injury, stroke, or have had chronic conditions and help them address the rehabilitative needs. This usually occurs in sessions designed based on multiple considered factors such as the communication abilities of the client, physical health, interests of the patients, cognitive skills, and the emotional wellbeing.

Which process?

Music therapy is like any other treatment where the physician has to understand the history of the disease the patient is suffering. For a music therapist, identifying all these factors allows in weighing them along with the goals to be achieved throughout the entire treatment process. It is through this process that the accumulated information allows the therapist to decide on whether to employ receptive or creative process. Any of the process applied by the therapist needs to address the various needs and the abilities of the client. In the creative process, the two involved people, music therapist and the client work together actively to produce music or create one. The involved activities may be drumming, improvising song or composing a song. However, in the receptive process, the therapist experiences of music listening which include making the client relax to allow them to discuss thoughts and feelings.

Conclusion

An examination of music therapy identifies multiple health professionals who try to discover what music therapy entails and make a comparison with other forms of therapy. The outcome of it all indicates that the only difference music therapy possess is the use of music as an element of creating a therapeutic situation and relationship. Extensively, music therapy considers the important aspects of human beings such as social, cognitive, and emotional aspects that music tends to address with the intention of achieving normalcy in a client. Music therapy is considered effective in a situation where a trained and certified music therapist is involved. The need to have a qualified person is facilitated by somebody who can apply both the creative and receptive process of administering music therapy. It is however essential that the therapist understands the interests, weaknesses, and abilities of...