Music Therapy

Question 1

How does the Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) define music therapy?

Answer 1

It’s a research based practice & profession in which music is used to actively support people as they strive to improve their health, functioning & wellbeing

Question 2

How does AMTA extend their definition of music therapy?

Answer 2

Intentional use of music; draws on an extensive body of research; range of music making methods; different from music education/entertainment; supports people of any age/ability, regardless of musical skill, culture/background

Question 3

What distinguishes MT from education or entertainment?;

Who can benefit from it?

Answer 3

It focuses on therapeutic aims;

Groups, individuals, families & communities

Question 4

What is Bruscia’s definition of MT?

Answer 4

It’s a systematic process of intervention wherein the therapist helps the client to achieve health, using musical experiences & the relationships that develop through them as dynamic forces of change

Question 5

In the beginning, Aristotle was interested in…;
Plato was interested in…;
Aesclepladius prescribed music for people with what?

Answer 5

The effect of music on emotions (e.g. catharsis);
Balance of the mind & soul; believed music could empower (different modes had specific health benefits; e.g. dorian & phrygian scale for temperance & courage);
Mental illness (recommended lying in hammock & listening to soothing music)

Question 6

What did Caelius Aurelianus warn against;
What restrictions were made on music in the middle ages?;
What did Richard Browne write?

Answer 6

Indiscriminate use of music against madness;
Banning of the tritone (called the devil in music);
Medicina musica (first known book to articulate fundamental principles of MT)

Question 7

When did the therapeutic effects of music begin to be understood & extended?

Answer 7

In the 20th century with traumatised soldiers in WW1 & 2

Question 8

Where & when was the first University MT course set up?;

What year was AMTA formed?

Answer 8

1944 at Michigan State University;

1975

Question 9

Philosophically, which 3 main schools have influenced music therapy clinical practice?

Answer 9

Psychoanalytic (Freud); Behavioural (Skinner, Pavlov); Humanistic (Maslow)

Question 10

Who were the pioneers in Creative Music Therapy?;

What method plays a large part in their model?

Answer 10

Paul Nordoff & Clive Robbins in 1960;

Piano improvisation

Question 11

What are the current areas of MT practice in Australia?

Answer 11

Medical care; special education; residential settings; community programs; private practice; stress management/relaxation

Question 12

What areas is clinical work mostly focused in?

Answer 12

Pain management; psychosocial programs; developmental programs; anxiety reduction; rehabilitation; drug & alcohol; psychiatric disorders

Question 13

What can MT in neonatal units assist in?;

Music therapy has become part of the way the adolescent unit defines its…

Answer 13

Sedation; physiological stability; developmental stimulation; control auditory environment;
Model of care

Question 14

For patients with chronic illness, therapists need to understand them developmentally & psychosocially, & to present them opportunities to what?

Answer 14

Develop strong identities & experiences that promote positive coping strategies

Question 15

What did Daveson say in Empowerment: An intrinsic process & consequence of music therapy practice?

Answer 15

“Through the interplay of creativity & participation, both participants had the opportunity to experience a sense of togetherness & an open space in which to control their creativity & participatory intent”

Question 16

What do programs in nursing homes aim to achieve?

Answer 16

Reach people through music who are socially isolated; promote quality of life; bring people together (social interaction); cognitive & sensory stimulation (gentle exercise, reminiscence); reality orientation & validation; reduce agitation (dementia, Alzheimer’s)

Question 17

MT is used in palliative care settings to encourage what?;

What are some of the common methods used?

Answer 17

Life review; resolution of conflicts; integration of experiences & between family support;
Making CD of life review; song writing for: family members, about past experiences & to express emotions

Question 18

What are 3 types of community programs used in MT?

Answer 18

For older adults (part of program in respite care; brings people from different countries together, encourages motivation); Early intervention (children with difficulties, social/pre-academic/communication skills, physical stimulation); Community mental health (relating to others, motivation, wellbeing)

Question 19

What is the Bonny Method definition of Guided Imagery & Music (GIM)?

Answer 19

A music-centred transformational therapy using specific programmed music to stimulate & support a dynamic unfolding of inner experiences in service of physical, psychological & spiritual wholeness

Question 20

What are the 4 main music therapy methods?

Answer 20

Receptive; improvisation; creative/composing; re-creative/performing

Question 21

What benefits can improvisation have in a MT setting?;

What kind of clients can most benefit from this?

Answer 21

People can find a release for a wide range of feelings & emotions (can be used for individuals or in groups);
Those who need to develop spontaneity, a sense of identity, require opportunities for self-expression, emotional expression & non-verbal expression/communication

Question 22

What do creative techniques encompass?;

List some examples;

Answer 22

Any technique or musical experience where the music is composed;
Song-writing; writing melodies or sound effects to accompany a story; parodies; song augmentation/song collage; creating a musical play or work

Question 23

What kind of clients is song-writing commonly used for?

Answer 23

Hospitalised children (means of expressing & understanding their fears); adults dying of cancer (expressing feeling about life & death or parting gift to loved ones); drug & alcohol addicts (examining irrational fears & beliefs or documenting determination to change)

Question 24

What do re-creative techniques entail?;
What are the most common?;
What can this technique be most effective for?

Answer 24

Re-creating existing, pre-composed music with client or group;
Song singing or playing an instrument;
Building confidence; allows to demonstrate skills; self-expression; choice making; build cohesiveness in dysfunctional family or group; exercise (speech impairments)

Question 25

According to Bruscia, re-creative techniques are good for clients who need to…

Answer 25

Develop sensorimotor skills; learn adaptive behaviours; maintain reality orientation; master different role behaviours; identify with feelings & ideas of others; work cooperatively towards common goals

Question 26

What do receptive techniques involve?;

What can this technique be useful for?

Answer 26

Listening to music (may involve relaxation & movement to music);
Attentiveness; reflecting on feelings; reduce anxiety; increase relaxation in medical care/during procedures; heighten awareness & attention; improve awareness & auditory skills; educational lyrics can assist children in learning basic concepts

Question 27

What other benefits can music listening have?;
How can it assist psychiatric patients?;
What about with elderly individuals?

Answer 27

Can be arousing, energising & reassuring; evoke memories (emotional & psychological responses); regulate breathing patterns, heart rate, pulse; release muscular tension; impact on mood;
Brings ideas & thoughts to the surface that need to be examined & discussed;
Can facilitate structured reminiscence/review of their lives