Exploring the many forms music therapy can take
People often lump all kinds of therapy into a single category: therapy. To this day, plenty of people still see therapy as that thing you do when you’re sad, and all you do is sit and talk to someone across the room for an hour each week. Therapy, though, isn’t a monolith. There’s no such thing as a medical practice that works for everyone, and therapy is no different. There are an uncountable number of methods and tactics therapists can use to make their clients feel more healthy and stable.
While it’s really gotten popular in the last few years, the healing power of music has a long and interesting history, dating back to the writings of Plato, and music therapy has been around for more than a century to meet that demand. Like any form of therapy, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to music therapy. There is a wide variety of methods music therapists have at their disposal, and they range wildly in terms of musical ability and aim. For example: you don’t need to know how to play music to do music therapy, but you’ll have certain options if you can. That’s why it’s so important to find out what kind of music therapy is best for you!
Generally, when people think of music therapy they specifically think of one form of receptive music therapy. The basic structure of receptive music therapy involves the therapist creating a personalized playlist for the client and running that person through each song. The usual idea of music therapy is just somebody sitting there listening to music, which has its benefits, but even something like receptive music therapy, which is on the simpler side of music therapy programs is so much more than only listening. Receptive music therapy can include:
If you want to look at it cynically, receptive music therapy is essentially just therapy with songs, but it differentiates itself from other, non-musical forms of therapy with the sheer amount you can do while listening to a song. You can respond verbally or silently. You can sit still, or you can express yourself with art and dance. Even at its simplest, music therapy is a highly diverse field.
While receptive music therapy has many facets, there are still plenty of benefits to just listening to the music. In patients with dementia, music can often be a strong mental exercise, linking those with memory issues to their pasts.
Analytical music therapy takes the ideas behind receptive music therapy to the next level. This kind of music therapy involves the therapist and client having a discussion about the meaning of a piece of music. Step one of music therapy is always the music therapist getting a good idea of the kind of music you like. Often, our favorite songs are the ones we resonate most with, and we tend to build these connections through lyrics. Analytical music therapy focuses on looking at music from a more openly emotional sense, taking a close look at lyrics and song construction to find out why it makes you feel certain ways.
Re-creation music therapy is the first kind on this list that could have some relation to skill. One important part of starting the music therapy process involves the music therapist learning what your current musical skill level is. The great thing about making music is its accessibility– anyone can do it as long as they have a song in her heart. Seriously speaking, though, re-creation music therapy is the process of making your own version of existing music.
You don’t need to be a professionally trained singer in order to sing your heart out. You don’t need to have a ton of experience with an instrument to produce a recognizable melody. Any amount of making music makes you feel better, so your individual skill level won’t lock you out of benefiting from re-creation music therapy.
The specific music the client makes is also a bit up in the air. Sometimes the music therapist will choose a song you already have plenty of experience with, and sometimes the song will be brand new to you. It all depends on the issues that need to be addressed.
Sometimes, nothing is more freeing than letting loose and improvising something creative on the spot. Going in without a plan, especially when there are no stakes can often be the most freeing thing a person can do with music. Whether you’re a fan of instruments, vocal jazz, freestyle rap, or any other form of musical improv out there, your music therapist can help guide you through it.
This also doesn’t focus so much on skill. Sure, if you’re great at the guitar, then being able to throw something new into the world on an instrument you’re fully comfortable with is great. On the other hand, though, music therapists have plenty of other tools at their disposal. Sometimes, a music therapist will give their client a simpler instrument, like a ukulele or resonator bells. Percussion is also a great way to improvise music. Part of the music therapist’s job is interpreting the ways you may play music on the spot, even with an instrument you have no prior experience with.
So much of a goal of therapy is to build a feeling of freedom in the person being treated. For most people, it can be difficult to find the confidence to properly express yourself to a therapist. Improvisation gives people an often completely nonverbal way to show their feelings to a professional, who is specifically trained and picking up on the nuances of your improvised performance. On top of that, what could be more freeing than getting to play the music you want to with absolutely no restrictions? Improvisational music therapy is certainly one of, if not, the most liberating form of music therapy.
Once again, don’t be scared by how daunting the name “composition music therapy“ sounds. Sure, an intense understanding of music theory would probably help you write a complex, releasable song, but that’s not the point of music therapy. Composition music therapy, or less-dauntingly songwriting music therapy, is a type of music therapy that involves creating an original song with the help of your music therapist. Even if you’ve never touched an instrument in your life, everyone can still recognize that music is one of the best ways to express your emotions. This is the part of music therapy where your own creativity really comes to life. All you have to do, if it’s all you're really interested in, is brainstorm some lyrics that you, or possibly your music therapist, could perform.
If you are already pretty familiar with music, maybe you already consider yourself a musician or a songwriter, don’t worry — this isn’t just for people who are new to music. The composition and songwriting process begins and ends where you want it to. Maybe you don’t need any help from the music therapist in writing, a chord progression, a melody, a harmony, or any other part of your original piece. Personally, I love writing music, and I find it quite soothing. Part of your music therapy experience is making sure you’re doing as much music as you feel comfortable with. If you feel comfortable with more music than the average person, there’s nothing stopping you from getting more of that experience.
If the word “perform“ scares you, don’t worry. There’s no requirement for you to perform your original song anywhere outside of therapy. Of course, if you have the ability and maybe want to build your confidence in public speaking, you can always take what you write to an open mic. If not, you can just keep it for yourself. If you really wanted to, you could choose to never look at this song again. You have the choice of whether or not it’s recorded, too. It’s all up to you what you do with your original song.
With all these options, it may feel like it would be hard to choose. Luckily, you don’t really have to. What kind of treatment you get is all up to your music therapist. Of course, if any of these particularly jump out at you, you can bring them up to your music therapist and see how you could work them into treatment. If not, let your therapist figure it out like they’ve been certified to do.
