MUSIC THERAPY

The International Music Therapy Association defines this activity as:“Music therapy is the use of music and/or its elements (sound, rhythm, harmony and melody) to promote and facilitate communication, relationships, learning, movement and expression, satisfying physical, emotional, mental, social and cognitive development of the boy or girl.It is considered a creative, non-verbal therapy, the process of which must be guided by a qualified and prepared music therapist. Music therapy, through the clinical use of music, seeks to activate physiological and emotional processes that stimulate decreased or deteriorated functions and enhance conventional treatments.

Forms of music therapy according to the type of musical experienceMusic therapy can be done in 4 different ways depending on the type of musical experience needed:

1. Improvisation The patient creates his or her own music by singing or playing an instrument provided.
2. Recreation A song is sung or a piece of music already composed is played, from memory or by reading the music.
3. Composition A song or piece of music is composed based on known musical structures.
4. Listen Listen to already created music that is recorded or live.

 

 

 

It must be differentiated that a music therapist is not a music teacher, that is, a music therapist is not exclusively a person with extensive musical education, but goes much further. Music therapy is not musical education, since music is not the end, but rather it is a means to produce changes in the individual.

Some of the goals we may work on with our pediatric patients and their families include:
• pain management• reduction of stress and anxiety• management of nausea and discomfort• support before, during, or after medical procedures• normalization of the hospital environment• promoting opportunities to socialize and interact with others• opportunities for emotional expression• promote positive means of coping• facilitate rehabilitation• bonding opportunities between patients and families• greater relaxation and less agitation• improvement of quality of life• creating opportunities for legacy development• comforting care

Benefits of music therapy

The effects of music on the evolution and life of man have been undeniable since ancient times. Music has been a means of non-verbal expression and communication throughout much of human history with motivational and emotional effects, that is, the use of music as an element for changing human behavior is not something new.
Music produces beneficial effects on the sensory, cognitive, and motor systems (in a sedative or stimulating way), it stimulates creativity, thinking, language, learning, and memory. It is a pleasant and pleasant stimulus for the brain that also helps with relaxation, an effect known from stimulation even within the mother’s womb or prenatal stage.
The benefits that music therapy provides are numerous. Among them are:
At a cognitive level: increased learning capacity, improved orientation, increased attention and concentration capacity, and stimulation of communication and language;
On a physical level: maintenance of joint mobility, muscle strength, relaxation, and reduction of anxiety levels;
At a socio-emotional level: increased social interactions, improved social skills and self-esteem, and prevented isolation.

Choosing music according to the objectives of the therapy
The correct music must be chosen according to the objectives set in the therapy.
To choose one music or another, you have to take into account the different parts that make it up.
Among these parts are:
• Time, slow times convey calm and security while fast times are more exciting.
• The rhythm, as happens with time, can be slow and fast, the latter producing greater motor activity.
• Harmony, which is produced when several sounds sound at the same time and have to be consciously chosen according to the effect that is to be produced.
• The tone, intensity is a very important aspect to control since the volume at which we play the music must be an appropriate volume for the person.
• Instrumentation, the instruments used in the musical base are also important, for example, brass instruments tend to have a happy and fun character while string instruments are much more expressive and penetrating.


Music has beneficial effects on the evolutionary development of a boy or girl with or without disabilities from the prenatal stage until reaching adulthood. It is a form of expression and can be a form of communication and play with the family. It is creativity, joy, movement, imagination, and play. They are experiences and memories.

Music therapy sessions can be individual or group depending on the needs of each minor. You can also work with groups of fathers, mothers, and families. They can be developed in spaces specially enabled for this or in intervention centers, associations or hospitals.
As with other alternative therapies, it can be worked on numerous childhood problems but also on other problems or pathologies of adulthood or old age such as senile dementia and Alzheimer’s.