Music therapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Music therapy - Essay Example Musical therapy is a health profession. It is an interpersonal process where the therapist, who is trained personnel, develops a relationship with his clients using music and all of its facets i.e. physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and aesthetic aspects, enabling them to improve their health. They use musical experiences such as singing, songwriting, and listening, free improvisation, discussing to music and even moving to music to improve the healing process. The health issues in subject consist of cognitive functioning, emotional and affective development, behavioral and social skills, motor skills and, the quality of life. Music therapists can work in general hospitals, psychiatric facilities, schools, prisons, community centers, universities, and training institutes. Music therapist is in the hospital setup; work hand in hand with the physicians, psychologists, physical therapists and the occupational therapists. Individuals of all ages and those with specific requirements such as the stroke, sensory impairments, communication disorders, cancer, psychiatric disorders, those in palliative care and those in rehabilitation centers (recovering from substance abuse) benefit a lot form music. Apart from the entertainment they get from the music, they also get relaxed, improve their learning, build their self-esteem, reduce stress, support physical exercise and get composed which improves the healing process. Music therapy has its history back in the biblical times when David played the harp to get rid of an evil spirit, which was in King Saul. In 400, B.C, the Greek father of medicine played music to his mental patients. Music therapy began after World War I and II, where musicians would travel to hospitals to play music to soldiers who suffered from war-related trauma. Aristotle himself described music as an energy that purifies the emotions. While music is an art with a strong connection with mathematics, music therapy is an art and a science. Introductio n Music therapy has a strong relationship with play, creativity, use of the whole personality and individual discovery of one self. In fact, Winnicott (2005, p.120) claims that It is in playing and only in playing, which the individual adult or child develops the ability to be creative and utilize the whole personality, and the individual discovers the self only in being creative. Â  This is all that makes music therapy different from other professions. The item one creates should have some value accompanied with it. There exist a relation between personal intelligence and creativity, and every session involves the client in some kind of music experience. The various sessions include improvising, re-creating, composing, and listening to music. In improvising, the client comes up with his/her own music and starts singing whatever arises now.