Music Therapy Methods

Making up music while playing or singing

a pre-composed piece of music that is learned, performed, or reproduced into a music model; structured music activities

write songs, lyrics, or pieces, or create a musical product such as a video

a particular type of music experience used for assessment, treatment, and evaluation

client listens and responds to the experience silently, verbally, or in another modality.

a sequence of steps

negative reactions, group cohesion or meeting everyones needs, avoid activity in order to fufill your need, opening repressed issues therapist may not be prepared for.

perfectionion, fear of failure, and compromising

Keep it simple.
Not too much repetition.
Simple melodies with small intervals.
Stepwise motion.
Movements.
Leaving space for names, etc.
Simple Lyrics
Form=AA, AABA
Select Key

the client brings in a song to share about themselves. The focus is on them.

The therapist brings in a song and the client(s) project on to the song. The clients bring in their own meaning. In choosing, it is about what the group can bring to it. Provide a listening set-open slate to listen for meaning, message, or character.

Student introduces the song.
Demonstrates song in entirety
-enthusiasm
-clear and accurate pitch
-keep pulse on body
Isolate phrases
-starting pitch, cue given
Work with difficult phrases
Sing through entire song

1. Keep it simple
2. Match the character, mood, emotionality of the music to the lyric content
3. Use the natural prosody of speech to guide melodic rhythm
4. Pay attention to form
5. Experiment with harmonization

-clear tonal center
-stepwise motion and small leaps
-ascend toward a climatic point
-descend towards cadence
-ends on the 1st, 3rd, or 5th scale degree
-incorporate repetition of melodic fragments, motifs, and/or sequences

-age, development, comprehension
-action, mvt incorporate specific verbs
-build in space for names, other info
-use words of welcome or parting
-use repetition of key words or phrases
-build in opportunities for interaction with therapist and others

Know, introduce, demonstrate, break, repeat or correct, combine, sing, add accompaniment

the therapist restates the feelings and/or content of what the client has communicated and does so in a way that demonstrates understanding and acceptance.

concise responses which state the content of the client's utterances

mirroring back to the client in succint statements the emotions that are being communicated

a brief restatement of the main themes and feelings the client has expressed over a long period of conversation

reflective statements that join together in one succint statement facts stated by the client and how the client feels about them

the therapist asks questions or makes statements designed to elicit information from the client.

the therapist verbalizes or asks the client to verbalize how one aspect or issue of the disucssion relates to another, or how one of the ongoing client responses relates to another. Helps client to clarify and bring better understanding to experience.

the therapist asks questions or makes statements designed to clarify or verify information already provided by the client.

the therapist reviews a discussion or a therapy session and recapitulates the main events. Used to connect loose ends, consolidate experience, summary of main points.

the therapist offers possible explanations or meanings for the client's experience. Help with insight to client, model self-analysis, train them to interpret.

the therapist verbalizes how the client or group might appear, sound, or feel to an objective third party observer. To build self-awareness and self-reflection.

the therapist calls attention to discrepancies in the client between:
-what she thinks and says
-how she feels and says
-what she says and does
-her words and body language
-her self image and way others see her
-the way she lives and the way she would like to live

the therapist has the client switch to a level of consciousness that enables him/her to observe and react to what is going on at the moment. (refelective)

the therapist reveals something about him/herself to the client or group that relates directly to a client issue.

after making several reflective or summarizing statement, the therapist then goes beyond what the client said, taking the client's thought and verbalizations into a specific direction or making an interpretive connection. Good for decision making, action planning.

the therapist rewards the client or withdraws rewards in order to increase or decrease a particular behavior