Title

The Selection of Music Experiences in Music Therapy

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2018

Publication Source

Music Therapy Perspectives

Abstract

Music therapists select, design, and facilitate music experiences with clients’ primary health needs in mind. The focus of this article is the first step in this process—the selection of music experiences. The four music therapy methods, as defined by Bruscia (2014) (re-creation, composition, improvisation, and receptive or listening experiences), provide myriad variations through which a therapist might engage clients in musicking for therapeutic benefit. To determine which particular type of music experience will most benefit a client’s treatment process at any given time requires thoughtful consideration of a variety of factors and issues, including ethics, clinical efficacy, contraindications, orientation of the therapist and/or treatment facility, cultural awareness, and client preferences and readiness. The article concludes with a series of questions that therapists may find useful toward thinking through the general considerations presented as well as others specific to the needs of one’s clientele.

Inclusive pages

79-86

ISBN/ISSN

0734-6875

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Volume

36

Issue

1

Peer Reviewed

yes

Link to Full Text

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