Good morning,  

Over the past few weeks I've had a few conversations with families about what it is that we, as music therapists, do the rest of the week outside of class. Several families were surprised to find out that we work with people of all ages and abilities in group and individual settings. We work with young children in early intervention, school age children in various school districts and after school programs, adults and young adults with disabilities in group homes, seniors in rehabilitation or care environments, and people of all ages in their homes.

In a recent meeting, our team shared our individual 30 second pitch of what music therapy is so that we can easily convey what we do without the professional jargon.

Laura says, "Music therapy is the use of music to promote growth and wellness in people of all ages and abilities facilitated by a credentialed music therapist. Through active music making we can meet individual and group needs and transform lives."

Katie says, "Music therapy is the use of music by a credentialed clinician to attain musical and non-musical goals. The therapist uses music to focus on what is right for the client: wellness, speech and language, motor skills and movement, self-expression and other goals. Active music making between therapist and client, as well as listening and analyzing music, songwriting and other experiences can all be part of a session."

I say, "Music therapy is the use of music by a credentialed music therapist working with people of all ages and abilities to promote wellness, meet their needs, and transform lives in both individual and group settings."

We also now offer what we call our Drum Circle Plus. Music has been proven to improve brain functioning in the moment as well as over time, and when making music together, connections can be made and developed with others.  The Drum Circle Plus is useful for those suffering with illness or developmental challenges as well as perfectly healthy and neurotypical persons seeking a community experience for wellness and connecting with others.