Music Therapy and Therapeutic Music
One of the missions of Music Blooms Music Therapy, LLC has been promoting and clarifying the music therapy profession throughout the state of Vermont.
One issue that came up for our practice, following the tremendous interest in the movie Music Alive, was clarifying the difference between board certified music therapists and other music related professionals like Certified Music Practitioners, Harp Therapists, Sound Healers, etc. Our practice hosted a gathering last fall with several professionals from various disciplines that use music in healing to discuss our commonalities and differences. This was a meaningful exchange! We will continue this effort to clarify our profession.
This week, our end of week advocacy article highlights the difference between Therapeutic Music and Board Certified Music Therapy. The writer does a nice job discussing both and how important many different approaches with music are in the elder population. Please enjoy this article! Here is a great quote:
“A music therapist certification requires a four-year degree, and they work with patients at the bedside using music to help achieve a medical outcome,” Tamarkin explained. With therapeutic music, “the patient can be passive. We can work with people in comas, or with premature babies. Comparing the two is a bit like comparing a physical therapist — the music therapist — to a massage therapist, which is comparable to a therapeutic musician.”