Music Therapy, as defined by AMTA is the “Clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.
After assessing the specific strengths and needs of individual patients, a therapist can provide musical treatment suggestions to heal issues with emotional, social, cognitive as well as physical well-being. Music therapy strengthens the patient’s abilities and talents to flourish in diverse directions of their lives. Involving oneself in activities like singing, dancing to the beats, creating music, or simply lending the ears to some charming tunes has been proven through research to enhance communication skills in people with hindered behavioral aptitude, and even to attain complete physical rehabilitation in severely injured or trauma patients. As we know, gripping music triggers a pleasurable influx of energy into our body and refreshes the mind. Biomedical researchers have found that music can be effectively used to train and counsel an injured brain to regain its optimal functionality. Research has shown that due to the parity in use of certain brain circuits for music and motor nerve controls, music acts as an excellent tool to improve movement in stroke victims or in Parkinson’s disease patients.
Advanced imaging and electrical recording techniques in present age allow us to understand how beautifully music can stimulate the brain areas that are responsible for memory, attention,auditory perception,building language skills, processing motor control sand processing executive controls. For a simpler pursuit of this knowledge — Broca’s area in the brain which is critical for translating thoughts into spoken words, is also involved in tracking musical rhythms. A person with a cognitive impairment, or an underdeveloped brain, or a degenerative neurological disease, can surely reap benefits with this magical property of music. Research has already proved that music therapy is an equivalent treatment approach, even a better alternative in cases of motor function disorders, speech irregularities & cognitive shortcomings. The next better edge to find possibly would be in enhancement of neuro-psycho-social condition of humans and also a musical treatment wherein complete rehabilitation of the injured and depressed brain tissues shall be achieved.
The renowned ancient philosopher Plato once said,”I would teach children music, physics and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.”
