By Grace Dawson

According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy is “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.” This more formal definition requires a bachelor’s degree from one of the AMTA’s approved institutions, but a less formal definition of music therapy goes beyond the clinical definition.

The effectiveness of music has been proven to help many groups of people, from children to refugees. Music provides sensory input that helps people process emotions in a healthy way, and has been proven to be as effective as the “usual” psychotherapy treatment.

We would like to establish a common understanding of music therapy throughout the Plymouth community. To achieve this goal we will research and observe courses on campus that relate to our mission. We will also interview and analyze different faculty members’ experiences with music therapy to obtain a more well rounded understanding of Music Therapy as a valuable contribution to quality education.