MUSIC THERAPY IN THE NEWS
Amy Hourigan, a music therapist in Muncie, IN was recently interviewed for
the Ball State Daily News Online page. Amy completed her internship at
Bi-County Services in Bluffton, IN with Karel Decker.
MUSIC THERAPY IN THE NEWS
Sharon Boyle, MM, MT-BC, Associate Professor at St. Mary of the Woods was recently interviewed for the TribStar, the local newspaper in Terre Haute, IN.
http://www.tribstar.com/archivesearch/local_story_364111732.html
MUSIC THERAPY IN THE NEWS
Not the Same Old Song: From TherapyTimes
04.06.07
Since the ancient Greeks put an emphasis on the arts and sciences, people have been fascinated with the way music influences the mind and body. Not only can it alter the way we think, routine playing and focused practice can strengthen and hone the way the body works as well.
“Most of what we work on isn’t musically related,” she
says. “We don’t work on playing the instrument well, we work on it for the range
of motion when playing the instrument.”
That does not mean the music itself is not a factor in the therapeutic process.
While music therapy is a fairly young discipline, professionals can incorporate
music into their program based on their patients’ preferences and needs.
Music therapy’s extensive applications make it a versatile treatment, be it with
developmentally delayed children or for rehabilitation purposes, says Debra
Cordell, assistant professor of music therapy.
“You can help teach different concepts through music,” she says. “Music can
teach cooperation skills, taking turns—it really depends on the client.”
Music therapy students are required to participate in six practicum placements,
ranging from the newborn ward of the Evansville-based St. Mary’s Hospital to a
special education classroom at McGary Middle School in Evansville, where they
learn how to apply what they learned in the college classroom to a professional
setting.
Mary Ann Wylie, associate professor of music and department chair, has worked in
the field for 26 years. She says the program has two primary objectives.
“The overriding goal is to prepare our students for their future professional
work as music therapists and training our students so they have musicianship,
leadership and therapeutic skills when they leave here,” Wylie says.
According to the American Music Therapy Association, musicians traveled around
the U.S. after the wars of the early 20th century to comfort soldiers who
suffered from physical and emotional trauma. When scientists and researchers
realized the positive effects of these amateur music therapists, their findings
generated a movement to formalize the discipline to provide a safer environment
for patients and discover more effective ways to orchestrate therapy sessions.
The field has since developed and diversified, with music therapists working
one-on-one with their clients and adjusting their approach to fit their clients’
needs.
“You basically find their needs and prescribe the music accordingly,” Cordell
says. “It’s very client-specific.”
Although music therapy students are highly trained musically, there are other
qualities necessary to their success. For example, students must accustom
themselves to working with people with handicaps and other difficulties they
might never have faced before.
“We try to be a good role model for students so they learn to observe keenly and
be patient to get the response they want to occur,” Wylie says. “To be flexible
and respond in the moment is a key skill they have to have.”
Source: University of
Evansville Crescent
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Celeste Chapko is a music therapist who primarily uses music improvisation in her work with children with special needs. Read an article from Healthy Life magazine published in Spring 2006 here:
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Music therapist Ann Hannan was one participant (pictured) in a pilot study on the use of music videos to improve the coping skills and hope of children, adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer. See the article about this pilot study here:
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Music therapist Tracy Richardson provides music therapy services on the oncology unit of Union Hospital in Terre Haute, Indiana, made possible through a special grant that was established in honor of a former patient who found music a great comfort during her illness. See more information here:
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To view an article published in the Tribune Star newspaper in December 2005
which includes an interview with Assistant Professor of Music Therapy at SMWC
about the use of music therapy with patients with Alzheimer's Disease, go to:
http://www.tribstar.com/siteSearch/apstorysection/local_story_364111732.html
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To view an article published in the Indianapolis Star highlighting music therapy as "Number 2 on the 5 vital health jobs list." This article features Jan Schreibman.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060920/BUSINESS02/609200443/1117
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GRANT AWARDED TO METHODIST HOSPITAL MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM
Jan Schreibman and Eva Rudisile were recently awarded a grant from the Clarian Health Values Fund for the Integration of Spiritual and Religious Dimensions in Health Care. This grant will help support a music therapy program on the Children and Adolescent Behavioral Health Unit at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, IN.
The objective of this project is to help children and adolescents understand the connections among emotions, thought process, behaviors, and spirituality. Music Therapy interventions will be used to foster insight and promote positive behavior changes.
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