Music Therapy

“ My child loves music therapy – it gave him a new way to communicate. He is now more aware of the world around him…..more interested in people and things”

Hertfordshire Music Service launched its Music Therapy Service in May 2003. The Music Therapy Team provides a vital service across the educational spectrum. This provision caters across the county for pre-school children with autism/communication difficulties, children in special and mainstream schools and also young people within the looked after children service.

Schools currently buy in the service from the Music Service, accessing a half or whole day’s music therapy for their setting.

A Music Therapy Service is available to parents of individual children
on a self-referral basis (more information). This service is available at a number of the Music Centres across the county, depending on the availability of music therapists.

What is Music Therapy?
Aims of Music Therapy
Who are Music Therapists?
Music Therapy in Educational Settings
Individual or Group Work?
Music Therapy and Autism
Frequently Asked Questions about Music Therapy
Contact us about Music Therapy

What is Music Therapy?

Music therapy has been shown to be an effective intervention in children with a wide range of needs. It is an interactive, primarily non-verbal therapeutic intervention. It provides a process through which children can express themselves, become more aware of their feelings and interact more easily. Music therapy can provide new insights into a child’s functioning.

In music therapy sessions, interactive music is spontaneously created by the child and therapist based on improvisation. Children do not need any musical training or experience in order to benefit from music therapy. The musical instruments provided are all accessible to everyone and usually include a selection of tuned and untuned percussion instruments and a keyboard/piano. The therapist will usually bring his/her own instrument as well.

The therapist seeks to form a musical relationship with the child through the shared use of sound. All types of communication – vocal sounds, movements, facial expression and instrumental playing - are supported and responded to with music or words. This musical relationship can be the basis for new experiences of interacting, leading to development and change.

Music therapists work with children and young people of any age, in both special and mainstream schools, and with a range of special needs, such as:

• Learning difficulties
• Communication difficulties, including autism
• Emotional difficulties
• Behavioural difficulties
• Attachment disorders
• Children who have suffered abuse or trauma
• Physical difficulties

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Aims of Music Therapy

These are tailored individually to each child, but might include:

• Increasing communication, interaction and self-expression
• Developing peer group and self-awareness
• Providing emotional support
• Developing skills such as listening, sharing and turn-taking
• Developing co-ordination and motor control
• Increasing self-confidence and building self-esteem

Music Therapy thus contributes to a child’s overall development.

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Who are Music Therapists?

Music Therapy is a postgraduate entry level profession. Most therapists have first completed a degree in Music, or sometimes psychology or another relevant degree. They subsequently train as music therapists by undertaking a Masters level qualification in Music Therapy. Music Therapy is one of the Creative Arts Therapies and all therapists are State Registered with the Health Professions Council, which ensures their competency to practise.

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Music Therapy in Educational Settings

Music Therapists in educational settings are able to undertake assessments for ongoing individual and group sessions. They are able to advise as to the suitability of individual children for individual or group therapy.

Music Therapists will also:

• Liaise with other professionals
• Liaise with the child’s parents/carers
• Provide written assessment and annual review reports
• Attend reviews/case meetings where appropriate
• Share information with staff about the process of music therapy

Music Therapists are able to undertake up to 6 sessions per day, including individual and group work.

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Individual or Group Work?

Music Therapy sessions are predominantly based on individual work, because the majority of children referred have difficulties which are best supported within the security of a one to one therapeutic relationship.

Group sessions are offered to children whose needs are primarily centred on   difficulties with social interaction, peer group awareness and deficits in listening and turn-taking skills. Children attending group sessions may also have difficulties with self-expression and confidence within group environments, such as the classroom setting.

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Music Therapy and Autism

Music Therapy is an effective intervention when working with children with autism. It can help to stimulate development of communication/social interaction/imaginative play – the ‘triad of impairments’ in children with autism. Early intervention is vitally important for these children and music therapy is best begun at the pre-school stage, although it is still very appropriate for older children. 

The support offered by the therapist is predominantly on a one-to-one basis. The therapist responds to movements / vocal sounds / instrumental playing led by the child, incorporating them into a musical context: by developing a relationship through spontaneous music making, the child can explore new ways of relating, leading to development and change.

Important points to note –

• The use of (musical) sound as an expressive medium predates the acquisition of language.

Children can experience meaningful communication with the music therapist through vocal and instrumental sounds before they have developed formal language.

Making sounds with musical instruments offers a non-verbal means of communication and self-expression.

Children can create musical self-portraits through the music being improvised with them and there is a direct connection between their needs/difficulties and this music. Thus music therapists experience the music improvised with a child as the expression of that child’s self at that moment.

• A wide range of feelings may be experience in response to musical sounds in sessions, whether improvised or pre-composed.

The music therapist is able, via clinical improvisation techniques, to reflect musically the emotions that a child may be feeling. This helps a child to develop experiences of emotional self-expression – a central difficulty for children with autism.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Music Therapy

Q1: How is Music Therapy different from other music that happens in school?

Music therapy is a branch of the Arts Psychotherapies so we use music as the basis for a therapeutic relationship with the child, rather like in counselling, but using music rather than words. This form of therapy is especially valuable for children who either have difficulties with verbal communication or who would not feel comfortable using counselling. Sessions are thus confidential.

Q2: Why are sessions confidential and will there be any feedback to the staff team?

Because music therapy is a form of psychotherapy, children form a relationship with the therapist based on trust and security. This enables them to work with personal and emotional difficulties which they may be experiencing. Children need to know that their session time is private and will not be interrupted. Sessions are usually individual, working on a 1:1 basis with the therapist in order to build this trust. An assistant is usually present with group sessions.

The music therapist will always feedback general aspects of sessions to the staff team and obviously any details of child protection concerns, in line with school child protection policy. Reports are written for annual reviews. Parental consent forms are signed before therapy begins.

Q3: Will you be part of musical activities in class?

Some music therapists are also qualified teachers and, if asked, may feedback musical ideas which they have used in structured groupwork. However, our role in school would not normally include input into the music curriculum.

Q4: Will the pupil learn musical skills?

The role of the music therapist is to form a musical relationship with the child, rather than teach musical skills. However, improvised music making forms an essential part of this process and children usually gain confidence and improved co-ordination, listening and rhythmic skills – all essential musical skills.

Q5: What happens if a pupil is away – will you see someone else instead?

No, because of the psychotherapeutic nature of the work. It usually takes a number of weeks to form a trusting relationship with a child, and for the therapy work to really begin. Therefore, it is not appropriate to work with a pupil on a ‘one-off’ basis. However, the therapist’s role in school also includes liaising with staff, observation in class, reading background material and writing notes and reports. These activities can all be done when a pupil is absent.

Q6: How long would you work for with each child?

Individual sessions are usually about 30 minutes. Group sessions may be slightly longer. Note writing follows each session. Music Therapists would usually work for a minimum of two terms for individual work, possibly one term for more structured group work. Therapists will undertake up to six sessions per day.

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Contact

For more details about Music Therapy and the Hertfordshire Music Therapy Service, or to arrange an informal visit, please contact Jennie Small: either by phone 0777 606 8361, or email jennie.small@hertscc.gov.uk

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