What is Music Therapy?
Music therapy is a credentialed healthcare profession in which board-certified practitioners use music interventions—including improvisation, songwriting, instrument playing, receptive listening, and lyric analysis—to address therapeutic goals within a clinical relationship. It is a clinical, evidence-based practice that uses music interventions to achieve specific therapeutic goals such as improving communication, reducing anxiety, enhancing memory, or developing motor skills. The bachelor’s degree requires 1200 hours of clinical training, including a supervised internship. Upon completion of the bachelor’s degree, music therapists are eligible to sit for the national board certification exam to obtain the credential MT-BC (Music Therapist - Board Certified), which is granted by a separate, accredited organization, the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT).
Unlike passive listening to music for relaxation, music therapy involves targeted, individualized treatment delivered by professionals trained in music, psychology, neuroscience, and clinical methods. Music therapy sessions look vastly different from simply putting on a relaxing playlist, as licensed music therapists use specific, evidence-based techniques tailored to each client’s needs, diagnosis, and therapeutic goals. It is used across diverse populations and clinical settings, from hospitals and rehabilitation centers to mental health facilities, schools, and hospice care.
Origins & Lineage
Long before the term “music therapy” was coined, ancient civilizations understood the healing power of music. In ancient Greece, music was used to ease stress, promote sleep, and soothe pain. Philosophers like Aristotle and Plato discussed the healing influence of music on the soul and body. Similarly, in ancient Egypt, China, and India, music was an integral part of healing rituals. Music therapy has been around since fifth and fourth century B.C., and it originated in ancient Greece. Aristotle (323–373 BCE), in his famous book De Anima, wrote that flute music could arouse strong emotions and purify the soul.
The modern profession emerged far more recently. The earliest known reference to music therapy appeared in 1789: an article in Columbian Magazine titled Music Physically Considered. A scientific basis for music therapy only emerged after World War II and the term “music therapy” was introduced in about 1950. The aftermath of both World Wars saw music being used extensively to treat soldiers suffering from shell shock (now known as PTSD), which led to a deeper investigation into the clinical benefits of music.
In the United States, the establishment of the National Association for Music Therapy in 1950 and the American Music Therapy Association in 1998 were significant milestones. Predecessors, unified in 1998, included the National Association for Music Therapy founded in 1950 and the American Association for Music Therapy founded in 1971. These organizations played a crucial role in standardizing the practice, education, and certification of music therapy.
How It’s Practiced
Music therapy methods fall into two main categories: active approaches where clients create music themselves, and receptive approaches where clients engage with music selected by the therapist. Active music therapy puts instruments, voice, or digital music tools directly in the client’s hands. This category includes improvisation, songwriting, instrument playing, and vocal exercises.
Receptive techniques include guided listening, music-assisted relaxation, and specialized approaches like the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music. The Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) System of Techniques is a standardized evidence-based clinical treatment system of 20 techniques that is driven by advances in applied auditory music neuroscience and the clinical understanding of music perception, production, and cognition. The NMT System targets specific functional behaviours in the areas of cognition, sensorimotor, and speech and language based on a client’s diagnostics and treatment goals.
The literature demonstrates that music therapy and music-based interventions can improve motor function—particularly gait and upper limb coordination—as well as speech production, while also reducing anxiety and enhancing participation. Techniques such as rhythmic auditory stimulation and melodic intonation therapy have shown promise in targeting movement and communication deficits.
Music Therapy Today
Today, music therapy is practiced in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, psychiatric facilities, special education schools, nursing homes, hospice programs, and private practice settings. It’s facilitated by a credentialed music therapist and often takes place in hospitals, schools, mental health centers, or rehabilitation clinics. Sessions are individualized based on comprehensive assessments and documented treatment plans with measurable outcomes.
AMTA serves as the primary organization for educating the public, establishing education and training standards for music therapists, publishing and disseminating music therapy research, providing resources for ongoing continuing education of music therapists, and working to ensure those who need music therapy get quality services. It focuses on the advancement of clinical practice, research and ethical standards in the music therapy profession.
Music therapy is increasingly covered by insurance, Medicaid, and veterans’ benefits in many jurisdictions. Research continues to expand the evidence base across conditions including autism spectrum disorder, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke recovery, chronic pain, and mental health disorders.
Common Misconceptions
Music therapy is not simply listening to calming music or attending a concert for wellness. In music therapy, the therapeutic relationship informs the musical experience, while in sound healing, the experience of the sound is primary. Music therapy is a clinical, evidence-based practice that uses music interventions to achieve specific therapeutic goals. These might include improving communication, reducing anxiety, enhancing memory, or developing motor skills. It’s facilitated by a credentialed music therapist and often takes place in hospitals, schools, mental health centers, or rehabilitation clinics.
It is also distinct from sound healing or sound baths. Sound healing is a holistic, vibrational practice rooted in ancient traditions. It uses steady tones and vibrations - often from instruments like singing bowls, tuning forks, gongs, or even the human voice to bring the body and energy field into harmony. Sound healing sessions may be one-on-one or in a group, often in wellness centers, yoga studios, or spiritual settings. Unlike sound healing, which often emphasizes spiritual and holistic traditions, sound therapy is grounded in scientific research and psychology.
Music therapy requires formal academic training, clinical internships, and board certification. No one can legally call themselves a music therapist without the MT-BC credential in jurisdictions with title protection. Musical talent or ability is not required to benefit from music therapy—the process, not the product, is therapeutic.
How to Begin
To find a board-certified music therapist, visit the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) registry at cbmt.org or the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) directory at musictherapy.org. Many therapists offer free consultations to discuss goals and determine fit.
For those interested in training as a music therapist, consult AMTA’s list of approved academic programs. The minimum qualification is a bachelor’s degree in music therapy from an AMTA-approved program, followed by 1200 clinical hours and passing the board certification exam.
Key introductory texts include Music Therapy: An Introduction to the Profession by William B. Davis, Kate E. Gfeller, and Michael H. Thaut, and Defining Music Therapy by Kenneth Bruscia. The Journal of Music Therapy and Music Therapy Perspectives publish peer-reviewed clinical research and are available through AMTA membership.