Mental health

One in five adults lives with a mental illness of varying degrees. For some people, it is mild and does not affect their daily lives. However, others suffer mental illnesses so severe that it is nearly impossible to function normally. Music therapy can enhance socialism, bring people together, and contribute to relationships (Grocke, et al.  2). Unfortunately, music therapy only provides immediate satisfaction as opposed to long term happiness. Nonetheless, the immediate benefits can alleviate a person’s feelings, even if it is just a short period of time. Additionally, the practices used in music therapy can be replicated, giving people a distraction from debilitating mental illnesses. The ability to recreate the immediate joys music brings is more powerful than may be perceived.
 

Development

Childhood is one the most critical times for development. Unfortunately, we live in a world where not all infants are born healthy. Some children spend a large amount of time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU, which creates a higher risk for developmental delays. While these infants are not going to be able to play a Beethoven Sonata anytime soon, music therapy is still beneficial to ensure developmental milestones are met. Music therapy is a chance for these kids to socialize, and enforce positive interactions with their parents. 

Aging Related Conditions

Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other age related conditions can cause a person to have a decrease in cognitive abilities, physical function, and quality of life, as well as depression. For some adults, depression can lessen the person's sense of positive reminiscence of life, also known as ego-integrity. However, without these positive recollections, a person may feel as though their lives were unsuccessful and may not be able to accept their unconditional mortality (Jo and Song 2). HaeKyung Jo and Eunju Song wrote about the effects of reminiscence therapy on elderly patients with dementia. Their research showed that reminiscence therapy was found to improve quality of life, feelings of accomplishment,
and led to a higher level of ego-integrity. Reminiscence therapy looks different for each individual. For some people, music therapy (or music integrated into reminiscence therapy) is the key to unlocking past memories and increasing quality of life.

In the video to the right, at 92 years old Elaine Lebar suffers from dementia. However, she is able to play the piano from memory, even after claiming she doesn’t know the piece. Lebar is just one example of how music has a profound effect on some people who suffer from dementia and other memory-related illnesses. 

Children's Music Fund

Children's Music Fund is a nonprofit organization that works to provide music therapy programs to children suffering from chronic illnesses in an effort to increase their quality of life. Children's Music Fund connects patients to music therapists, gifts instruments, and supports and conducts research on the integration of music in healthcare. 

Challenges to Music Therapy

Covid-19 has had a large impact on music therapy. With a new deadly virus traveling the globe, music therapy cannot occur in-person unless everyone is distanced and wearing a mask. While wearing a mask is not a big deal to most people, the overlying issue is that masks create a barrier than can hinder the desired results of music therapy. For many infants, facial expressions and seeing other children were a key element to why the children were receiving music therapy in the first place. Masks obstruct the face of the music therapist, and infants will likely not be gathering into the same room, defeating the purpose. On the other hand, many people with age related diseases struggle with short term memory. Since these people likely do not have a grasp of the pandemic, an abundance of masked individuals can be overbearing and confusing. Many hospitals and nonprofits are working around these barriers by delivering music therapy services over zoom. Not only does this allow the services to continue, but also allows the music therapist to be unmasked. This allows children and adults to continue to reap the benefits of music therapy.