Klarinet Archive - Posting 000134.txt from 1998/11

From: James.P.Reed@-----.net (James P Reed)
Subj: Re: [kl] music therapy
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998 16:42:34 -0500

Ann Chu wrote:

> I'm a college student looking for a possible major. I've been
> thinking about going into psychology and music for my majors and
> then doing some grad work in music therapy.
> Does anyone have any information about graduate programs in music
> therapy or about the field itself?
> Thanks!!

Ann

Try a couple of things:

1. Look up music therapy in the Encyclopedia of Associations - have a
reference librarian help you if you can't find it. Then contact the
association of music therapists for anything they can provide you.

2. Look up music therapists in your local yellow pages and contact them
to see what they have to say about education and training for music
therapists. Even check and see if any local mental health clinics or
hospitals have music therapists you could talk with.

3. Inquire in your college's music and psychology departments about
whether or not any graduates of those programs have gone into music
therapy and, if so, can you contact them.

4. Think through whether you have any interests in teaching, research,
performing, on in doing traditional therapy regarding possible graduate
programs.

5. Look into your colleges requirements and think about whether a
double major is better or majoring in one of the two subjects and
minoring in the other subject would better serve you in obtaining your
bachelors degree. A double major could take longer.

Psychology and music can be a delightful mix. Have you read any of the
following?
Psychology of Music by Carl E. Seashore (benchmark work)
Music & Your Mind by Helen L. Bonny & Louis M. Savary
Music, the Brain, and Ecstasy by Robert Jourdain
The Mozart Effect by Don Campbell (currently popular)
The Healing Energies of Music by Hal A. Lingerman
Music and the Mind by Anthony Storr (maybe a good starter)
Not all of these books are typical of music therapy as a field but they
cover a wide range of views about using music to heal. It may be
helpful to browse these and books directly about music therapy to get a
feel for the theory of the field.

Wishing you the best,

Jim Reed

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