Music therapy is an evidence-based clinical practice, author argues

Music therapy is gaining renewed attention across clinical spaces as practitioners advocate for its structured integration into patient care. In a column published in The DO, an author with a background as a board-certified music therapist argues that the profession is frequently misunderstood as mere entertainment rather than an evidence-based clinical practice.

The Growth of Board-Certified Practice

The column outlines the professional journey of the author, who completed university coursework and 1,200 hours of clinical training before passing a board exam to earn the music therapist-board certified credential in 2014. The author notes that the number of credentialed practitioners in the United States grew from 6,323 at the start of that career to over 10,600 by 2025.

Working initially in a pediatric hospital, the author frequently had to explain the distinct difference between playing recorded music for relaxation and delivering targeted clinical interventions. Physicians occasionally assumed the service was packaged with pet therapy or volunteered visits, requiring daily explanations of how music interventions address specific patient needs.

Clinical Applications in Hospital Settings

The essay describes various healthcare applications where music therapists assist patients. Nurses can utilize recorded music to calm agitated individuals, while speech-language pathologists harness the neuroprocessing of melody and rhythm to aid in aphasia recovery. Psychotherapists also tap into limbic responses to help clients articulate difficult emotions.

Specific interventions cited in the text include working with a child with cancer to write and record a farewell song for family members, singing to a crying infant experiencing neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, and engaging a teenager by listening to and playing music when they refuse to speak.

Defining Non-Musical Goals for Patients

The column defines the profession through its focus on treating non-musical goals using evidence-based music interventions within a therapeutic relationship. Healthcare workers often relate to the concept of music for non-musical goals because it directly aligns with patient care outcomes.

Examples of structured interventions include guided imagery and progressive muscle relaxation to reduce pain perception, and rhythm entrainment to match and slow a patient’s heart rate or breathing. Other applications involve group instrument-passing sequences for children with autism to encourage social interaction, and familiar songs paired with sign language to support communication for patients with dementia.