Resources & references

Learn what music therapy is and how it can help individuals with cancer as per the American Cancer Society. Using a combination of music experiences and conversation, music therapy can help manage symptoms and process emotions among patients.

Read an article written by a music therapist on the ways that purposefully listening to music can help an individual. He describes his role as a music therapist and provides a case example of his work with an adult cancer patient in emotional processing.

Learn what music therapy is, who it benefits, and how it has been practiced in China throughout history. The article also includes quotes from Lin Sisi, a board-certified music therapist in China.

Click here to read about the research of Lin Sisi and other music therapists in China.

This research article provides an overview of music therapy’s beginnings and development in the field of autism in Argentina over the last 15 years.

Read an article exploring the use of music therapy for hospitalized children and, more specifically, the development and creation of heartbeat songs for families with a critically ill child, as a palliative measure. It also includes the description of the impact these songs can have, by featuring commentary from the parents of a baby who died.

Read how Nordoff Robbins music therapy helped a child with complex needs improve communication and self-expression, with testimonials from her mother and therapist.

Click here to watch a live Nordoff Robbins music therapy session.

Article in a magazine that states the benefits of music therapy for individuals going through bereavement. Information about goals of music therapy and certified music therapists (MTA) are provided. 

An interview with Mark Ettenberger, an experienced music therapist in Colombia. He describes what music therapy is, its benefits, how it can be applied clinically and how it can support early childhood development.

Click here to watch a video interview of Mark Ettenberger.

Read how music therapy has helped an older adult living with Alzheimer’s disease, with benefits that extend into his home care. Learn what music therapy is and how caregivers can use music at home to support their loved ones (includes a video, 4:15).

Music therapy offers a holistic way to help people of all ages manage pain. Learn how it can support goals such as improving mood, regulating emotions, and easing discomfort.

Read an interview with music therapist Jennifer Phillips and allied professionals in the field of music and medicine and expressive arts. Together, they discuss what music therapy is and the role of music in medicine and mental health. The interview is also available as a podcast).

Click here to watch the related video (52:08).

Read an article featuring an interview with Julie Dawn Reid, a music therapist, explaining how music therapy can be used and what it may look like with individuals in addictions recovery. A discussion of the risks of music in this population, especially due to the strong associations between certain types of music and substance use is also included.