Resources & references

Read about a group music therapy program in Spain for adults with visual disabilities and blindness, targeting psychomotor and socio-emotional domains.

Music therapist Kevin Kirkland explains how he uses rapping to help persons with mental health and substance use issues to process their experiences and express themselves. 

Many young people experience social isolation during times of mental illness which can impact lifelong health outcomes. Supporting recovery involves addressing the social dimensions of mental health and promoting capacity for community engagement. A practice-based study was designed to explore how a pilot group music therapy project could support young people to bridge from mental health services into everyday community engagement. Results show that young people’s experienced of the group as a safe space that supported processes of coming together and constructing the social identity. The concept of scaffolding is offered as a useful way of considering how support may be structured.

This study investigated how a drumming experience influences students’ aggression and narrative experience as related to school violence. Participants were 15- to 16-year-old students from two classes in a men’s high school in a Southeastern city in Korea. The qualitative data indicated that group drumming may enhance self-esteem, assertiveness, emotional expression, anger management skills, cooperation, feelings of unity, empathy, and active listening skills.

This chapter describes the use of music technology as part of music therapy sessions at the Perkins School for the Blind. Diverse music therapy technology tools and their clinical use are described: voice output communication aids and switches, soundbeam device,  and music production softwares.