Resources & references

In this video series, Berklee College of Music Faculty Dr. Suzanne B. Hanser, a board certified music therapist, and Annette Philip, founder and director of the renowned Berklee Indian Ensemble, share simple strategies from the Berklee Online course "Music Therapy Techniques for Wellness" to help you enrich your mind, body, and spirit through music.

The aim of this study was to learn how music therapy sessions, held prior to the death of a loved one, impact spirituality in surviving caregivers of advanced cancer patients. Pre-loss music therapy can potentially assist caregivers during times of bereavement, as they retain memories of joy and empowerment, rather than memories of pain and distress, and find meaning through transcendence.

Read a bibliometric analysis of global music therapy research from 2000 to 2019. Results indicate that the overall trend in research is positive, and that the United States is leading in published studies.

This video features three people of various ages and needs, including a person living with Parkinson's disease, who have benefited from music therapy. It includes testimonials and shows music therapy experiences that addressed goals such as enhancing emotional expression, mood, movement, speech, cognitive functioning, and quality of life.

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.

The purpose of this investigation was to systematically review and analyze the existent music therapy literature addressing psychosocial needs of informal caregivers. Three categories were developed to sort and synthesize the literature including articles with interventions targeting joint informal caregiver (ICV) and care receiver (CR) participation, ICG specific participation, and CR specific participation. Most studies utilized an experimental design and incorporated a variety of active music therapy techniques in a group format or songwriting.

This study reviews research on rhythmic auditory stimulation, a neurologic music therapy technique that enhances gait in individuals recovering from stroke or living with Parkinson’s disease, or other neurological conditions.

This video provides music therapy live footage and testimonials of its impact in the life of children and their parents. It documents music therapy with young children within a developmental approach. 
It documents the approach and the work of Jennifer Puckett, MT-BC.

This research article studies the effects of music therapy for patients with a terminal illness who are receiving end-of-life care within a family context. It studies the impact that music therapy can have on patients' immune system, quality of life, quality of sleep, and anxiety and depression levels.

Written by experienced American music therapists, this book explores how music therapy can enhance the quality of life for older adults, including those with physical impairments, Parkinson’s, stroke, or dementia. It also offers strategies for caregivers to use music in supporting physical, cognitive, emotional, and social well-being.

Music therapist Concetta Tomaino explains how she uses music therapy to help older adults living with dementia to enhance cognitive stimulation, emotional support, physical abilities, and overall wellness.

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This article describes music therapy services offered at the adult psychiatry department of the Montreal General Hospital.