I get a lot of emails from prospective music therapy majors, students researching music therapy, and from people who just want to find out more about the profession. So many that I’ve decided to compile the most common questions into one post.

Please feel free to respond/comment with any additional questions you may have and I’ll add them and my answers to the mix.

My Area of Focus: Children, adolescents and adults with special needs, At-Risk Youth
Main Instruments: Piano, Voice, Guitar & Drums
Programs attended: Utah State University (Bachelor’s of Science in Music Therapy), Colorado State University (Masters of Music in Music Therapy)

What education is required to become a Music Therapist?
A music therapist must complete an approved Bachelor’s program in Music Therapy, complete a 6 month 1040 hour clinical internship, then sit for the Board Certification Exam. After that training we receive the designation of a Board Certified Music Therapist, or MT-BC. There are also options for Master’s and Doctorate programs, however these are not required in order to practice as a Board Certified Music Therapist

What is the approximate salary for a Music Therapist?
According to the 2014 Survey data from the American Music Therapy Association, in the Western Region of the US the Average Salary for a Music Therapist is $55,297 The median is $50,000, and the range is $24,000 – $100,000

What are the major pros and cons to this career?
The biggest pro (at least for me) is that I LOVE what I do. I work primarily with children and there are honestly days that my face hurts from smiling so much. Music brings out so much in these kids and it truly makes a difference in what they are able to accomplish in so many different areas. I love seeing progress, connecting with people who may feel disconnected, and using music to do it all!

Cons are harder to think of…I would say that it can be difficult to find work unless you are willing to put yourself out there and create your own work, have a local job opening, or are willing to relocate to wherever there are opportunities. That said, I’ve been able to create my own private practice from the ground up–there are endless opportunities out there but you may have to create them yourself.

What is a basic job description and availability for this career?
A music therapist can work in a wide range of settings including schools, treatment centers, hospitals, group homes, assisted living facilities, prisons/forensics, rehabilitation centers, and private practice, to name a few. We also work with a wide range of populations and utilize different types of approaches with each population. While there are a range of music therapy paradigms, all strive to utilize music to bring about positive change for clients. For me personally, I have training in Neurologic Music Therapy and like to think about using music to help my clients develop functional skills such as improved receptive and expressive communication, improved gross and fine motor performance, increased cognitive development (attention, memory, academics), improve emotional regulation, and develop positive social skills.

There are currently 5-6,000 music therapists in the US. I’m not sure how many are full time, part time, etc., but we are a growing field and are definitely gaining more recognition as time goes on for the great work we do.

What drew you to the profession of music therapy vs another profession in the music field such as performing, teaching, etc?
I loved creating music all growing up with a major focus on the piano, and put together two different cd’s of my original work before graduating high school. However I was aware of the competitive nature of the music world and I felt that focusing only on my instrument and creating music might not fulfill my desires to connect with other people as much as I would like. However I did not want to find a field that was free from music–I didn’t want music to become a thing I did “on the side”. Rather, I wanted it to be a major part of my life but in a way that would allow me to interact with people on a daily basis in a very meaningful way.

Enter music therapy. What I loved most about the idea of music therapy was that I could use my gift of music to touch, change, and improve the lives of others in a significant way. I felt that all of my training prior to college equipped me with the unique skills I needed to be an effective therapist, and my desire to bless and uplift the lives of those around me was also met through this profession. Everything just seemed to fall into place.

What types of patients do I work with?
My main area of focus for the past 7 years as an MT-BC has been working with children, adolescents, and adults with special needs. It is truly my passion! I love seeing individuals come to life with music, seeing children begin to learn much needed social, emotional, and communication skills, helping individuals with motor difficulties begin to develop increased coordination, and really connecting with people on a level that is uniquely attributed to the music relationship.

I also have experience working with at risk youth, and love the expressive value of music as these teens learn to express and tap into their raw emotions. It is a very powerful tool as very teen connects with music, and finding the right way to use it with the individual is an exciting endeavor.

What types of patients can benefit from music therapy?
A music therapist can work in a wide range of settings including schools, treatment centers, hospitals, group homes, assisted living facilities, prisons/forensics, rehabilitation centers, and private practice, to name a few. We also work with a wide range of populations and utilize different types of approaches with each population. While there are a range of music therapy paradigms, all strive to utilize music to bring about positive change for clients. For me personally, I have training in Neurologic Music Therapy and like to think about using music to help my clients develop functional skills such as improved receptive and expressive communication, improved gross and fine motor performance, increased cognitive development (attention, memory, academics), improve emotional regulation, and develop positive social skills.

What are some of the most beneficial parts of using music as a therapeutic tool?
First and foremost, every person connects with and responds to music in some way. Because of that, there is a way to use music with ANYONE to bring about positive growth and change. Whether that mean active instrument play, music listening, skill acquisition (learning to play an instrument), improvisation, relaxation, songwriting, lyric analysis, movement to music, ,etc., there is something for everyone. Because music accesses the WHOLE brain (not just the right side as many are inclined to believe), it can tap into areas associated with a huge range of functions and help to maximize those areas to their greatest potential. Music directly impacts areas associated with speech and language, motor movement, sensory processing, auditory processing, executive functioning, emotional processing and development, attention, memory, and so many other functions. As a Music Therapist I am trained in how to maximize those various areas and help bring about positive change.

What are some of the challenges that come along in this type of profession?
One of the biggest challenges in my mind is that because there are so many types of individuals who can benefit music therapy, it takes a lot of additional work, study, and training to be fully equipped to help a wide range of populations. Many music therapists choose to focus on one or two populations (as I have done with special needs and at risk youth), however there are many who diversify and work with a wide range of individuals. Because music is used so differently in different settings, it can take a lot of practice and work to do each job well. However that is also one of the beauties of the profession–there are so many options!

I would also say that it can be difficult to find work unless you are willing to put yourself out there and create your own opportunities, have a local job opening, or are willing to relocate to wherever there are opportunities. That said, I’ve been able to create my own private practice from the ground up–there are endless opportunities out there but you may have to create them yourself.

Any particular success stories you would like to share?
I had one client who spent the majority of our session wandering the room–he seemed to have no source of motivation to communicate or interact. I presented everything I could think of: drums, pictures, kazoos, favorite songs, toys, books…but nothing seemed to bring him out of his own world enough to have a desire to communicate in our sessions. He wandered around making no eye contact or acknowledgement that he knew I was there. Then one day I happened to pull out the thunder tube. The moment I played the instrument he stopped in his tracks and looked toward me. Then he proceeded to walk in his circle. I waited a moment and played again and saw the same response, only this time he also looked at me! I was thrilled to find something that was motivating to him, and it became a basis of communication as he wanted to keep hearing the sound. This gradually developed into a communication game in which I only played the tube when he looked at me or the instrument. Once the motivation was there, the communication began.

I have one client with Asperger’s who has social phobia. He cannot bring himself to interact verbally with his peers as it causes high levels of stress and overstimulation. However, in the music therapy setting he has developed the ability to interact musically with his peers. He plays instrument solos, sings songs, engages in vocal improvisation and turn taking, and will even engage in movement/dancing games on occasion. Overall, his level of interaction in the music therapy setting, although primarily nonverbal, is a step up from what he is able to do in other settings. Of course the intent of music therapy is to help him generalize these skills so he is able to interact in other settings, but for now the role of our group work together is to help him develop the confidence and patterns he needs for basic interaction.