Preparation to Become a Music Therapist

Preparation to Become a Music Therapist

 Ever wondered about ways of preparation to become a music therapist? Just like how we know that doing C.N.A work is a way of preparing to be a nurse? Or being a yoga trainer is a way of preparing to be a yoga therapist? But what about preparation to be a music therapist? Any other ways besides just being a school music teacher or a studio music teacher? Good question!

  There are other ways of preparing to be a music therapist besides just teaching music in schools or studios. These fields don't require a degree, but they require training and certification:

1. Therapeutic Music (Music Practitioner)

  Therapeutic Music is similar to music therapy, but the only difference is that therapeutic musicians, or certified music practitioners, perform therapeutic live music at bedsides without requesting the patient to participate. Therapeutic Music focuses on people in hospitals who are ill or dying. Therapeutic musicians, or music practitioners, work one-on-one with patients at bedsides. They provide music for the patient to receive passively, and they create a healing environment for the patients to experience. They often see a patient once.

   In order to be a music practitioner, you must receive training and certification through the MHTP (Music for Healing and Transitioning program). How working as a music practitioner helps prepare to be a music therapist is in a way where you can get an idea of helping people in hospitals who are ill to decrease anxiety.

2. Kirtan/Bhakti Yoga 

  Kirtan is a musical meditation part of Bhakti Yoga, which is a yoga of devotion. Kirtan includes singing chants of Sanskrit names of the Divine. Some Bhakti yoga trainers would include vinyasa yoga practices (fast-paced stretching) before or after kirtan, and others would include hatha yoga practices (slow-paced stretching) before or after kirtan. Either way, its concept is to guide one onto the path of self-realization, have an experience of oneness with everything, and build a connection to the Divine. The instruments used in kirtan are the harmonium (a small, pump organ), guitar, sitar (an Indian lute), tabla (Indian drums), and mridanga (Indian two-sided drums). The chants in kirtan are also call-and-response.

   In order to lead kirtan, you must receive Bhakti yoga teacher training. How teaching Bhakti yoga and leading kirtan helps prepare to be a music therapist is in a way where you can get an idea of teaching how to build self-realization (defined by the Western society as an individual's fulfillment of the highest needs). Teaching Bhakti yoga and leading kirtan also helps prepare to be a music therapist in a way where you can get an idea of leading group music therapy sessions and teaching mindfulness.

3. Therapeutic Drumming Circle 

  A therapeutic drumming circle is a restorative circle with a rhythm-based twist, which originated from West Africa. It was developed here in America in 2003. Therapeutic drumming is offered in youth services (especially for the at-risk youth), children's hospitals, alternative schools, substance abuse facilities, mental health services, drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities, foster care services, prisons, and youth detention centers. The concept of therapeutic drumming is to teach how to cope with problems positively and properly, and support people who are dealing with conflict. It also includes creating rhythms to express emotions. 

   In order to lead a therapeutic drum circle, you must become a certified therapeutic drum facilitator. How leading therapeutic drum circles help with preparing to become a music therapist is in a way where you can get an idea of leading group music therapy sessions, provide a musical way of coping with problems positively, and teaching how to express emotions properly.

   4. Sound Therapy (Sound Healer)

    Sound therapy is where the sound waves are used to treat physical and mental illness. Sound waves are produced by using pitched percussion instruments, like Tibetan singing bowls, tuning forks, gongs, tongue drums, steel drums, kalimbas, chimes, and crystal singing bowls. Sound healers also use unpitched percussion instruments (like tabla drums, congas, bongos, etc.) and their voice along with playing the instruments. What sound therapy and music therapy have in common is providing sensory functions and stress relief. The difference is that sound healing focuses more on treating physical illness, to where the expectations are for the frequencies inside of a human body to function properly.
        In order to be a sound healer, you must receive training and certification through Academy of Sound Healing (there's other institutes that offer sound healing certification besides that). How working as a sound healer helps with preparing to become a music therapist is in a way where you can get an idea of using music to create an emotional and physical impact.


  Now, I wish there are some sources that talk about jobs that help prepare to become a music therapist besides just teaching music in schools and studios. If there are, surprise me. Plus, I am working on a music degree myself with intentions of being a music therapist, which, I live in a state where the colleges there only have music therapy as a masters degree. On the other hand, for those of you who are interested in becoming a music therapist, I hope this blog is helpful for you.