I’ve been toggling between two #2′s in the Countdown, and this one was most entertaining, so here you have it: Music therapists travel from campfire to campfire singing Kum Ba Yah! I’ll do my best to debunk this one.
As I recall when I completed my Masters in Music Therapy from FSU, my older brother (an accountant and all-around great guy) congratulated me and asked me if the campfire Kum Ba Yah tour was to be my life. I giggled and brushed it off. Granted it’s a funny thing to hear. Besides, what accountant has ever heard of music therapy anyway? (Except for mine ~ He knows more about music therapy than he ever imagined!)
While I laughed and brushed it off, another part of me remembered the deeply involved and complicated process I went through to get my thesis done. My thesis was The Effects Of Music Therapy On Physiological Measures, Perceived Pain, And Perceived Fatigue Of Women In Early Labor. Here’s the abstract of my thesis:
This study examined the effects of music therapy on women in early labor. Dependent variables were fetal heart rate (FHR), uterine contraction intensity (UCI), perceptual pain, and perceptual fatigue. Subjects were forty (N=40) parturients undergoing labor induction procedures. Subjects were randomly assigned to an experimental group (N=20) or control group (N=20). All subjects gave written consent prior to participation in the study. Results showed no significant differences in demographic or labor state variables between groups. ANOVA revealed self reported pain and fatigue were significantly lower for the music group. No significant differences were found for fetal heart rate or uterine contraction intensity. Further results and implications are discussed.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE campfires. I LOVE singing Kum Ba Yah. I have FUN working with kids at camps. I even have FUN working with older adults! I’m a fun-loving, easy-going, happy-go-lucky person. But here are two items that set music therapists apart from your average campfire tour band. (These two will get you started, and there are many more if you follow the links at the end.)
Assessment, Treatment Planning ~ In order for the music therapist to know what interventions to employ, he/she must do an assessment of the client. The assessment can include background, demographic, cultural, medical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual, all of which informs the therapist as to what intervention is most appropriate.
Documentation ~ The treatment team is able to see client progress through documentation. Physiological measures, behavioral observations, self-report measures, and anecdotal comments are all possible means of documentation. My documentation forms vary according to population. You can imagine that documenting for an older adult group is completely different than documenting for a premature infant.
Find out more about music therapy by visiting the American Music Therapy Association or reading my explanation here.
More MythBusters:
#9 Music Therapy is Therapy for Musicians, Right?
#8 Making Music is Just for Kids and Professionals
#7 Drumming is for Hippies Only
#6 Mozart Makes Your Kid a GENIUS
#5 You Either Have Rhythm or You Don’t
#4 Take 2 Bachs, a Bob Dylan, and Call the Music Therapist in the Morning
#3 Music Therapists are Entertainers
#1 It’s Too Late in Life to Play Music
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