Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. Through a course of study focused on the disciplines of music, human development, and music therapy combined with the University¹s General Education Foundations, the BM in Music Therapy imparts essential competencies in three main areas: musical foundations, clinical foundations, and music therapy foundations.
Upon successful completion of the bachelor's degree, graduates are eligible to take the national board certification exam in order to obtain the credential MT-BC (Music Therapist Board Certified), which is required for professional practice in the United States.
Music Therapy
Learning outcomes for this degree are directly related to the essential competencies, experiences, and opportunities stated by the National Association of Schools of Music and the American Music Therapy Association. They include:
- Advanced keyboard skills, including the ability to play at sight, accompany, transpose, and improvise.
- Ability to sight-sing and take aural dictation.
- Skills in voice, especially as related to group singing. Ability to communicate using a basic repertory of traditional, folk, and popular songs.
- Guitar skills sufficient to accompany self and ensembles. Ability to perform a basic repertory of traditional, folk, and popular songs in several keys, with or without printed music.
- Knowledge of and performance ability on percussion and other instruments sufficient to facilitate rhythm-based musical experiences for individuals and groups.
- Conducting skills adequate to the therapist¹s needs in providing repertory and leadership to small and large vocal/instrumental ensembles.
- Composition and arranging skills sufficient to compose songs with simple accompaniment; and to arrange, transpose, and simplify music compositions for small vocal and non-symphonic instrumental ensembles.
- Movement skills to direct and move expressively in structured rhythmic and improvisatory movement experiences.
- Knowledge of the basic principles of normal human development, exceptionality and psychopathology, principles of therapy, and the therapeutic relationship.
- Knowledge of the basic foundations and principles of music therapy, including history and philosophy; the psychological, physiological, and sociological bases for the use of music as therapy; music therapy methods, techniques and materials with their appropriate applications to various client populations.
- Knowledge of various client populations; client assessment; treatment planning; therapy implementation and evaluation; clinical documentation (both oral and written) and termination/discharge planning.
- Knowledge of professional standards of clinical practice; professional role and ethics; interdisciplinary collaboration in designing and implementing treatment programs; supervision and administration.
- Knowledge of research methods to be able to interpret information, demonstrate basic knowledge of historical, quantitative, and qualitative research, and to apply research findings to clinical practice in music therapy.
