Military Connections of Early Music Therapy in the U.S.
Although for centuries the power of music has been recognized in many different cultures, in the United States the efficacy of music therapy began to be acknowledged after World Wars I and II as patients and medical personnel realized the value of music to aid in healing both of mind and body. During the 1940s training programs for music therapists sprang up at Michigan State University, University of Kansas, Chicago Musical College, College of the Pacific, and Alverno College. The first national association, the National Association for Music Therapy (NAMT), was started in 1950, and by 1956 had established the Registered Music Therapist (RMT) credential. The RMT credential was established in conjunction with the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) which served as the accrediting agency.
Further Developments in the Training of Music Therapists
At the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, the first music therapy internship was initiated by E. Thayer Gaston, a man who has become known as “The Father of Music Therapy”. Later the AAMT, American Association of Music Therapy, formed in 1971, produced protocols regarding education, training and certification that were different from NAMT. The credential associated with AAMT was Certified Music Therapist (CMT). More recently in 1998, the two organizations joined forces to become the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). Additionally a Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) was created to provide for a standardized certification examination which is now the final step in obtaining the new credential of Music Therapist–Board Certified (MT-BC).
The field of music therapy continues to grow with about 70 training programs and around 10,000 board certified music therapists practicing in the United States. The state of Washington’s first training program was accredited in 2009 at Seattle Pacific University. Currently the process for becoming a music therapist includes a 4-year training program followed by an internship, with a total of 1200 clinical hours required before one is eligible to sit for the Board Certification Exam (BCE). Starting in 2025, one must also be licensed to practice music therapy in the state of Washington.
Current Definition of Music Therapy
“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.” (from the website of the American Music Therapy Association, www.musictherapy.org)
Where Do Music Therapists Work?
During the early years of music therapy in the U.S., music therapists worked predominantly in the mental health field. Today music therapists can be found in almost all health and educational arenas, working with all ages to provide services for those with psychiatric disorders, cognitive and developmental disabilities, speech and hearing impairments, physical and neurological impairments. Generally music therapists work along with an interdisciplinary team to support the goals and objectives developed by the team.