Music Therapists

Career summary

Music therapists work with clients with social, physical, emotional, and mental disorders and problems. They interview clients to gather information. Then they set up treatment that may involve singing, moving, listening to, or creating music and rhythms.

Music therapists work in a variety of settings, including:

• Hospitals
• Mental health centers
• Schools
• Private offices
• Nursing homes

Music therapists work with a variety of clients, including children, the elderly, and those with psychiatric issues. The goal of therapy sessions is to help individual clients grow stronger and use what they learn through music in their daily lives. This may mean that music therapists help a client deal with a difficult time in their life. Or it may mean helping a person grow physically stronger.

Music therapists keep detailed records about each therapy session. They often work with other care providers, such as social workers.

Related careers

This career is part of the Health Science cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Art Therapists
• Mental Health Counselors
• Musicians
• Occupational Therapists
• Psychologists
• Recreational Therapists
• Social Workers
• Speech Pathologists and Audiologists

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to music therapists.

• Design music therapy experiences to help clients with problems and to meet goals.
• Assess client strengths and weaknesses in several areas. Use this to help design therapy.
• Sing or play musical instruments during therapy sessions.
• Keep detailed records of treatment plans and therapy sessions. Communicate findings and reports.
• Build relationships with clients.
• Help clients establish goals for therapy treatments.
• Observe clients and document their reactions during therapy.
• Explore different musical styles.
• Customize treatment plans for individuals with specific disabilities.
• Create therapy activities for schools, nursing homes, and hospitals.
• Plan sessions with pacing, energy, and intensity in mind.
• Improvise musically and vocally during therapy sessions.
• Work with other care professionals.
• Keep skills up-to-date by attending conferences, reading, and talking to colleagues.
• May perform research.
• Sometimes respond to emergencies.

Common work activities

Music therapists perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Assist and care for others
• Think creatively
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Document and record information
• Develop goals and strategies
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Get information needed to do the job
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Perform for or work with the public
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Handle and move objects
• Use computers
• Develop and build teams
• Coach others
• Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others
• Teach others
• Schedule work and activities
• Evaluate information against standards
• Perform administrative tasks
• Provide advice and consultation to others
• Perform activities that use the whole body
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Coordinate the work and activities of others
• Analyze data or information
• Process information

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, music therapists:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a high level of contact with others. They talk with patients and family members throughout the day.
• Occasionally are placed in conflict situations where patients may be rude or unpleasant.
• Are somewhat responsible for the health and safety of their patients.
• Occasionally deal with patients who may act out physically.
• Communicate with patients and family members via face-to-face discussions, e-mail, and telephone on a daily basis.
• Write letters and reports on a monthly basis.
• Often work as part of a team.

Physical work conditions

• Always work indoors.
• Are often exposed to the diseases and infections of patients.
• Sometimes work in noisy environments.
• Work very near others, often within inches.

Work performance

• Must be somewhat accurate when diagnosing patients.
• Often make decisions that affect their patients.
• Determine their daily tasks and goals without consulting a supervisor first. Music therapists work independently.
• Must meet monthly deadlines.
• Make decisions on a daily basis without consulting another first.

Hours/travel

• Schedules are typically flexible. Therapists can set appointments according to their wishes. However, they often meet patients in the evenings to accommodate their schedules.
• Usually work full-time, 40 hours per week.

Physical demands

Music therapists frequently:

• Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Sit for long periods of time.
• Repeat the same movements.

It is important for music therapists to be able to:

• Understand the speech of another person.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for music therapists to be able to:

• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
• Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.
• Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.
• Use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects.
• Move two or more limbs together (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while remaining in place.
• Choose quickly and correctly among various movements when responding to different signals.
• Use muscles to jump, sprint, or throw objects.
• Coordinate movement of several parts of the body, such as arms and legs, while the body is moving.
• Determine the distance between objects.

Skills and abilities

Music therapists need to:

Communicate

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand spoken information.
• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.
• Understand written information.
• Read and understand work-related materials.

Reason and problem solve

• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
• Think of new ideas about a topic.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Recognize when important changes happen or are likely to happen in a system.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Identify what must be changed to reach goals.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Manage the time of self and others.
• Go back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information without becoming confused.

Work with people

• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Look for ways to help people.
• Use several methods to learn or teach new things.
• Teach others how to do something.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.
• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Solve problems by bringing others together to discuss differences.

Perceive and visualize

• Identify a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in distracting material.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Counseling Psychology
• Mental Health Counseling
• Music Therapy

Other programs of study to consider

• Behavioral Sciences
• Gerontology
• Marriage and Family Counseling
• Music, General
• Psychology, General
• Rehabilitation Counseling

Training

To work as a music therapist, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent; and
• have at least a bachelor's degree in music therapy or a degree equivalency program in music therapy.

Education after high school

You must have a bachelor's degree in music therapy or a degree equivalency program in music therapy for this occupation.

As an undergraduate student, you take courses in several areas of music. Courses include music history and applied music, where you concentrate on one or more instruments or singing. You also take courses in psychology, counseling techniques, assessment, and evaluation. Some programs offer courses about working with specific age groups, such as youth or the elderly. Others also offer courses about specific conditions, such as developmental disabilities or mental illness. As an undergraduate student you also do field work in facilities that serve individuals with special needs.

Many schools offer graduate degrees in music therapy. Typically they take two to five years to complete after you receive a bachelor's degree. People with graduate degrees in music therapy may become administrators or professors.

On-the-job training

As an undergraduate student you must complete a practicum. This means you observe music therapists as they work with patients. You also create treatment plans, write reports, and eventually participate in therapy sessions. Professional music therapists supervise your work closely. You may do your practicum at a mental health clinic, nursing home, school, or other organization.

Through a practicum, you learn firsthand what it is like to be a music therapist. You learn to apply your course work to real-life situations. A practicum also gives you experience that you can use to apply for jobs after you receive your bachelor's degree.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum  may be different from your state's graduation requirements .

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Child Development
• Computer Applications
• Individual Technique, Instrumental Music
• Introduction to Health Care
• Music History and Appreciation
• Music Theory
• Nursing
• Psychology
• Sociology

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups  that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Employers require at least a bachelor’s degree. Employers also prefer applicants who have work experience. Internships and volunteer work are good ways to get experience. Some employers hire graduates who completed internships in their agency. Employers also look for people who are dedicated and have excellent communication skills.

Many new music therapists begin work with an experienced therapist who has an established practice and clientele.

Licensing/certification

Some states require music therapists to be licensed. Requirements vary by state.

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Recreational Therapists 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Currently, there is no specific statewide wage information available for music therapists. However, this occupation is part of the larger group called "recreational therapists."

Wages vary by employer, area of the country, and the therapists' level of experience.

Music therapists who work full time often receive benefits. Common benefits include health insurance, sick leave, and paid vacation.

National wage information is not available specifically for music therapists. However, they are part of the larger group of "recreational therapists."

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

#Currently, there is no specific statewide outlook information available for music therapists. However, this occupation is part of the larger group called "recreational therapists.”

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

Major employers:

• Hospitals
• Nursing homes
• Government

National outlook

Demand for this occupation will be about average. The growth of the aging population will increase the need for music therapists. Rehabilitation, home health care, and programs for those with disabilities will create the most jobs. Job opportunities in hospitals will decline, as services shift to outpatient settings.

This occupation is very small so the total number of job openings will be low. However, some openings will occur as current therapists retire or leave this occupation for other reasons.

Employment and outlook information is not available specifically for music therapists. However, they are part of the larger group of "recreational therapists."

Other resources

American Music Therapy Association 
8455 Colesville Road, Suite 1000
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301.589.3300

References

Career cluster

• Health Science

Career path

• Social

O*Net  occupation

• Music Therapists (29-1125.02) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 4 - Considerable preparation needed. A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.

DOT occupation

• Music Therapist (076.127-014) 

Strong Interest Inventory

• Musician

Holland occupational clusters

• Artistic/Social/Investigative
• Social/Artistic/Investigative

COPSystem

• Service Professional