Music therapy in child and youth development

Polyfon’s knowledge descriptions are designed to meet the information needs of services and service users. Explore national guidelines, research evidence, user experiences, practice, and implementation. You will also find relevant links, including information about ongoing research.

Get an overview of music therapy in child and youth development

Child and youth development is an evolving area of music therapy practice. The knowledge description below draws on current research and literature in the field and is organised according to fields of practice and theoretical perspectives.

International guidelines

The use of music therapy is grounded in a rights-based perspective through the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The Convention was adopted by the United Nations in 1989 and ratified by Norway on 8 January 1991. This means that Norway is obliged to comply with the Convention’s 54 articles. In 2003, the Convention was incorporated directly into Norwegian legislation.

The rights set out in the Convention are formulated as individual, universal, and moral rights. Like human rights more broadly, the Convention is based on values such as autonomy, equality, and human dignity. The Convention serves as a guiding framework for all social work with children and young people, including music therapy, across society’s institutions.

The articles of the Convention are commonly grouped into three types of rights: provision - access to the resources necessary for survival and development, protection - the right to protection from harm and neglect, and participation - children’s right to participate and have their views heard.
 

Effects of music therapy

Systematic reviews and outcome studies indicate that music therapy can have a positive impact on the mental health of children and young people. For example, improvisation-based music therapy has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression among adolescents with substance use problems. Rap and singing interventions may improve sleep and emotional self-regulation, while music therapy can support parents and caregivers in helping children process traumatic experiences.

Outcome studies suggest that music therapy is effective for children and young people experiencing mental health challenges and difficulties in social functioning. The findings show that music therapy can play an important role in preventive work by promoting motivation, strengthening social relationships, and supporting emotional awareness and understanding.

Music therapy can reduce

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Aggressive and conflict-related behaviour
     

Music therapy can improve

  • Emotional self-regulation
  • Engagement and participation
  • Self-esteem

Outcome studies

Systematic reviews

User experiences

Research on children’s and young people’s experiences of music therapy shows that many view it as a valuable and meaningful service. Participants report that music can create a sense of safety, foster feelings of achievement, and provide a powerful medium for building relationships.

Many also describe how music therapy can help them process complex emotions, participate in peer communities, and develop social networks.

Practice and implementation
Areas of practice in music therapy for children and young people

Music therapy practice with children and young people is informed by theoretical perspectives ranging from individual-focused to community-oriented approaches. Within child and adolescent mental health, music therapists work across a wide range of settings.

The sections below present four selected practice contexts: family therapy, foster care, residential child welfare institutions, and schools. These areas are both representative of and highly relevant to music therapy practice in Norway.

Music therapy and families

Music therapists working with families focus on the relationship between children and their parents or caregivers. Music therapy may also be used to assess parent-child interaction, often as part of multidisciplinary teams.

Music therapy can provide insight into symptoms and areas of concern, patterns of collaboration between children and parents, caregivers’ ability to meet their children’s needs, and ways of communicating and interacting with them.

The concept of early intervention refers to measures taken early in a child’s life in order to support development. Such measures may include educational, therapeutic, and developmental activities, as well as support networks in both public and private contexts.

The literature emphasises the importance of influencing the developmental trajectories of vulnerable children through systematic interventions as early as possible.
 

Music therapy and foster care

A foster home is a private home that provides care for children who are unable to live with their parents. Foster parents work in partnership with municipal child welfare services and, in most cases, with the child’s family to meet the child’s needs and plan for their future.

Music therapists working in this field play an important role in developing approaches that support continuity across transitions between homes, services, schools, and biological families. Music therapy in foster care can help build networks and support young people in coping with relational disruptions and loss.

Music therapy can also provide a setting in which children and adolescents develop communication skills and strengthen their ability to adapt to new situations and relationships. Collaboration with case workers and foster families is essential to ensure that these skills transfer to everyday life.

Relevant approaches may include improvisation, songwriting, music listening, and music recording.
 

Music therapy and residential child welfare institutions

Residential child welfare institutions in Norway are operated by public authorities, non-profit organisations, and private providers. Most institutions serve adolescents, while younger children are generally placed in foster care.

Music therapy can provide a context for developing practical, social, and emotional life skills. This is particularly important because young people in residential care often become independent at a younger age than their peers living with parents.

Successful independent living requires both practical competencies and relational skills, including managing relationships with landlords, employers, educational institutions, and public services. It also involves everyday tasks such as budgeting, cooking, laundry, and maintaining a home.
 

Music therapy in preschool and kindergarten settings

Music therapy in preschool and kindergarten settings is a health-promoting and educational approach that supports children's development through musical activities.

Through singing, instrument playing, movement, and listening, music therapy creates a safe environment in which children can express emotions, develop social skills, strengthen self-esteem, and experience mastery and success.

Music therapy can also promote language development, motor coordination, and social interaction, while providing opportunities for creative exploration. For children with additional support needs, music therapy may be an important tool for inclusion and participation.
 

Music therapy and schools

Music therapy is used within educational settings to support children’s and young people’s needs for adapted and inclusive learning opportunities.

Music therapy in schools should involve collaboration between different professional groups and services and, importantly, ensure that children and young people have a voice in the development of practice and research.

Investing in music therapy in schools aligns with legislation recognising children's right to learning across formal, informal, and non-formal contexts. Supporting practices that strengthen the overall learning environment is also consistent with the OECD vision of developing socio-emotional learning for the whole person.

Within schools, music can serve as a health resource in everyday life, particularly in preventive work. This requires an understanding of and interest in children’s and young people’s musical identities.

 

Music therapy for children with refugee backgrounds

Music therapy for children and young people with refugee backgrounds has a strong rationale based on music’s ability to create safety, facilitate expression, and foster belonging during challenging life circumstances.

Many refugee children have experienced trauma, loss, and major disruptions that can affect their mental health and social functioning. Music therapy offers a non-verbal medium through which children can express emotions and process experiences without relying on language skills, which is particularly important for those who do not yet speak the language of the host country.

At the same time, music can promote community and identity by building bridges across cultural differences, strengthening self-esteem, and creating a sense of achievement. By integrating music therapy into refugee support services, therapists can help children and young people rebuild a sense of safety, develop relationships, and acquire tools for emotional regulation and social interaction, thereby supporting psychosocial adjustment and well-being.
 

Relevant links

Selected media coverage of music therapy and child and youth development

  • 2020: Krüger, V. “Music as a tool in schools” (podcast)
  • 2019: Every rehearsal felt like a birthday
  • 2017: The systematic use of music is an underutilised resource in educational practice
  • 2016: Music: a resource for children and young people in child welfare services?
  • 2015: Interview with members of Kom Nærmere (NRK)
  • 2015: Opinion piece by Viggo Krüger and Astrid Strandbu (Bergens Tidende)
  • 2014: Bergens Tidende article about the revue group Kom Nærmere
  • 2012: Interview and feature with members of Kom Nærmere (NRK 1, Saturday News)
     

Music therapy programmes in Norway

  • Master’s degree in music therapy at the Norwegian Academy of Music
  • Integrated Master’s degree in music therapy at the University of Bergen
     

Additional educational opportunities are available at both bachelor’s and PhD levels. See:

  • Polyfon’s overview of educational programmes in music therapy and music and health
     

Working groups and national network

  • Polyfon’s working group for child and youth development
  • Networks and groups for and with music therapists
     

Ongoing research projects

  • At CREMAH, Norwegian Academy of Music
  • At GAMUT, University of Bergen
  • At GAMUT, NORCE


Researchers in Norway working on music therapy and mental health

The research centres GAMUT at the University of Bergen/NORCE and CREMAH at the Norwegian Academy of Music contribute to the international research frontier in this field.

Researchers are happy to be contacted regarding lectures, information, or potential collaboration on research related to music therapy and child and adolescent mental health.

  • Guro Parr Klyve, Health Bergen
  • Kaja Elise Enge, Bergen Municipality
  • Viggo Krüger, UiB/NORCE/GAMUT
  • Maren Metell, UiB/GAMUT
  • Christian Gold, NORCE/UiB/GAMUT
  • Claire Ghetti, UiB/GAMUT
  • Merete Holme, NMH/CREMAH
  • Monika Overå, NMH/CREMAH
  • Jörg Assmus, NORCE/GAMUT
  • Brynjulf Stige, UiB/GAMUT

Polyfon Knowledge Cluster for Music Therapy

  • builds collaboration between academia, services and programmes, and service users
  • strengthens collaboration around music as a health resource
  • works to ensure that music therapy is accessible to everyone who needs it

The collaboration is national in scope, and organisations and individuals from across Norway are welcome to participate.

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About this knowledge description

The first version of this knowledge description was written in 2015 by Liv Jorun Bergseth and Øystein Eriksen, in collaboration with Viggo Krüger, Professor at the University of Bergen and Research Director at GAMUT. It was updated in 2019 by David Hope Solberg and Eirik Sæle, in collaboration with Viggo Krüger.

This knowledge description has been funded by Polyfon, including through summer scholarships for music therapy students.

We would like to thank the research centres CREMAH (Norwegian Academy of Music) and GAMUT (University of Bergen and NORCE) for their academic contributions to Polyfon’s knowledge descriptions.

Last updated: October 2024

Last updated: 07.10.2026