What does music therapy look like in practice?
Music therapy is used across all ages and life situations, in many different settings. The participant's abilities and preferences shape the practice to a large extent, so it varies widely. Music therapists often work with health in a broad sense. This includes not only the absence of illness, but also learning, coping and being able to take part in society. Practice often focuses more on strengths than on problems and pathology.
Some participants have a lot of musical experience, but you do not need any. You do not have to be good at music in the traditional sense, as long as you can enjoy music through listening, singing, playing or other musical activity.
The collaboration between music therapist and participant is usually an important part of the process. It lets you learn something about yourself in relation to others. In group sessions, the interaction between participants is also important.
What does the discipline cover?
Music therapy as a discipline studies the links between music and health. This includes cases where music can harm health or is less effective. Much research and professional development focuses on topics relevant to practice, for example the effects of different interventions or participants' experiences of services.
However, the field is not limited to studying the practice of the music therapy profession. It is an interdisciplinary meeting place for traditions in, for example, the arts, humanities, education, psychology, medicine and social sciences. Basic research on music and the brain, and studies of music as an everyday resource in local communities, show the range of the field.
In Norway, music therapy is established as a university discipline at the University of Bergen (UiB) and the Norwegian Academy of Music. Music therapy research is also carried out at several other universities and university colleges.
Do you want to become a music therapist?
In Norway, as in most European countries, a master's degree in music therapy is the basic qualification for music therapists. You can take a five-year integrated master's programme at the Grieg Academy (UiB), or a two-year master's programme at the Norwegian Academy of Music after an approved undergraduate degree. Both institutions also offer PhD programmes.