Miscellaneous - British Association for Music Therapy

  by Fiona Hutchings

published: 3 / 10 / 2011

Article

There is music to suit every mood and every occasion, but the therapeutic benefits of music extend far beyond those experienced by the angry or heart broken. This month I bring you http://www.bamt.org The British Association for Music Therapy. BAMT is new, replacing the Association of Professional Music Therapists and British Society for Music Therapy since April 2011. The association defines itself as "a central point for information about music therapy. You can discover the health benefits experienced by people, young and old, who have music therapy and keep in touch with the latest research, books, videos and events. We can help if you are a student interested in a career in music therapy and our Associate Membership will give you a chance to 'put something back' and get involved, wherever you live." There is a wealth of information for those training or practising as music therapists. There is also a concise overview of what music therapy is and how it works. "Music therapy uses the musical components of rhythm, melody and tonality to provide a means of relating within a therapeutic relationship. In music therapy, people work with a wide range of accessible instruments and their voices to create a musical language which reflects their emotional and physical condition; this enables them to build connections with their inner selves and with others around them." I am sure most music aficionados will instinctively understand how helpful music can be in crystallising and expressing difficult feelings and thoughts. I find music therapy both fascinating and perfectly sensible. As some of you may know, I survived a brain haemorrhage at the start of the year. I have not been lucky enough to access music therapy myself but understand it is used in the treatment of head injuries. From personal experience I know how hard it is when your thoughts and emotions have been jumbled and finding the right words, or any words at all, can be very difficult. There is a huge benefit in using the music and words of others to make expression easier. Music therapy goes further though and encourages the service user their own voices and a range of instruments to make their own music. Therapists work to make it accessible to all. There is no 'X Factor' style audition first. It is open to all. The site has a wealth of information and resources, a downloadable document store and DVDs and books available to buy. It is cleanly presented, easy to navigate and interesting. You can also join the British Association of Music Therapists whether you are a therapist or just interested and donate if you are so inclined.