Studies on music therapy began in the United States in the early 18th century. However, the use of music for therapeutic purposes dates back to antiquity.
DEFINITION
Music therapy is a therapy that seeks to use the properties of music and sound as a medium to restore, maintain or improve a person's social, mental and physical abilities. It is part of the musical meditation therapies (via various musical experiences such as improvisation, singing, listening, etc.) but differs from certain techniques known as "psychomusical" techniques, which are rather in the domain of relaxation.
Music therapy is commonly used in the treatment of patients of all ages and for various disorders: ASD, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Psychiatric Disorders, Physical Disability, Sensory Impairment, Intellectual Disability, Addiction, Communication Disorders, Stress, Anxiety, ADHD, Difficulties learning...
ANTIQUITY
Studies on music therapy began in the United States in the early 18th century. However, the use of music for therapeutic purposes dates back to antiquity. This is what emerges from certain biblical texts and historical writings of ancient civilizations.
Thus, the Greeks attributed all sorts of virtues to music, a marvelous power over souls, and there already existed among them "music therapists" who influenced "humor and moods by using various instruments, rhythms and sounds".
As for the Chinese, they had already listed a hundred kinds of music therapy in the fifth century BC
. According to François Picard, "the substance of music lies for the Chinese in the sound ... it is equivalent to a resonance, spontaneous response, movement of the air, of the breaths ... it is also the link Establishing the harmony of man between heaven and earth. "
In Turkey, music and therapy music exists for over 6000 years. Farabi (870-950) has established scientific principles in the treatment of diseases and classifies the different tones of Turkish music according to their impact on the person. Examples: Rast: gives comfort, serenity; Saba: give the courage…
XIXth - XXth CENTURIES
Eventually found in most cultures, forms of music therapy existed in ancient times.
In his book Hochelaga, or England in the New World (London, 1846), Eliot Waburton wrote in 1845 about a care home: "With a few rare exceptions, music seems to give them great pleasure, soothing them rather than exciting them”.
In January 1849, the report of the commissioners of the Beauport Asylum, Quebec, described an example: "In many cases, we discovered that music and dance were a great help as healing agents..."
In 1879, in Biddeford, Me, the Canadian Roch Lyonnais read a paper exposing the therapeutic value of music.
Extensive research carried out subsequently in various institutes in France and abroad. Such as the Karajan Institute in Salzburg, which studies the physiological power of music, or the ARATP (Association for Research and Application of Psychomusical Techniques) in Paris or the Émile Jaques-Dalcroze Institute in Geneva, created in 1915.
A new look at the effects of music resulted in research by Anglo-Saxon authors. Such as Schoen and Gatewood (1927), Hevner (1936), Carpuco (1952) and Cattell (1953) , Jost, Pratt, Simon and Werbick, who have focused more precisely on the problem of musical meanings. Moreover, some have even attempted to develop a theoretical system that can prove statistically the fidelity and validity of the modification of the affective state of individuals who were listening to a musical work.
The use of music in rehabilitation programs and the alleviation of pain perception in military hospitals at the end of the Second World War resulted in the establishment (1944) of a curriculum leading to a diploma for training music therapists at Michigan State College.
In 1954, Jacques Jost (sound engineer) is interested in the influence of musical hearing on the individual, linking the listening of a musical recording and its materialization by the encephalographic recording. It relies on a clinical basis with the help of the Laboratory of Encephalography of the Clinic of Mental Diseases and the Encephalus, at the Faculty of Medicine of Paris. He conducts research on emotions and music.
A few years later, Jacques Jost and Jacques Porte (musicologist) propose music therapy sessions, assuming that one can treat with music: musical harmony would act as by osmosis, on the human organism, harmonizing body And soul.
In the 1950s, the first American music therapy association was born.
In England, the British Society of Music Therapy, founded in 1958 as the Society for Music Therapy and Remedial Music, collaborated with GSM to create a postgraduate program leading to L.G.S.M.T. (Licentiate, Guildhall School of Music Therapy).
In France, at the end of the 1960s, research and application center was set up, and in 1972 the first association was created. The second one in 1980. The movement was then well established; Music Therapists training is implemented.
TODAY
The genetic research carried out in recent years and the contribution of neurosciences make it possible to deepen our knowledge of the brain and give rise to great hopes in the field of health. Today, they tend to demonstrate that we possess a "musician brain" and it is unlikely that we will exploit this brain before we even have access to speech.
Moreover, studies have shown that the different components of music (rhythm, timbre, height) engage distinct brain regions. This "diffuse" character of music in the brain explains the help it can bring in all areas: memory, motor, social, emotional, physical, psychic...
According to the “Association québécoise de musiqueothérapie” (AQM, 2003), "music therapy is a mode of intervention that uses the components of music (rhythm, melody, harmony, style, etc.) in order to improve or maintain the good Physical and psychic being of the individual ". Anyone, regardless of age, physical and mental abilities and musical experience, can benefit from a follow-up in music therapy.
The applications of music therapy are very widespread in hospitals or health centers...
The diversity of practices and approaches responds to the diversity of situations to be addressed:
- Active music therapy involves several forms of musical and physical expression, as well as several instruments and gestures to promote self-expression.
- Receptive or passive music therapy is the oldest form of musical therapy. Unlike active music therapy, the goal is not to practice music, but make the patient listen to music in order to help him improve his perception skills.