What is Neurologic Music Therapy?
One can think of the brain as comprised of a plethora of mini super-computers, each having a designated function (sensory processing, motor planning and coordination, executive functions, memory, emotion, etc.). In any activity, a certain combination of these brain areas are engaged, coordinated, and synchronized in order to perform the task.
For example, when watching TV, our visual and auditory systems are engaged to watch the content hear the sounds. If one is playing a video game, we add in the motor component to activate the controller. Depending on the content, we might also be engaging the executive functions of problem solving and decision making. In speech, we have the speech area: motor planning, memory, verbal processing, etc. With each of these activities, the brain areas engaged are relatively local and lateral (meaning in a certain part of the brain, not the whole brain). For example, speech is primarily only processed in the left Broca’s and Wernickes areas.
Now, with music, something special happens. Music processing requires global engagement (the entire brain), as all of the above-mentioned functions are essential components in both listening to and playing music. It engages sensory systems (visual, tactile, auditory), motor planning and coordination, memory, emotion, executive functions (planning, decision making, navigating music theory, engaging socially, etc). This is why music can be a very effective tool to facilitate the development of the brain (you can think of the brain’s cognitive, speech, sensory functions as muscles that need to be developed in the gym); and why it is an effective tool to facilitate therapy for those with disabilities or neurologic injuries.
Knowing these facts, what if one could use music to methodically facilitate the development or rehabilitation of skills, behaviors, and functions? Well, thankfully, a lot of very smart people have already built the foundation of this practice. It’s called Neurologic Music Therapy.
Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) is a clinical therapeutic modality that uses music as the primary tool to facilitate education and rehabilitation. To understand it, let’s forget about music for a second. In therapy, we devise activities to target specific functions (speech, sensory, motor, cognitive, etc). These activities are non-musical, as the functions we are targeting are non-musical in nature. We then transform those activities into musical exercises, which skillfully employs the benefit of the neurological effects of music previously outlined. We then fade out the music, transforming the activities back into non-musical exercises. We then make sure these skills cultivated during therapy can be transferred to activities of daily living. The clinical goals and activities are individualized to target the specific needs of each individual to ensure they benefit the individual practically. This process is called the Transformational Design Model (TDM), and can be applied to the activities devised by any therapeutic modality (physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, etc.)
If you’re interested in more information or NMT training, visit https://nmtacademy.co
Music therapy can do so much for an individual and the community as a whole. It can help to facilitate language development, motor learning, sensory-motor integration, emotional regulation and expressivity, social skills, memory, and attention. Musical activities and learning can help to bring people together to nurture healthy social connections, cultivate good character, and develop steadfast discipline. Furthermore, when music education or clinical therapy is facilitated by a neurologic music therapist, the benefits of the musical training are greatly enhanced. They can also help to tailor the training to an individual’s specific needs and desires. Ultimately, music therapy can help a child or adult to build a robust nervous system, which will serve one very well for the rest of their life.
Written by Alec Johnson
