can feel a sense of grounding and that they were and still music could be playing in the background in order to
are contributing members of society (Shaw, 1993). help set the mood of the session. The music therapist
An environment that is full of warmth, beauty, will almost always be younger than the older adult cli-
comfort, and love should surround all of the older adults ents and the sessions create a perfect opportunity for the
in our society including those that are well and those different generations to engage in one another’s worlds.
with health issues. Because music is so varied, it is pos- Sessions could include a variety of activities
sible for a music therapist to set goals for this age group such as guided imagery, exercise, reminiscence, group
that will help achieve this type of environment. singing, education, group discussion, solo time, rhythm
There are psychological goals to: band, and a closing song (Shaw, 1993). Reminiscence is
•
Improve self concept the perfect time to give clients the opportunity to re-
•
Express emotions appropri- spond individually and the therapist creates the setting
ately where they remember events from their past and actively
•
Overcome depression participate in the conversation. Group singing is an ex-
•
Improve attitude cellent tool because their individual voices might not be
•
Appreciate life’s experiences so great, but they can join in with the others and the
•
Encourage creativity therapist to have a sound that is pleasing for their own
enjoyment. In group discussion, the nonverbal aspect of
There are physical goals to: music will stimulate other parts of the brain. Rhythm
bands will help the body feel a sense of order. The im-
•
Relieve pain portance of exercise and the educational opportunities
•
Achieve deep relaxation found in music therapy were discussed earlier in this pa-
•
Increase attention span per and guided imagery is a fascinating topic for further
•
Stimulate all the senses research.
•
Promote gross motor move- There are many ways that music therapy would
ments be the perfect form of therapy to help healthy older
•
Provide exercise adults reach their potential happiness. This paper high-
lights the reasons that music is such a good medium to
There are social goals to: use for this purpose and provides the basis around which
to structure future sessions and programs.
•
Increase socialization
•
Expand communication
•
Stimulate group interaction Reference List
•
Increase involvement
•
Provide opportunity for good Clair, A.A. (1996). Therapeutic uses of music with
use of leisure time older adults. Kansas: Health Professions Press.
There are educational goals to: Bright, R. (1981). Practical planning in music therapy
for the aged. Australia: Musicgraphics.
•
Continue learning (Shaw,
1993, p.5). Shaw, J. (1993). The joy of music in maturity: Innova-
tive programs for seniors. Missouri: MMB Music.
In her book “The Joy of Music in Maturity,” J.
Shaw (1993) puts together dozens of theme-based pro-
grams to be used with older adults. Within this book is a
Margie Landis is currently on sabbatical from her teaching
wealth of ideas for the structure and content of music
position at Mt. Ararat Middle School in Topsham, Maine
therapy sessions. Building a rapport between the music
studying Music Therapy at Arizona State University in
therapist and the clients is the first thing that must hap-
Tempe. She can be reached at landism@link75.org
pen in a session. The way that the therapist greets the
clients will go a long way in developing rapport, while

Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40