ABSTRACT
Music has been used for healing purposes since ancient times. Healing rituals throughout human history have included music accompanying ceremonies and serving to signify important parts and events within these culturally diverse healing practices. The use of music as a part of healing continues today, including, specifically, music therapy. Music therapy (to be abbreviated “MT” in this chapter) is the systematic use of music and its elements by trained music therapists in an interactive therapeutic context to restore, maintain, and increase emotional, physical, and mental health. Modern music therapy
. . . uses music and its elements as an intervention in medical, educational, and everyday environments with individuals, groups, families, or communities who seek to optimize their quality of life and improve their physical, social, communicative, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual health and wellbeing.
(WFMT, 2011)