Frequently Asked Questions - Music Therapy
- Do you take music therapy students?
- Do you take high school students for work experience?
- Can you send me information on how music therapy helps hospitalised children?
- What are your qualifications for this work?
- Can you speak at our meeting?
- What kind of music is good for relaxation?
Do you take music therapy students?
The Music Therapy Unit administers a Clinical Placement Program which is connected to accredited music therapy courses within the Australian Music Therapy Association. For further information see Paediatric Music Therapy Clinical Training Program under Services.
For information about the International internship program, click [HERE] PDF 130kb
Do you take high school students for work experience?
No. Because of the intensive nature of the work, it is mostly inappropriate for secondary level students to complete work experience with our team. Each State Branch of the Australian Music Therapy Association has a list of music therapists available for work experience. Go to the www.austmta.org.au website and follow the links to state branches from the 'Contact Us' on the menu.
Can you send me information on how music therapy helps hospitalised children?
We receive many requests for information. This webpage is our attempt to offer broad information to many people. If you have searched this and other sources and still have a specific question we may be able to assist your search. We are also happy to e-mail with people about music therapy. For general information about music therapy please contact the Australian Music Therapy Association, or search databases for the major research journals - 'Journal of Music Therapy', 'Nordic Journal of Music Therapy', 'Australian Journal of Music Therapy', 'Music Therapy Perspectives' and 'Arts in Psychotherapy'.
What are your qualifications for this work?
The entry level qualification is the successful completion of a university course accredited with the Australian Music Therapy Association. For details of training courses, see AMTA's webpage at www.austmta.org.au. On completion, music therapists are registered with the Australian Music Therapy Association Inc., and bound by their Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
Can you speak at our meeting?
Members of the music therapy team are available to speak to community groups and professional organisations for a fee. Please contact Senior Music Therapist, Beth Dun, (03) 9345 5421.
What kind of music is good for relaxation?
There isn't an easy answer to this question. The process of relaxation is very individual, and so is the music which might help. Generally, relaxing music is very steady and mellow in all its elements. So it stays fairly slow and quiet, in major keys (sound happy), with an even rhythm, the melody is not too high or low, and doesn't have large intervals (jumps), there are no sudden stops or starts, and the same group of singers or instruments play most of the time. However, this might be a Mozart sonata, or some Simon & Garfunkel, Celtic lullabies or Tony O'Connor. No one kind of music is relaxing for everyone, which is why some people don't notice elevator music and some people can't stand it! One thing is for sure....a great cover on the CD doesn't mean that music will be better. Beware!