What is Neurologic Music Therapy?

Neurologic Music therapy (NMT) is the therapeutic application of music to cognitive, affective, sensory, language, and motor dysfunctions due to disease or injury to the human nervous system. 

NMT is based on neuroscientific models of music perception and music production and the influence of music on changes in no-musical brain and behavior function. 

Treatment techniques are based on data from translational scientific research, and are directed towards non-musical goals. 

Music Therapists work with clients across the life span, from infants to older adults. However here at Healing Voices, we focus and specialized in using music to cater for children's needs. 
Who is a Neurologic Music Therapist?

Neurologic Music Therapists (NMT) are Registered music therapists who had further training in Neurologic Music Therapy. NMTs are skilled and qualified musicians and therapists who assess, design and implement programs to meet the needs of different client types. NMT practitioners are educated in the areas of neuroanatomy and physiology, neuropathology, medical terminology, and rehabilitation of cognitive, motor, speech and language functions. 

Why music can be used as therapy?


  1. ﻿Music is a universal language which is easy to understand

  2. Music can stimulate emotional responses

  3. Music has the calming effect and can regulate our breathing

  4. Music provides us with sensory input

  5. Music can stimulate physiological responses﻿

... and there is more music can do!

How does Neurologic Music Therapy Work?

Elements in music, namely the rhythm, pitch, phrases, pause, and vibration all contribute to making changes in our brain. Theses music processing in the brain does not stop at music. Music processing can engage, train, and retrain non-musical brain and behavior function - i.e speech, motor, and cognitive functions. 

For example, when a person has problem in speech production, NMT uses music to entrain melodic and rhythmic elements of singing phrases and words to assist in the speech development. 

Can Neurologic Music Therapy help children to make progress on their difficulties in daily life?

YES. We use Transformational Design Model (TDM), that is, after using music therapeutically to make changes in our clients, we would always take the music away and translate activities into non-musical functional exercise. So that the treatment is actually making a difference in their daily lives.

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