A referral is defined as “the act, action or instance of referring” whereas “refer” means to
“send or direct for treatment, aid, information or decision." In the field of music therapy, persons must be referred for music therapy services. According to AMTA (American Music Therapy Association), “children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly with mental health needs, developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer's disease and other aging related conditions, substance abuse problems, brain injuries, physical disabilities,
and acute and chronic pain, including mothers in labor” can benefit from music therapy services.

​More specifically, the Standards of Clinical Practice published by AMTA indicates in
Standard 1.0 Referral and Acceptance that “a client will be accepted into music therapy in
accordance with specific criteria.” Although there are no specific guidelines regarding who can refer a client for services, this often depends on the situation of the client. For example, a client in a hospital setting may be referred to music therapy by a physician, psychologist, speech-language pathologist or a child life specialist. A client in school setting may be referred by a special education teacher or a school psychologist whereas a client living in a nursing facility may be referred by a family member or social worker. It is ultimately up to the music therapist to accept a referral for services.
A referral can happen in a variety of ways, but most importantly must be in written format either through electronic means or through completing a specified music therapy referral form.

There are no standardized referral forms in music therapy; they are often created by music therapy professionals to provide the necessary information. According to Waldon (2016), “referrals may be written directly into a client’s record and should include, at a minimum: (a) the date and source of the referral; (b) the client’s demographic information; (c) the reason for the referral or presenting problem; and (d) the pertinent clinical information that could weigh on
making a referral decision. When responding to the referral, the music therapist should also document (a) the justification for accepting or declining the referral for an initial assessment; (b) a follow-up plan for meeting with the client (as appropriate); and (c) a record of consultation or contact with the referring person.”
When considering if music therapy might be a good choice for your loved one, it is important to examine the following: client’s responsiveness to music (positive or negative) and client interest in music. Possibly, even a client who did not benefit from traditional treatments
Because music is the tool in which music therapists use as the primary method of treatment, a client should have a positive response to music and/or musical stimuli. In addition, Hanser (1999) stated some general guidelines why some persons may be good candidates for music therapy:

1. Strength in auditory learning styles or auditory learners: persons who learn by listening.
2. Responsiveness to sound or music: persons who enjoy music may easily benefit from it being used therapeutically.
3. Persons who have physical inactivity or limited mobility: music techniques can be adapted to meet various physical challenges while still allowing the client to be successful in participation.
4. Persons with limited cognitive skills: these persons may not as easily benefit from traditional therapies, but can with musical experiences due to affecting different neural pathways.
5. When confrontive therapists are ineffective: music therapy uses a success-oriented approach within a non-threatening and safe environment.
6. When compliance to treatment is difficult: music therapy techniques often have an element of “fun” and can provide normalizing experiences.
7. Persons who have difficulty with communication or expression: music can be a form of nonverbal communication allowing persons to explore and express feelings without speaking.
8. Persons who have difficulty with socialization: music therapy can be provided in a variety of settings including individual, small group and large group experiences. Music therapist are trained to provide musical experiences in which everyone can be participatory and successful.

Finally, once a referral is made, the next step would be for the music therapist to conduct a music therapy assessment. Music therapy assessments look at a client’s strengths and
weaknesses including communication skills, cognitive/academic skills, motor skills, emotional skills and social skills in both musical and non-musical settings to determine the possible effectiveness of using music therapy as treatment.

Hanser, S. B. (1999). The New Music Therapist’s Handbook. Boston, MA: Berklee Press.

Waldon, E. G. (2016). Clinical Documentation in Music Therapy: Standards, Guidelines, and Laws. Music Therapy Perspectives 34(1), pp. 57–63. https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miv040

Melissa Reinhardt, MSEd, MT-BC returns to South County Regional Library to make music  in partnership with Down Syndrome Association of Greater Charlotte. This music class is for young children with Down syndrome and their parents or guardians. Miss Melissa will explain benefits of music therapy and music making for early childhood and share summer camp programs that PMT is offering in Charlotte. Read more about Friday's class on our promo flier:

Today we join in the international celebration of music therapy. March 1, 2018 is World Music Therapy Day.
Learn more about this global initiative organized by World Federation of Music Therapy. If you're on Facebook then check out some of the memes that were collected for the World Music Therapy Day Meme Contest!  
Join us in celebrating music therapy here in the Carolinas and all across the world.

Ashley Tisdale, MT-BC selected "Count On Me" co-written by Bruno Mars,  Mars, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine under their alias of The Smeezingtons.  🎧 ❤️ Here's the original music video! 
Ashley’s Reasoning: The song is about support and the many lengths people are willing to go to so they can take care of another person. As music therapists, the support we give our clients is unique and tantamount to each individual’s growth.​ #mtadvocacy #mtbc #musictherapist #journey #professional #January #2018 #recognition

#4 - Guitar/ Guitar barre 
Since percussion was my primary in school and I hadn't touched a string instrument since the days of my early childhood (violin) - I was pretty intimidated by the guitar.  This is also the case for some clients.  Learning how to play the guitar can be simplified by using finger charts, but after learning about open tuning, I have found another avenue to help empower my clients to learn a new skill and to set personal goals! When I use open tuning on a guitar, I usually use an adaptive tool called the "guitar barre".  This tool allows the player to strap the bar on their hand, squeeze the tool against the neck, and strum away.  The guitar barre is especially great for clients who have difficulty with fine motor skills or need to build up strength in their hands (palmar grasp).  
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​#3 - Garageband (app)
This is a must have! Garageband has been near and dear to my heart since I got my iPad.  This app gives everyone the ability to create and export their own music.  With the easy play options on guitar, bass, and keyboard, and the "smart drummer" tool, this app is super versatile and adaptable.  There's a wide variety of loops you can use as well to encourage free-style rapping and improvisatory music making. Using the Garageband app, my clients get to experiment with these instruments, record tracks, and in the end the create something they can call their own!

#2 - Drums
I might be a little biased, but I LOVE using drums in my sessions.  Drums can be used to accomplish lots of different goals like self expression, sequencing, gross motor skills, group cohesion, just to name a few.  I'm a pretty big fan of the REMO Versa Drums and paddle drums.  They're lightweight, easy to transport, easy to store, and fun to play.  There are also a wide variety of adaptive drum mallets for clients fine motor limitations.  Drums are one of my most utilized instruments because they are super accessible and have a wide variety of extensions.  
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What'd you think of my list?  Like and comment below with your favorites!  If you have any other great apps, tools, or instruments, we'd love to hear from you!

From all of the Piedmont Music Therapy Team...  Happy Holidays!

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