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Music Therapy

Encyclopedia of Geropsychology

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Synonyms

Music healing; Music-facilitated psychoeducational strategy

Definition

“Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship” – American Music Therapy Association.

The population of adults in the USA is aging quickly, led by the baby boomer generation who began turning 65 in 2011. Average life span strongly influences the number of older adults in the country, and it has risen by almost 30 years in the last century (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2013). The CDC and US Department of Health estimated that the number of older adults in the USA will be 89 million by 2050, which is double the number of older adults in 2010 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2013). Although Americans are living longer, they are also coping with more chronic health conditions, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, neurocognitive disorder (i.e., dementia), and Parkinson’s disease. It is...

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References

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Recommended Readings

  • Altenmueller, E., & Schlaug, G. (2012). Music, brain, and health: Exploring biological foundation of music’s health effects. In R. MacDonald, G. Kreutz, & L. Mitchell (Eds.), Music, health and wellbeing. New York: Oxford University Press.

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  • Clair, A. A., & Memmott, J. (2008). Therapeutic uses of music with older adults. Silver Spring: American Music Therapy Association.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geriatric Mental Health, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, USA

    Jessica V. Strong

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  1. Jessica V. Strong
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Correspondence to Jessica V. Strong .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Nancy A. Pachana

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© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

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Strong, J.V. (2016). Music Therapy. In: Pachana, N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_264-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_264-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-287-080-3

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Music Therapy, Applications in Geropsychology
    Published:
    28 October 2016

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_264-2

  2. Original

    Music Therapy
    Published:
    26 February 2016

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_264-1

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