Two Types of Music Therapy
Hanser and her more than 3,200 colleagues of the American Music Therapy Association practice two types of music therapy: active and passive. Familiar and, most importantly, likable, music elicits the best responses. For example, Big Band music motivated social interaction more than making a puzzle in one 1993 study, and another study that same year found playing music of a patient's choosing six days a week reduced his or her agitation. Music therapists work directly with family members, caregivers, and patients to find the best music for a desired goal of dementia therapy, such as to "improve memory," "lower agitation," or "improve cognitive skills." According to Tomaino, music can be used mnemonically to "retune" the brain to remember certain tasks during early stages of Alzheimer and dementia. But in later stages, music is most helpful in maintaining motor skills. In all cases, music is known to reduce anxiety and stress while incr