Music Therapy

What is music therapy?

Music therapy uses music to promote healthy coping during medical treatments. It helps children express themselves and connect with others.

All patients can benefit from music therapy. A musical background or music skills are not needed.

Music therapists are part of the care team. They work with psychologists, social workers, and other experts to develop the best therapy for each child.

A child cancer patient and music therapist play guitar together. — Music therapy is tailored to fit each patient’s needs.

Benefits of music therapy

The brain processes information such as sights and sounds. These things help us make sense of the world around us. Music allows us to understand complex ideas.

Music therapy activates areas of the brain that control our emotions, memory, and physical movement.

Music therapy offers many benefits. It may help to:

Improve gross motor skills, which involve large muscle groups
Improve fine motor skills, which use the small muscles of the hands
Encourage movement during physical therapy or occupational therapy
Make patients more involved in treatment
Provide emotional support
Offer positive connections with the care team
Decrease feelings of pain and anxiety
Provide a way to express feelings
Create special memories
Decrease fear during medical care

Music can bring about powerful images, feelings, or thoughts. Talk with your child’s care team about how music therapy can be part of their care plan.

Yike and her family in the Hope Garden at St. Jude

Finding Strength in the Melodies

Yike Huang found strength and solace through music therapy, listening to her favorite music to ease the challenges of healing.

Learn more about how music therapy helped Huang through her AML treatment.

Types of music therapy

Music therapists use different activities as they work with patients. A patient in music therapy may:

Listen to music
Play instruments with or without help
Write and/or record songs
Sing
Move to music
Think about the meaning of song lyrics

A close-up of a child's hands playing piano — A patient may create music during music therapy—playing instruments, singing, or writing songs.

Music therapy for young children

The type of music therapy may vary by age and level of development. Infants in music therapy may:

Listen to music
Explore small instruments
Learn to self-regulate
Bond with caregivers

A music therapist may also ask the caregiver to sing to the infant. This activity has many benefits and may promote bonding of the child and the caregiver.

Music therapy can help toddlers:

Adjust to the hospital
Become more comfortable with medical staff
Know what to expect during transitions or medical appointments
Grow and develop in positive ways

Music therapy for school-aged children

For school-aged children, music therapy can help with physical, emotional, social, and academic needs. It offers the chance to express thoughts and feelings that may be difficult to express. It can help them:

Manage anxiety
Manage pain
Engage with other patients their own age
Learn positive coping skills
Be creative
Maintain or regain movement skills

Music therapy for teens

Older children and teens in music therapy may listen to, create, or study music and lyrics. Music therapy can help teens:

Relax and improve sleep
Understand and better express emotions
Be more motivated
Maintain social connections
Improve self-esteem
Be more independent
Remain active and involved in their treatment

Questions to ask your care team about music therapy

How can I have music therapy join my child’s care team?
If a music therapy program is not available, how can music support my child’s treatment?
In what areas may music therapy benefit my child?

Key points about music therapy

Music therapy can help with patients’ emotional, social, and physical needs.
A music therapist can help patients of any age stimulate movement, increase emotional well-being, and express themselves creatively.
Music therapy aims to meet the individual needs of each patient.
Ask your care team about how music therapy can fit into your child’s treatment.