How to Become a Music Therapist
Sometimes the perfect career just comes together, one that merges your skills, goals, and passions. If you’re creative, talented, and want to change lives, then music therapy could be music to your professional ears.
In this article, find out how to become a music therapist so you can decide if it’s the right career for you.
What Is a Music Therapist?
A music therapist is a licensed professional that uses music to maintain, restore, or improve their patients’ mental and physical health. Music therapy is a clinical and evidence-based intervention that benefits people of all ages and with different conditions.
How Does Music Therapy Work?
Since the time of the ancient Greeks, music has been described as a powerful tool for healing. However, it wasn’t until 1945 that the United States Department of War officially gave music therapy its name and started using it to treat shell-shocked veterans who had served in the World Wars.
What Does a Music Therapy Session Look Like?
Music therapy works by stimulating specific areas of the brain that are associated with cognitive function and emotional regulation. It can be used to treat cardiac conditions, depression, autism, substance abuse and Alzheimer's disease and many other conditions. Research findings suggest that music therapy can help to:
- boost memory
- decrease pain
- regulate emotions
- promote communication skills
- lower blood pressure
- reduce muscle tension
- increase well-being
When learning how to become a music therapist, keep in mind that no music therapy session is the same. This is because it adapts to each person or group’s needs. However, each session has certain recurring elements, including:
- A check-in to ask how patients are doing.
- A brief recap of the previous session.
- Playing and improvising music with different instruments.
- Composing music and writing lyrics.
- Singing, dancing or just moving to music.
- A goodbye song and a check-out round express feelings about the session.
What Does a Music Therapist Do?
Music therapists tailor each treatment plan to their patient’s needs. They can work in groups or in one-to-one settings. To help their patients, music therapists need to:
- Understand each patient’s specific situation (history, traumas, triggers, and needs).
- Consider patients’ musical backgrounds and preferences.
- Articulate goals for therapy and create a roadmap to achieve them.
- Guide patients through therapy sessions.
Where Does a Music Therapist Work?
As a music therapist, you’ll be able to work in a variety of environments and interact with people of all ages and backgrounds. Here are some of the most common places where music therapy is practiced:
- hospitals and psychiatric institutions
- mental health centers
- daycare centers, school, and after-school programs
- physicians and health practitioners
- disability support agencies
- social assistance centers
- substance abuse rehabilitation facilities
- halfway houses and correctional facilities
- senior centers, nursing homes, and hospices
How to Become a Music Therapist
Becoming a music therapist requires education, training, and an innate capacity for empathy and compassion. You must meet certain requirements before you can call this your profession. Below we outline exactly what you need to do to embark on this career.
Music Therapist Requirements: Education
Can you do music therapy without a degree? The short answer is no. It’s essential for aspiring music therapists to hold a Bachelor of Music (BM) in Music Therapy or an equivalent.
The best route is to complete a four-year degree program via one of the 70 universities approved by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). During this time, you’ll build a foundation in:
- music arrangement and composition
- music history and theory
- music therapy and technology
- different music styles and genres
- psychology
- science
Music Therapist Requirements: Training and Certification
You’ll also have to complete 1200 hours of clinical training across a variety of settings where music therapy is used to gain real-life experience in the field as part of your degree. Once you obtain your bachelor's degree, you’ll have to take the national certification exam from the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) to become a Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC).
If you already have a Bachelor of Arts in Music, you can do a certificate program or MT equivalency. This means you’ll only take those courses necessary to complete what would be the equivalent of a B.A. in music therapy—not an “entire degree.”
If you wish to improve your clinical and leadership skills or specialize in a particular area of music therapy, you might want to complete a two-year master’s degree or even a music therapy Ph.D.
Certain states have additional requirements for music therapists. Consult your state’s licensing board to verify whether you need to register with local authorities or acquire other certifications or licenses.
Key Skills for Music Therapists
If you want to succeed in your career as a music therapist, continue to cultivate the following skills through further training and self-reflection:
- patience
- compassion
- leadership
- emotional intelligence
- creativity
- communication
- broad knowledge of musical instruments and genres
- ability to handle stressful situations
How Much Do Music Therapists Make?
The median music therapist salary is $22.59 per hour, which is about $47,000 per year for full-time employees. Take into consideration, however, that based on your education, experience, patients, and location, you might make more or less than that.
Here are the fields where music therapists are paid the most:
- federal executive branch: $78,490 per year
- physicians’ offices: $71,030
- offices of other health practitioners: $61,920
- child daycare services: $60,110
- elementary and secondary schools: $59,290
The top-paying states for music therapists are:
- California: $71,380
- District of Columbia: $68,770
- New Jersey: $66,920
- Oregon: $63,760
- Connecticut: $61,640
Curious to learn how much you can earn as a music therapist in your city? Simply check out Monster's Salary Calculator. Our free tool will also tell you how much other therapists make, along with where music therapists are most in demand.
How to Find Music Therapist Jobs
A guide on how to become a music therapist wouldn’t be complete without a few tips and tricks on the best practices for writing your resume to break into the industry. First, make your resume easy to read for recruiters and applicant tracking systems (ATS).
Use a clean layout, well-divided sections, bullet points, and bold text. Then, use relevant industry keywords from the job posting in your resume to customize your application. For a music therapy job, these may include terms and phrases like:
- Board Certified
- behavior analysis
- mental health
- ability to effectively listen
- problem-solving
- strong communication skills
- accomplished in various instruments and in voice
- ability to collaborate with interdisciplinary team members
Finally, prepare a cover letter in which you explain why you’d be a good fit for the role and what motivates you as a music therapist.
If you’re wondering how to become a music therapist, check out the top locations for music therapist jobs. Below are the states with the highest employment level for music therapists:
The U.S. metro areas with the highest number of opportunities for music therapists are:
Change the Tune of Your Job Search
Monster is your ally for everything job-related, from learning how to become a music therapist to securing the role of your dreams. Create a free candidate account today to enjoy all the benefits Monster has to offer. Upload your resume and select the roles you’re targeting. We’ll keep you posted with customized job alerts sent right to your inbox.