Music Therapy : Making Contact
An Introduction to Music Therapy for Music Education and Performance Majors
MUE 650.002, is a three credit - one week intensive - graduate level course offered at UMO July 6 - 10th.
The course is being taught by Alan Wittenberg M.A., CMT
Certified Music Therapist.
Deadline for enrollment is June 26th!
Contact UMO to registrar
207-581-3219

Music Therapy: Making Contact
An Introduction to Music Therapy for Music Education and Performance Majors
Instructor: Alan Wittenberg M.A.,CMT (Certified Music Therapist)
Readings: Selected journal articles, web based materials and research.

Course Description:
Why are music therapy concepts, resources, approaches and activities essential for music educators? Can music help a child with special needs learn social concepts, communication skills, on task behaviors, impulse control and help them to facilitate transitions? Can music therapy based activities facilitate communication with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?

Can music therapy decrease anxiety and depression for an elderly person with the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s? Can music therapy impact quality of life issues for an individual who recently survived a stroke and is receiving speech therapy sessions as part of their rehabilitation program. Can music therapy make a difference to an individual who is in counseling for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or AIDS? Can music therapy be a resource that might be unique and meaningful to someone you will work with or care about on a personal level in the future? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions this course will be especially meaningful to you.

This course will engage and inform students about the clinical, developmental and rehabilitative field .Music therapy will be illustrated as an integrative approach that targets goals and objectives central to music education and performance as well as elementary and special education, health professions such as speech, occupational and physical therapy, nursing, counseling and psychology, and infant mental health. Conceptual and practical models of music therapy will be discussed and demonstrated. Music therapy as a creative, active treatment modality that has the potential to stimulate and motivate a wide range of disabled populations will be highlighted by readings, discussion, experiential activities, video illustrations and web based research.

Music therapy will also be explored in collaboration with the fields of counseling, psychology and nursing as music reflects our personal and interpersonal styles of communication and is another way to express our creativity and spontaneity and heighten our self-awareness. Music can also be used effectively to enhance quality of life (QOL) in the elderly and those who have undergone medical procedures. Concepts such as critical thinking and active listening, so important to future employment, career satisfaction and success will be emphasized.

This course will make extensive use of video illustrations and in class experiential activities as well as onsite observations, analysis of live music therapy sessions and web based research.

Expected Student Outcomes:

1.Students will learn and experience music therapy from the inside out by participating in experiential activities, viewing case study video illustrations, reading assignments, web based research and reactionary papers. Music therapy will be emphasized and illustrated as “complimentary care”, an educational / developmental modality and a form of psychotherapy that integrates and supports the goals of allied health, clinical and educational fields.

2.Students will gain a broad background and overview of the clinical, rehabilitative, developmental and academic field of music therapy.

3. Students will read about, analyze and discuss different clinical approaches within the field of music therapy and demonstrate an understanding of how these approaches integrate with and support allied health profession, counseling and educational goals and objectives.

4.Students will learn about and demonstrate a familiarity with the historic origins and modern day music therapy resources and treatment trends. Students will demonstrate a basic yet broad base of knowledge and understanding of the modern day profession and academic field of music therapy.

5.Students will learn and understand how music therapy as an interdisciplinary and trans - disciplinary approach can be creatively adapted and employed with various populations and pathologies as complimentary care, a primary or adjunctive form of counseling and a meaningful resource in elementary and special education.

6.Students will compile a list of music therapy resources that they may utilize to achieve objectives within their future study and work in the fields of occupational and physical therapy, counseling, nursing, education and special education.

Assignments and Grading:
Reading assignments and class participation; 30%
Reaction papers 40%
Final paper 30%

Lesson #1
#1 Orientation and Overview - Music as therapy and music as healing. Conceptual views of music as therapy, music as cognition and music as ritual.

Lesson #2
Defining Music Therapy
The who - what - where - when and how of music therapy.

Lesson #3
Music therapy - A historical and international perspective - trends, pioneers, associations, conferences, research and web based resources.
Assignment: Reaction paper #1

Lesson #4
Music therapy treatment approaches - music therapy process and analysis and music therapy in conjunction with various schools of psychology.

Lesson#5
Music therapy treatment approaches - in conjunction with various schools of psychology continued.

Lesson #6
Music therapy and the autism spectrum disorders.
Assignment: Reaction paper #2

Lesson#7
Music therapy and psychiatric and social emotional disorders.

Lesson #8
Music therapy in Special Education settings.

Lesson #9
Music therapy and geriatric care.
Assignment: Reaction paper #3

Lesson # 10
Clinical onsite visit and observe a live music therapy session - comments and analysis.

Lesson #11
Music therapy in medical settings – music therapy in healthcare.
Music therapy in collaboration with physical and occupational therapy and nursing goals and objectives.

Lesson #12
Educational - onsite visit and observe a live music therapy session - comments and analysis
Assignment: Reaction paper #4

Lesson #13
Music therapy as an interactive / interpersonal experience - interpersonal skills - expansion of expressive affect - catharsis - self-exploration and self-discovery.

Lesson #14
Music therapy and cognitive process - music therapy and short and long term memory, attention span, sequencing and on task behavior.

Lesson #15
Music therapy - philosophical and conceptual considerations - Qualitative vs. quantitative therapeutic orientations, - structure vs. freedom, spontaneity in therapeutic process and quality of life issues.
Assignment –
Final paper:
Choice of Topics
1) Describe and discuss three scenarios where you might effectively integrate music therapy based approaches to enhance desired occupational physical therapy , nursing, counseling or educational objectives.
2) Locate a Health Professions, educational or psychological research article that focuses on music in conjunction with occupational or physical therapy, nursing, counseling or psychology or education. Discuss the article in relation to the practical and conceptual information you learned in this course.
3) Select a topic (dependent on instructor’s approval) such as music therapy and a particular pathology or disability such as autism, Alzheimer’s spectrum disorders, Bi polar disorder, AIDS, substance abuse etc.

This course may also be taken under consideration as an intensive. This might make it more accessible to students who are too busy during the academic term. The 15 above stated topics may be consolidated into an intensive course. The readings and reactionary paper assignments would then be slightly modified to a shorter format.

July 2009 Autism Spectrum Disorders Series
“Music Therapy : Creativity and Communication”

1) Saturday July 11, 2009 “Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Music Therapy”. Music therapy activities and concepts, music as meaningful interactive experiences for children and adults, diagnosed within the autism spectrum, will be illustrated and discussed.

2) Saturday July 18, 2009 “Music Therapy: Autism and Sensory Integration”. Music therapy in support of occupational, speech and physical therapy
 objectives.  Music therapy and auditory / sensory processing.

3) Saturday July 25, 2009 “Music Therapy Skills Seminar” – workshop activities for those who work with children and adults within ASD.

NO PRIOR MUSICAL TRAINING IS NECESSARY  / Space is Limited

Learning outcomes include: Gain an overview of the clinical and developmental field of music therapy and ASD, music therapy concepts, approaches in regard to autism and communication skills, activities ideas and workshop experiential  participation (optional), handout information and web resources.

CEUs (.5) from University of Maine - available upon prior request.
Please bring a bag lunch. Coffee and tea will be provided.

Presentations - will utilize video, and audio illustrations, discussion and workshop activities.

Seminars are 10:00AM to 3:00PM, with an hour for lunch / discussion. The Fee is $60. per seminar, or $150 for 3 seminars. Seminars will be held at the Surry Music Therapy Center, located on route 176, 2.6 miles from the town of Surry.

MUS 298
Music as Therapy: Body Mind and Spirit

Dear Collegues, students, clients and friends,
I hope you are having a good summer. Please see the attached information in regard to a new Distance learning (online) course that I have developed for the University of Maine at Orono, MUS 298 Music as Therapy : Body Mind and Spirit.

http://dll.umaine.edu/info/fall2008/MUS298.html
Click on the above link to see a video segment that gives an introduction to the course.
I am excited about offering this course in the Fall of 2008. It is an innovative direction for music therapy in Maine. I hope it imight be of interest to you or someone you know.

Please contact UMO
Registrars office; email wanda.wesley@umit.maine.edu tele. 207-581-314 or 207-581-3140.
Please try to make your decision rather soon as the enrollment deadline is August 28th. I apologize for the short notice.
No musical training is necessary to enroll in the course.
In addition see the atttachments;
1) A course description for MUS298,
2) Two seminars at the Surry Music Therapy Center focusing music therapy and autism sectrum disorders.
3) A conference at Husson University in Bangor on Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Finally, please note that my correct email address is alan@surrymusictherapy.com
Please let me know if you are not able to open the attachments.

Feel free to contact me if you have other questions regarding the course MUS 298, or the September seminars or conference. I look forward to the possibility of being in contact with you via one of these upcoming September music therapy programs.
Alan Wittenberg

Alan Wittenberg M.A., CMT
Certified Music Therapist / American Music Therapy Association (AMTA)

Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders: Music Therapy and Sensory Integration

NO PRIOR MUSICAL TRAINING IS NECESSARY
Autism can be broadly defined as a disability that significantly affects one’s communicative, interpersonal, behavioral, and social functioning. Music therapy is a clinical and developmental treatment modality that can stimulate, motivate, and integrate an autistic client’s strengths and potentials. Music therapy supports the goals and objectives of the treatment team and is uniquely effective in working with autistic clients. Music as therapy offers energy, experience, and an emotional release in a non – threatening, engaging and enriching interplay between client and therapist.

Target Audience and Seminar Format
These carefully structured seminars will be of value to therapists, educators, ed. techs, administrators, university students, direct-care staff members, and family members. Seminars include video illustrations, workshop activities and activity ideas, question and answer periods, as well as in-depth resource handouts.

Learning outcomes include:
 Gain an overview of the field of music therapy in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
 Experience music therapy by participating in vocal, instrumental and movement workshop activities
 Discuss different music therapy approaches and see how these integrate with allied health and educator goals that can be creatively adapted and employed in treatment and in the classroom.
 Compile a list of music therapy activities and resources to integrate within clinical, educational, preschool and residential settings
1) Friday Sept. 19, 2008 “Autism Spectrum Disorders and Music Therapy”. Music therapy activities and concepts, music as meaningful interactive experiences for children and adults diagnosed within the autism spectrum will be illustrated and emphasized.
2) Saturday Sept 20, 2008 “Music Therapy: Autism and Sensory Integration” music therapy in support of occupational, speech and physical therapy goals and objectives.

Seminars are 10:00am to 3:00pm, with an hour for lunch / discussion. Please bring a bag lunch. Coffee and tea will be available at the seminar. The Fee is $60. per seminar or $100 for both seminars. CEUs (.5) from the University of Maine will be given to seminar participants. All seminars will be held at the Surry Music Therapy Center, located on route 176, 2.6 miles from the town of Surry.

Space is limited. It is necessary to register IN ADVANCE by phone 207-667-1308 or email
alan@surrymusictherapy.com to reserve a place. Further information on music therapy and the Surry Music Therapy Center can be found on its website: www.surrymusictherapy.com