Music Therapy

If you are interested in becoming a music therapist in the U.S., there are two organizations with which you need to be familiar:

• American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), which accredits music therapy programs (it is important to select an AMTA-accredited program in order to sit for the certification exam.)
• Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT), which administers a national exam to graduates of AMTA-accredited programs and issues music therapist credentials (MT-BC) to those that pass the exam.

Education

Because people come to the music therapy profession in many ways, there are a variety of degree options for entry and advanced levels of music therapy education. Accredited programs include coursework in music, human development and therapy, and music therapy.

Practice Settings

Music therapists work in a variety of settings with a variety of clients: agencies serving individuals with emotional, developmental, or physical disabilities; hospice care, substance abuse programs, oncology treatment centers, pain/stress management clinics, and correctional settings. There are also opportunities to work in special education settings where they provide either direct services to students with disabilities or function as consultants for music educators and special educators.

Need more information?

Start your exploration with the AMTA and CBMT web sites.