Mary Beha looks through a one-way window at her son, Matthew, who strums along to “Rainbow Connection.” She remains in the side room so that Matthew does not get distracted, but watches intently.
The Behas have been coming to the clinic in Glidden Hall for about four years for Matthew to receive music therapy treatment. After he caught a virus when he was two and a half, Matthew had to relearn hearing, vision and cognitive skills. Matthew, now 27, is weak on his left side, but his therapy is helping him gain strength.
“It’s an outlet, it’s a way for him to express himself,” Mary said. “I don’t think he understands as far as helping with the muscular elasticity, but I think it’s a way for him to express his love of music, pick out songs he likes and meet kids that have similar issues and use music as a way to relate.”
According to a survey done by the American Music Therapy Association, about one million people received music therapy services in 2010. Music therapy uses musical interventions to work on a number of different mental and physical areas.
“Music therapy is great at going hand-in-hand with other therapies,” said Erin Spring, owner of Central Ohio Music Therapy. “(They can) collaborate together to accomplish goals more efficiently.”
Spring is an adjunct professor of music therapy at Ohio University and also is a therapist at the Athens Community Music School. She said, depending on the time of year, she sees six to 12 families regularly, including the Beha family.
Music therapy has many different uses, such as pain regulation and emotional applications. According to a study done by the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, “rhythmic entrainment may reduce levels of anxiety in autistic children,” which Kamile Geist, director of the OU music therapy program, said is related to self-regulation of an internal rhythm.
“Children and adults seek out (rhythm),” Geist said. “If you’ve ever sat in a class and seen somebody (tapping their pencil), it’s actually his or her body trying to regulate. That person is probably having problems focusing. … For people with disabilities or children with autism, they don’t know how to regulate.”
Music therapy is also done in groups, which allows for some different objectives and methods, said Jessica Schlabach, a board-certified music therapist and first-year graduate student.
“You have a lot more people who can facilitate socialization type goals,” said Schlabach, who also works for Central Ohio Music Therapy. “It creates some sense of belonging, and music makes that happen very quickly.”
During Geist’s 10 years in Athens, numerous developments have occurred in local music therapy. Central Ohio Music Therapy and the Athens Community Music School, including the clinic in Glidden, all formed during this time.
Music therapists are scattered throughout the Athens area in various places, including hospitals and hospices. Students in the music therapy program at OU do practicums under supervision in different places in the area, such as the Gathering Place, where Schlabach supervises, and nursing homes such as Hickory Creek.
“We’re a very young field,” said Schlabach. “(It’s) about 60 years old, which when you compare that to counseling or doctors, we’re babies. (People) have a knowledge that music therapy exists, but not how far it reaches.”
eb104010@ohiou.edu
