First Published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The fascinating and exciting evidence in this book has tremendous appeal. For students of Music Therapy, and others training in medical and paramedical disciplines, it can be considered an essential text for study, and required reading to gain an overview of the field. This book provides a landmark in the literature of Music Therapy. For the scientist, chapters on the biological and medical effects of music give a wealth of research evidence on the value of music in therapy and music in medicine. For readers from paramedical, educational and other clinical fields, there are eighteen chapters detailing music therapy techniques and approaches in psychiatry, pediatrics, learning difficulties, elderly and sensory handicap. Diagnosis and assessment are covered in considerable detail and the general effect of music is reviewed in many of the contributions. For all qualified music therapists and students.

Music therapy is recognised as being applicable to a wide range of healthcare and social contexts. Since the first edition of Music Therapy: An art beyond words, it has extended into areas of general medicine, mainstream education and community practice. This new edition revises the historical and theoretical perspectives and recognises the growing evidence and research base in contemporary music therapy. Leslie Bunt and Brynjulf Stige document the historical evolution of music therapy and place the practice within seven current perspectives: medical, behavioural, psychoanalytical, humanistic, transpersonal, culture-centred and music-centred. No single perspective, individual or group approach is privileged, although the focus on the use of sounds and music within therapeutic relationships remains central. Four chapters relate to areas of contemporary practice across different stages of the lifespan: child health, adolescent health, adult health and older adult health. All include case narratives and detailed examples underpinned by selected theoretical and research perspectives. The final two chapters of the book reflect on the evolution of the profession as a community resource and the emergence of music therapy as an academic discipline in its own right. A concise introduction to the current practice of music therapy around the world, Music Therapy: An art beyond words is an invaluable resource for professionals in music therapy and music education, those working in the psychological therapies, social work and other caring professions, and students at all levels.

This is the first comprehensive overview of the present state of research in art therapy and music therapy in the UK. It challenges assumptions about research in these areas, and makes use of research models from art history and music analysis as well as the more orthodox psychological and medical models used in clinical work. Informative and reassuring for those interested in undertaking research, the book gives lively accounts of the personal process of the art therapy and music therapy researcher. It presents the reader with many original ideas and strategies, and will be an invaluable reference book for practitioners and students of art therapy and music therapy, as well as for health professionals who work with them.

Music Therapy is making its way into the field of health sciences with evidence of its effectiveness in different disciplines. Chapter One presents considerations about social and cultural interactions that permeated the music therapy activities developed along an eight-year project hosted by a Brazilian university. Chapter Two covers a research study on the influence of 15-minute sessions of classic music therapy on physiological parameters of hospitalised premature newborns and discusses the use of music as a therapeutic tool for this population in neonatal care units. Chapter Three reviews and contrasts the results of scientific studies of music therapy made on the grounds of improving pain, physical wellness, anxiety, relaxation, mood and quality of life in cancer patients. In Chapter Four, the authors describe recent studies that have investigated the acute influence of musical auditory stimulus on autonomic heart rate control. Chapter Five considers the importance of including Music Therapy in rehabilitation programs for patients with Cerebrovascular accidents, and its potential to restore upper and lower limb movement. This book concludes with Chapter Six, a short communication that suggests an extension of the representational capabilities involved in the idea of the forms of vitality to a wider musical scope than the traditional one, which is mainly based on the parameters of rhythm, melody and harmony.

Can music help people to overcome or cope with mental health problems? Music therapy is a relatively new discipline; although the power of music to alleviate illness and distress has been recognised for centuries, it is only in the twentieth century that systematic research into the reasons for its efficacy has really begun. Leslie Bunt has written this book to explain the purposes and techniques of music therapy as it is practised today to a wide range of mental health professionals, and for all those interested in the use of creative arts in therapy. power of music to alleviate illness and distress has been recognised for centuries, it is only in the twentieth century that systematic research into the reasons for its efficacy has really begun. Leslie Bunt has written this book to explain the purposes and techniques of music therapy as it is practised today to a wide audience of mental health professionals, and for all those interested in the use of creative arts in therapy.