We are celebrating Minnesota Music Therapy Week at Children’s Minnesota from April 22-26. Music therapists will be hosting a variety of events throughout the week, including a “musical petting zoo” on each campus allowing patients, families and staff to come and try out all music therapy’s various instruments/therapeutic tools.
Children’s Minnesota has a total of five board-certified music therapists (MT-BCs) and two full-time interns between the Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses. Music therapists use evidence-based techniques to achieve individualized, non-musical goals. 
For example, you might see a music therapist in a patient room using a steel-pan drum to improve standing balance and endurance, writing a song with a patient to promote emotional expression and coping, or leading a group in the playroom to engage patients in movement, developmentally appropriate skills, and interaction with peers.
In 2018, music therapists delivered 3,335 music therapy sessions and served 652 patients in a group setting. Music therapists are adding to their services in 2019 by adding 16 hours per week for Critical Care units.
Benefits of music therapy
Music therapy can have benefits such as:
- Pain management
- Physical rehabilitation
- Anxiety and stress reduction
- Self-expression
- Family support
- Relaxation
- Normal growth and development
- Opportunities for choice and control
- Positive change in mood and emotional states
- Learning coping skills and techniques
- Effect positive physiological changes
We are celebrating all of our amazing music therapists this week at Children’s – thank you for all that you do and all the children you help!