Music Therapy is something I remember hearing about right around the time I was going  off to college. I recently went and looked at the site “American Music Therapy Association” and it was established in 1998. I personally think it is a very creative way to addressing  stress and providing an alternative to medicine in the pill form. I believe that the world is already way too medicated. I also think people need to just calm down. Now even though I don’t see music therapy as being a widely accepted practice, I do think they have a great idea. I mean who didn’t listen to music when they were a teenager (not that I am saying you don’t now); your parents make you mad or even a sibling or maybe just school sucked that day. So you go home and go to your room crank up your favorite tunes and just relax. Teenagers deal with a lot of stress, not that I am saying that adults don’t however when you are starting to gain independence and responsibilities and your body in changing and your mind is developing and your hormones are going crazy; I myself just loved to crank up the music and let if all float away. Even today if I have a bad day at work the first thing I do when I get to the sanctuary of my car is blast the radio to a song I like scream it out to an audience of  myself and let all the days problems just go.

I see this therapy  being most helpful to young adults, because it is not just about listening to music and feeling better,  about palying or writing or whatever will let you express yourself and let it out. (Madonna had it right!) Now insurance does pay for this and like anything to do with an insurance company not all apply and not all will be covered but that site does go into pretty good detail about different states and coverage.

I think before parents throw their children on ritalin or concerta or zoloft or any more of those “make my children act right drugs” maybe this could be a safe and drug free alternative to calming and destressing. Music by nature is supposed to be joyous and a sort of celebration or at least that is my take on it. I mean to right down the words and put it to music and then lay it down on cd or vinyl or whatever it has to be something that not only appeals to you but is something others in the world can appreciate as well.

I think that music is a wonderful thing and I personally try and listen and watch as much as I can. I also think that maybe not as far as going to a doctor and be prescribed music, I have used music many many times to help me get into a better mood or let something go, and I am sure I am not the only one.  So anyway if anyone is feeling a bit overwhelmed try putting on something you find calming and turn down the lights and turn up the volume