Music as a Therapeutic Tool

Throughout time, all known cultures have used music in ritual-, ceremonial- and artistic settings. Music has been used for leisurely purposes, as entertainment, propaganda, and last but certainly not least – for its healing and therapeutic aspects.

An awareness of music's healing nature, as well as its ability to influence people in numerous ways can be traced back as far as the written word.

The impact that music has on us has always been a point of great interest to all different cultures. Theories as to why have shifted over time, but it has, through all time, been used as means of healing or for alleviating various types of ailments.

Today, the term "music therapy" is used in many different contexts. The term is not confined to the field of music itself – instead it can be found within healthcare, habilitation, different forms of psychotherapy, specialized music listening methods, and, of course the FMT-method.

Nowadays, it is important to differentiate between forms musical practices. On the one hand, we have the practice of music, where music is used for the purpose of the making music or musicianship. On the other, we have the practice of music therapy, where music is used as a tool with the aim of developing different functions.