Additional Information
If you want to get a job as a therapist, it's a good idea to get some work
experience. You can do this by volunteering in nursing homes, camps for children
with disabilities, and other settings that serve the needs of people with
disabilities.
"It will help you find out if you like it," says music therapist Cheryl
Farris-Manning. Volunteer positions can also lead to part-time and summer
jobs.
The next step is choosing an educational program. Most music therapists
have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in music therapy. Many hold master's
degrees. Some schools offer postgraduate programs for students who have already
completed an undergraduate degree in a related field.
In either case, the standard curriculum blends either a major or minor
in music with a major or minor in psychology, plus a lengthy period of practical
unpaid internship at an approved facility.
If you know you want to work in a particular field -- say, acute medicine
alongside physicians and nurses -- then Farris-Manning says you'll want to
try to serve your internship in the same type of setting.
In the United States, music therapy programs are approved by the American
Music Therapy Association. Graduates from the programs are entitled to take
a certification exam administered by the independent Certification Board for
Music Therapists.