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The field of music therapy encompasses multiple schools of thought, each possessing its own unique philosophy.

The philosophies yield different approaches as to how therapists leverage music to achieve therapeutic goals.

The various approaches lead to diverse ideas about the musical skill set required to enter the field.

Since I began writing my book, Music Between Your Ears, I’ve learned a great deal about the field of music therapy. I am grateful to Dr. Suzanne Sorel for recently expanding my understanding further. I heard her speak at a music therapy conference earlier this year. Afterward, I contacted her to ask if she would be willing to discuss how different philosophical approaches influence music therapy education. She graciously accepted my invitation.

Dr. Sorel relates that she was always interested in music while growing up, but her mother insisted she pursue a practical career if she wanted music to remain part of her life. Knowing she neither wanted to teach music nor live the life of a performer, she became a highly trained music therapist. She earned a doctor of arts (DA) degree and holds credentials as a licensed creative arts therapist (LCAT) and a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC). She also has decades of clinical experience. A professor at Molloy University, and passionate about preparing future music therapists, she established Molloy’s Graduate Music Therapy Program in 2008 and directed it through 2024.1 During that time, she taught and supervised hundreds of music therapists from the local, national, and international communities.

Music Therapists’ Relationships With Music

We began by discussing how music therapists orient their relationship with music. Dr. Sorel describes herself as a music-centered therapist.2 She explains, "If it makes musical........

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