Monday, November 28, 2016

Music is center of ‘note’-worthy therapy



The Community Music School of Buffalo, 415 Elmwood Ave., doesn’t only teach music; it also uses music to heal as part of its music therapy program. Music therapy is a unique mental health treatment where the participants listen to and play music. The two music therapists on staff, Brianna Miller and Sara Rogers, say they treat a wide variety of people from autistic children to elderly dementia patients. However, Miller and Rogers said that they often feel the profession is not treated seriously. “Music therapy is so much more than just someone playing therapeutic music for someone,” Rogers said. She added that practitioners must be board certified and prospective patients must be evaluated before a treatment plan can be developed. Patients can either be referred or can contact the music school directly to assess whether music therapy can benefit them. For more information visit http://communitymusicbuffalo.org/home/programs/music-therapy/  By Melissa Burrowes