PRACTICE OF MUSIC THERAPY and IT’S EDUCATION IN SOME COUNTRIES

Throughout history, music has been utilized for therapy by civilizations such as in Egypt, China, Ancient Greece and Central Asia. “Magician doctors” of hunter-gatherer tribes have tried to cure patients through finding the voice and song of the evil spirits which are believed to cause the sickness. Central Asian Turks have used music for therapy and healing, along with worship and casting spells. Later, during the Seljuk and Ottoman periods, they have built therapy houses (şifahane), and written books on music therapy. There are African tribes which continue the tradition of music therapy even today. As for the more recent history of music therapy, we find that in 1848, a music therapist form Prague, Raudnitz, to be the first to investigate the importance of music in medicine, specifically in psychoses. Around this time and forward, studies on music therapy have started in different countries; music therapy associations have been founded; and later in universities, music therapy departments have been established. Currently, music therapy education is provided in undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels in many countries in America, Europe, and Asia. In addition, many independent foundations and centers are actively doing research on music therapy. In Turkey, however, music therapy education is not provided in any academic institution. Research, studies and performances on music therapy are being carried out by foundations, centers, academicians - usually through personal efforts. This study describes institutions that provide music therapy education and their current studies in Norway, Latvia, Japan, U.K., Argentina, Brazil, Egypt and Turkey.