The IU Music Therapy program may be gone, but Indiana is still full of opportunities for those seeking solace

Everyone remembers the familiar "next time won't you sing with me" rhythm of the ABCs song they learned as a child. It was the sing-song tune that drilled the 26 letters into your head and you probably still find yourself reciting it from time to time. Listening to soft music lulls young children to sleep and often soft tunes are played during massages or in other relaxing environments. More upbeat tunes are used as components to work-out sessions and for motivation. Music is a universal language used not only for enjoyment but also as a therapeutic tool. \nMusic therapy is defined by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), founded in 1998, as "the prescribed use of music by a qualified person to effect positive changes in the psychological, physical, cognitive, or social functioning of individuals with health or educational problems." Music therapy is a growing practice that incorporates the pleasure of music into a wide range of therapy sessions.\nDebra Burns, a music therapist at the IU Cancer Center, says music has the potential to benefit humans in many ways. Anything from Alzheimers disease to children's education to cancer can be affected by music therapy. \n"Music can be used to improve moods or for depression and anxiety," Burns says. "Deep breathing with the tune and beats and the enjoyment of listening is a therapeutic goal itself. People derive pleasure from music."\nMary Ellen Wylie, director of the music therapy department at the University of Evansville, says a lot of clients turn to music therapy because of the non-invasive quality of the treatment. \n"There are no shots or medicines; no pain," she says. "We provide a very different source of therapy that incorporates the familiar element of music." \nBut the therapy is about more than just listening to music. Writing the lyrics, talking about lyrics, performance and imagery are all incorporated into music therapy programs depending on the patient's needs. Healthy individuals can also benefit from music as an alleviation from stress or as part of an exercise program. Music can also stregthen relationships between therapists and patients.\nBurns became involved in music therapy after getting a bachelor's in music education. She decided she wanted to help kids in the school system and went on to receive her equivalence degree and complete the necessary work hours with a practicum to become certified. AMTA is responsible for setting the training standards for therapists.\nUsually music therapists work alongside another type of therapist such as a physical therapist. A physical therapy program like this would be much more enjoyable for a patient who may not like exercise, but who loves music. The music provides the motivation to get moving. An example Burns gives is a patient with Parkinson's disease. \n"The patient may be working on walking with a steady gait," she says, "and they can use the beat of the music and are less likely to fall."\nThe biggest misconception about music therapy, according to AMTA's Web site, is that the patient needs to have some form of musical ability for it to be beneficial. The truth is, music therapy encompasses all different styles of music and programs are designed specifically for each client's individual needs.\nMusic therapy serves a variety of purposes. Hospitals, nursing homes, schools and psychiatric facilities are just a few of the places where music therapy may be available. Hospitals utilize music therapists for help in easing pain, improving moods or physical movement of patients, and for calming and relaxation. It is also often incorporated when a woman is in labor. Elderly nursing-home residents benefit from the stimulation, and children's communication and physical coordination skills can be positively affected.\nThere are approximately 70 music therapists practicing in the state of Indiana right now, with three undergraduate programs available at the University of Evansville, IU-Purdue University Indianapolis and St. Mary's of the Woods. The first music therapy degree program was started at Michigan State University in 1944.\nThe University of Evansville's program has been around for 28 years. Director Mary Ellen Wylie says there are a good portion of music students involved in the program -- approximately one third of music students are in the music therapy program. \nWylie says interest in music therapy has increased in the past couple years with an increase in the number of agencies practicing. She says the program has seen a constant flow of interest from high school students seeking programs. \nDespite this increased interest, IU's School of Music does not currently have an undergraduate program for music therapy. IU had a program back in the 70s, but the professor who ran the program, relocated to the University of Kansas and no one took over. Burns says she would like to see a program on campus -- and she isn't alone. Interest in music therapy exists on campus and around Bloomington. T.J. Calanta, a freshman, had planned on majoring in music therapy after initially learning about it from a news report, but was unable to do so because the lack of a program. \n"Music therapy was my first choice for a major," he says, "but I decided to come to IU so I'm not going to be able to major in it, so I'm just going to be a music major."\nWylie says one of the reasons many schools don't have a music therapy program is because of the considerable expense involved in starting any kind of music program. \n"Not every campus can invest in that kind of new program," Wylie says. "Right now we see a steady demand for the program, but not until we have about 75 percent of those programs unable to handle the demand will there probably be a huge growth." \nWylie, who started out as a music education major became interested in music therapy through a friend because she was interested in how it helped people with disabilities. In more recent years she has spent a lot of time working with the elderly.\nWylie says she sees the therapy benefiting her elderly clients in a number of ways.\n"It is very stimulating, which is good for people in nursing homes because a lot of times their days seem to blend together," she says.\nBy helping client's re-learn songs from 30 or 40 years ago and talking about the songs, they can reminisce and compare life from then and now. The group setting also allows them to share with each other. Physically, the therapy is also beneficial, Wylie says, because the deep breaths they take when singing helps their lung capacity. A lot of times hand-held percussion instruments will also be used to create a group effort with wood blocks or drums and this helps not only socially but also with attention and perception.\nBurns says she has found there are very few people who aren't at least willing to talk and learn more about the way music therapy works. \n"There's a good background in research available," she says. "I would just tell them, let's design a study and see if it does work, but I'm not saying it's for everyone. It's a matter of finding out who it is best for"