THE CONCEPT OF MUSIC THERAPY IN THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT

Abstract

Music has been widely used throughout history as a healing force to alleviate physiological conditions and stress, but it is only relatively recently that music therapy has begun to develop as a full-fledged profession and discipline. What has changed is modern and research-based human health practice, as well as new and inclusive ways of connecting with music. This dual identity of music therapy, both as a health profession and discipline and as a music profession and discipline, contributes to the enormous diversity of practices that characterize contemporary music therapy. The profession of music therapist is strengthening its role in education, society and health care at the international level. The undeniable possibilities of the therapeutic and educational influence of music in its analytical and synthetic form on pathologically altered mental and somatic processes in the human body became the impetus for the emergence of a new scientific direction – music therapy as one of the therapeutic and educational methods. The term “music therapy”, most often used in literature, is of Greek-Latin origin and means “musical treatment”. On the definition of the term “music therapy” and its concept in the scientific literature, there are many different, quite often opposing views of domestic and foreign authors who participate in the theoretical and practical development of this relatively young science. An analysis of music therapy literature and research in a historical and cultural context brings together some of the core functions and methods of practice, research and teaching for which the profession of music therapy is known worldwide. The study of the foreign experience of the formation and development of this profession and discipline allows to introduce the practice of music therapy and develop the profession of music therapist in Ukraine.