Therapeutic music resources & links

Here is a list of certification programs, conferences, publications, books, and sheet music for therapeutic musicians.

Certification programs for therapeutic musicians

It is important to receive proper training to be a therapeutic musician. No one should administer treatment in a healthcare facility without being appropriately credentialed. Music is powerful. Imagine what would happen if you played music with an erratic rhythm to someone who just came out of heart surgery?

I received my certification from the Clinical Musician Certification Program. I chose this program because:

  • The coursework is a self-paced independent study which does not require the extra cost of traveling. Also, the price range of the courses fit more of what I could afford to spend on it.

  • The program certifies performers on voice or any acoustic instrument, not just harp.

  • You choose your own repertoire instead of using a restricted set of pre-selected tunes, which means you also get to change and improve your repertoire list over time.

  • They are accredited by the National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musicians.

Each of the following programs has a different scope of practice. Some of them allow or encourage patient interaction. Those that are harp-only sometimes have restrictions on the size or type of harp:

*Accredited by the National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musicians➚

Therapeutic music conferences

For continuing education and networking:

  • Somerset Folk Harp Festival➚, in Parsippany, NJ, is an hour west of New York City, held mid-July every year. Primarily for harpers, this fantastic, information-packed yearly conference offers an intensive track of individual seminars on therapeutic music. Get an introduction about what it’s like to be a therapeutic musician and enhance your skills with guidance on therapeutic improvisation and repertoire building. There is a great vendor hall filled with harp builders and sheet music, and there are plenty of other workshops about playing the harp.

Therapeutic music publications

The Harp Therapy Journal➚ is a quarterly newsletter with the latest in therapeutic music research and articles by key members of the therapeutic music community.

Books about playing music at the bedside

There is an extensive therapeutic music bibliography from the Music for Healing and Transition Program➚ with books on music and healing; healing and self-care; and aging, dying, and death. You can also check out the reading list for CMCP for additional books on the same subjects.

Melody’s Traditional Music and Harp Shoppe’s list of therapeutic sheet music also includes therapeutic music DVDs and books for purchase➚.

Harp Makers

The small Double Strung (DS) Harp with the dove that you see in my pictures is a Morgan Meghan model that you can find at Rees Harps. It has 27x2 strings on it and is fully levered on both sides (like all my DS harps). The big DS Harp with the leaves on it is made by Rees Harps as well, and it is an older model not made anymore - the Corlieu Falls model with 33x2 strings on it. My newest DS Harp is made by Stoney End and is a Loralea model with 29x2 strings. Other Harp makers include; Dusty Strings, Marini Made Harps, Heartland Harps and Blevins Harps. The same company that made my pedal harp, Lyon & Healy also sells lever harps (but not DS Harps).

Read more about how therapeutic music works, or see ways to contact me.