Music Therapy in Taiwan
|Historical Introduction| |Professional Development| |Professional Status of Music Therapy| |Economic, Social and Cultural Factors to Music Therapy Development in Taiwan| |Theoretical/Philosophical Tradition of Music Therapy Practice and Research| |Reference|
Historical Introduction
The systematic development of music therapy in Taiwan may be traced back to early 1990s, when a group of music professionals, receiving or being introduced to music therapy related training while studying abroad, returned to their native land and promoted the powerful educational/healthcare alternative. Ms. Chu-Sui Chung, a Certified Music Therapist (CMT) by former American Association of Music Therapy, was invited to facilitate the process. For the following years, this group of devoted pioneers invited numerous music therapy specialists from the United States, Japan, and Germany such as Profs. Lisa Summer, Frances McClain, Sr. Jean Gileno, Dr. Hans Helmut Decker-Voigt, and Dr. Clive and the late Carol Robbins for intensive workshops (Tsai, 2002). On June 8th, 1996, Music Therapy Association of Taiwan (MTAT) was officially founded. The association first dedicated its missions to (1) increase the public awareness of functional use of music for physiological, psychological, and sociological well beings, (2) sponsor professional workshops (in music therapy), (3) continuously educate for (music therapy) related professionals, and (4) research the effectiveness of music in education, counseling, rehabilitation, and medicine (MTAT, 1996). The association now continues to feature regional, national, and international music therapy activities on a regular basis. In 2003, the association readjusted its Chinese title to emphasize its research orientation in music therapy.
Professional Development
Currently, there are approximately twenty music therapists carrying professional credentials or completing accredited music therapy training from the United States (mostly CMTs or RMTs, with only a handful of MT-BCs), England (SRAT-MT), and Germany. Some self-taught music therapists are also observed. There is not yet a separate accreditation system for music therapists established. These therapists work for various organizations ranging from rehabilitation centers, medical or psychiatric hospitals, children developmental center (early interventions), community-based mental health centers, residential institutions, special education in public school systems, to associations for the developmentally challenged, foster care services, halfway shelters, and counseling services at colleges (Tsai, 2002). About 50% of these music therapists hold full time positions at clinical settings; the others work on part-time contractual basis between educational and clinical institutions. The primary population Taiwanese music therapists serve is people with developmental challenges, ex. autism, mental retardation, Down syndrome, following those in mental or physical rehabilitation. The music therapy services to the elderly and individuals dealing with end-of-life issues are increasing in demand. Meanwhile, several music therapists also serve as adjunct faculty members at various postsecondary institutions, providing introductory music therapy courses as electives. Two colleges in addition to MTAT that systematically feature music therapy seminars and conferences are Taipei Medical College and Fu-Jen Catholic University.
Professional Status of Music Therapy
The music therapists in Taiwan are overall well regarded as clinicians or educators. They are respected as "teachers," like the ones in Japan, (Okazaki-Sakaue, 2003), especially those who are working with children. However, Taiwanese music therapists are still on the stage of "fighting for survival" in both financial and professional recognitions. The financial support for clinical music therapist relies on donations, private payments from clients or their families, research grants, or budgeted salaries; currently, the insurance providers do not reimburse music therapy services. The on-staff stipend for music therapists, comparing with that of other healthcare professionals with similar education and training, is considerably below the average. The financial prospective of private practice is slightly better. A music therapist may charge from NT$1,000 per hour per person (approximately $30 US dollars) for each one-to-one or NT$ 500/person/hour for the small group session; the hourly rate also varies in accordance to the affordability of clients.
In terms of professional recognition, the accredited music therapists still have to work on distinguishing themselves from the commercial-driven, "pseudo" music therapy services via public education. For instance, the desperation for the instant relief from discomforts lead consumers to seek for "over-the-counter," mass-produced "music Rx" collections. The concept of preventive usage of music is distorted by the intensive marketing of "smart," "balanced" music recordings. Not to mention that some individuals with little or no professional training publicize their music therapy services, grasping every profitable opportunity! In fact, the effort for increasing the awareness of music therapy is sometimes discounted by the misconceptions within the promoters despite their passion. These phenomena hopefully will decrease as the profession becomes more mature.
Economic, Social and Cultural Factors to Music Therapy Development in Taiwan
The most influential economic factors to music therapy development in Taiwan are associated with its fast-pace life style and business-oriented sociological tendency. The misconception to music therapy as "listening to music for the relief of targeted symptom" is still very popular in Taiwan. Therefore, people would go after the music collections that emphasize the fascinating curative power, or "Music Rx," in hoping for an instant effect, and, to the business venders, for the placebo effect to take its course. For the sake of profit, these merchants are delighted to reinforce this aspect of public image concerning music therapy. After all, comparing with prolonged medical/therapeutic procedures, purchasing CDs is a relatively painless, less costly, and superficially efficient investment. Consequently, this economic-driven attitude creates an obstacle to an ethical music therapist, who knows that even a proven-to-be-effective therapeutic intervention does not demonstrate its expected outcomes overnight, when communicating with clients and their family members.
The development of music therapy in Taiwan also corresponds with some cultural trends. First, the "child's need/achievement goes first" attitude from parents helps explain the demand of music therapy services for children with developmental challenges. It may somehow imply the fact that the special education resources are not necessary within reach. The Taiwanese music therapy pioneers were able to reach the clients and their parents who had failed most conventional approaches and demonstrated eye-opening effectiveness of music therapy. Nowadays, there are advertisements marketing "music therapy interventions" to children of normal to mildly delayed development, some are provided by those with minimal music therapy trainings. Although a large number of parents enroll their youngsters in such programs primarily for peace of mind, it demonstrates that more efforts should be contributed into promoting music therapy professional ethics and consumer educations. People's desire to seek natural remedies without known side effects during or after treatments also encourages the development of music therapy. In Taiwan, music therapy is occasionally compared with "Herbal medicine", which most people are familiar with, although the accuracy of this paradigm is worth discussing.
Theoretical/Philosophical Tradition of Music Therapy Practice and Research
The theoretical/philosophical orientation of music therapy in Taiwan appears to be eclectic. It is highly correlated with therapists' educational background. More than 50 percent of accredited music therapists in Taiwan received their degrees from Europe or former AAMT approved programs, which emphasize more psychodynamic aspects of music therapy practice and qualitative nature in research. Fellows from former NAMT approved programs are more quantitative in documentation and tend to apply techniques for behavioral modification more often. There is minimal music therapy clinical research conducted in Taiwan by music therapists. Some professionals in allied disciplines such as nursing and special education have introduced the concepts of (1) preferred music listening for alternating physical and/or psychological parameters related to anxiety (ex. alcohol addition, laboring process, etc.) (Chang, 2002; Lee, 2000; Liu, 2001; Tsai, 2001; Yu, 1997), depression (Lai, 1999, Lu, 2002b), and pain reduction (Huang, 1999b; Lee, 1999); (2) musical activities for improving self-concept and behavioral disturbance (Huang, 2001; Lu, 2002a), linguistic performance (Wu, 2000), and social interaction (Tsai, 1996; Hung, 1999; Huang, 1999a) into their academic researches. These documents are mostly quantitative. Since the development of music therapy in Taiwan is still in its infancy, the theoretical/philosophical orientation of music therapy practice and research is constantly readjusted to better accommodate cultural, social, and economic uniqueness of the society.
The official website of MTAT is at http://home.kimo.com.tw/mtat89/ (currently under construction).
Reference
Chang, S. C. (2002). [Effects of Music Therapy on Women's Anxiety, Stress and Satisfaction during Cesarean Delivery]. Masters Thesis. Kaohsiung, Taiwan: Kaohsiung Medical University.
Huang, C. Y. (1999a). [Repetition and Variation of Communication Activities in Music Therapy: A Qualitative Case Study]. Masters Thesis. Taipei, Taiwan: Fu-Jen Catholic University.
Huang, S. H. (1999b). [Effects of Music Therapy on Relieving Pain and Symptom Distress among Hospice Cancer Patients]. Masters Thesis. Taipei: Taiwan: Taipei Medical College.
Huang, C. Y. (2001). [The Theoretical Basis of Aesthetic-Education-Oriented Music Therapy and the Action Research of the Use of Music Therapy in Counseling for Junior High School Students]. Masters Thesis. Hualien, Taiwan: National Tung-Hua University.
Hung, S. I. (1999). [The Effects of Music Therapy Activities on Social Skills of Junior High School Students with Moderate to Severe Mental Retardation]. Masters Thesis. Taipei: Taiwan: National Normal University.
Lai, Y. (1999). Effects of music listening on depressed women in Taiwan. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 20(3): 229-46.
Lee, Y. J. (1999). [Effects of Music Therapy on Pain Level, Physiological Responses and Psychological Perception of Cancer Patients]. Masters Thesis. Taoyuan, Taiwan: Chang-Gung University.
Lee, Y. J. (2000). [Effects of Music Therapy on Sleep Quality and Emotional Status for Institutionalized Elders]. Masters Thesis. Taipei: Taiwan: National Taipei College of Nursing.
Liu, Y. S. (2001). [The Effect of Music Therapy on the Reduction of Pain Perception and Anxiety of Mothers of Fist-time Virginal Birth]. Masters Thesis. Kaohsiung, Taiwan: Kaohsiung Medical University.
Lu, C. H. (2002a). [A Study of the Effects on Self-Concept and Behavior Disturbance by Performing Music Therapy Teaching Activities to Elementary School Children]. Masters Thesis. Chiayi, Taiwan: Nanhua University.
Lu, S. F. (2002b). [Effect of Music Therapy on Improving Anxiety and Depression for Alcoholism]. Masters Thesis. Taipei, Taiwan: National Taiwan University.
Music Therapy Association of Taiwan (1996). [The Proceeding of First Assembly]. Taipei, Taiwan: Author.
Okazaki-Sakaue, K. (2003). Music therapy in Japan. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, May. Retrieved May 10, 2003, from http://www.voices.no/country/monthjapan_may2003.html.
Tsai, A. T. (2002). [The current development of music therapy: National and international perspectives], in Y. C. Wong, et, al., Music Therapy. Taipei, Taiwan: Prophet.
Tsai, J. M. (2000). [The Anxiety and Physical Effect of Music Therapy for Preterm Labor Women In Non-Stress Test Period]. Masters Thesis, Taipei, Taiwan: National Defense Medical Center.
Tsai, C. F. (1996). [Effects of Music Group Therapy on Improving Negative Symptoms and Personal Interaction of Chronic Schizophrenic Patients]. Masters Thesis. Taoyuan: Taiwan: Chang-Gung College of Medicine and Techology.
Wu, H. Y. (2000). [The Influence of Musical Activities on the Effectiveness of Multidisabled Children's Languages Learning in the Elementary School]. Masters Thesis. Chiayi, Taiwan: National Chiayi University.
Yu, J. J. (1997). [Effects of Music Therapy on State Anxiety in Open-Heart Surgery Patients during Weaning Ventilator]. Masters Thesis, Taipei, Taiwan: National Defense Medical Center.
How to cite this page
Lee, ChihChen Sophia (2003). Music Therapy in Taiwan. Voices Resources. Retrieved January 09, 2015, from http://testvoices.uib.no/community/?q=country/monthtaiwan_november2006
