Music Therapists’ Thoughts about their Future and the Direction of the Profession

An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Method Study

Abstract

This research examines the responses of music therapists in the United States to two open-ended statements regarding their future plans (795 responses) and the direction of the profession (782 responses), along with responses to 12 Likert-type statements focused on participants’ perceptions of the American Music Therapy Association. As part of a larger, multi-step survey, this mixed methods analysis provided a framework through which to investigate responses to each open-ended statement, which were further categorized by levels of work satisfaction (Meadows et al., 2022b) and then connected to response trends to the 12 Likert-type statements regarding the American Music Therapy Association. Analysis of these data suggest the vast majority of music therapists intend to stay in the field and undertake professional activities that support their growth and expanding their knowledge and work beyond music therapy. Future plans were, however, significantly impacted by the music therapist’s level of work satisfaction, suggesting some systemic issues in the profession. Responses related to the direction of the field were far more mixed, inextricably connected to work satisfaction levels, and reflected in responses related to the American Music Therapy Association. Taken together, these findings suggest that while the majority of music therapists are focused on growing professionally, they have mixed perceptions about the direction of the field and faith in the American Music Therapy Association.