History of Music Therapy in the United States and Canada

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Dr. Gene Ann Behrens
Regional Liaison for North America
Contact: northamerica@wfmt.info[/caption]

I often find it interesting to read about the history of music therapy in various countries – when and how the profession evolved. So I thought I would share a bit about the history of music therapy in the United States and Canada. Interestingly, there are similar paths as to how each of the professional groups developed.

The earliest known references to music therapy in the United States can be found within two anonymous articles written in 1789 and 1796, both on the use of music in therapy. Support for the development of music therapy as a profession began to gain momentum during WWI and WWII within the Veteran Administration hospitals and work by Eva Vescelius, Isa Maud Ilsen, Harriet Ayer Seymour, and Willem Van del Wall. The first degree program began in 1944 at Michigan State University, and the first graduate program was initiated in the late 1940s at the University of Kansas. E. Thayer Gaston and William Sears also had key roles in the early development of the profession. The first organization, the National Association for Music Therapy, began in 1950, and in 1971, a second organization began, the American Association for Music Therapy. The two national groups joined in 1998 to become the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) which presently involves seven regional organizations.

In Canada, music therapy dates back to the 1950s and the early work of Fran Herman who began the first ‘remedial music program’ in 1956. Alfred Rosé, Norma Sharpe, and Thérèse Pageau also each developed additional therapeutic programs involving music therapy during those early years. In 1976, the first educational program was developed in Canada at Capilano University by Nancy McMaster and Carolyn Kenny. The first graduate program began at Concordia University in Québec. Discussion about forming a professional organization began at a conference in 1974 and the Canadian Association for Music Therapy (CAMT) becoming officially incorporated in 1977. The Canadian association is made up of seven provincial associations.

Gene Ann Behrens

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