Brooklyn Music School Launches New Music Therapy Program

Brooklyn Music School (BMS) announces its new Music Therapy? program, offering services for individuals and groups, from ages 5 to 95, beginning in October 2018. Group sessions and classes run in 10-week cycles and take place at 126 St. Felix Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217. Tuition starts at $22 per class and registration is available at https://www.brooklynmusicschool.org/music-therapy.

BMS Music Therapy offers a range of exciting programming including weekly Sound Meditation classes in the morning and evening, relaxation and creative expression for seniors, and creative expression through music for all ages. BMS Music Therapy provides option for both individualized and group therapy, so as to meet the specific needs of children and adults in Brooklyn's diverse community. In the therapeutic relationship, the emotional, psycho-social, and developmental needs of our clients are considered and addressed in the process of creating music together through mutual and mindful listening, creative inquiry, and self-expression.

Music therapy services are provided by board-certified, licensed music therapists and seasoned sound meditation practitioners under the clinical supervision of our Director of Music Therapy, Katie Down, (MT-BC, LCAT). All of our sessions are in compliance with the HIPAA and AMTA Codes of Ethics & Standards.

"Creative arts therapies are now recognized as an essential component to health and wellbeing in hospitals, clinics, and schools. BMS music therapists are trained in the most up-to-date music therapy practices in order to provide a high standard of services," said Katie Down, Director of Music Therapy. "Music has a way of connecting us no matter our age, cultural background, cognitive and physical ability, and these approaches can help to relieve pain and anxiety, enable positive thinking and creativity, and facilitate a profound sense of wellbeing and connection."

"Brooklyn Music School was an innovator in the area of music therapy dating back to World War I, when our faculty employed music as an effective tool to heal returning soldiers whose bodies and souls had been shattered during the Great War," Said Crocker Coulson, Chair of the Board of Trustees. "In the intervening decades, music therapy has proven to be efficacious in treating a wide range of issues, from autism and mood disorders in young people to promoting rehabilitation from stroke and remediating Alzheimer's in the aging. We are extremely gratified to reintroduce this important discipline."

Programs include:

"Musikids" groups of up to 8 for ages 5 to 7 focusing on basic development and cognitive skills, socialization, cooperation, and always a sense of play!

"Golden Calm" for senior groups, ages 60 and up to help with, focus, memory enhancement, gross and fine motor skills, and social connection through music, gentle yoga stretches, breath-work and guided meditation.

"Music and Mindfulness" for all ages focusing on contemplative practice in deep listening, relaxation, and connection through music and sound with lessons in the basics of mindfulness with helpful tools to create our own meditation practice with sound and music.

"Individual Sessions" providing music therapy and music psychotherapy for all ages with a board-certified music therapist and/or LCAT in a dedicated classroom with privacy that can accommodate the needs of each client to be able to express themselves through music.

The Brooklyn Music School views music and performance as the birthright of all people, an essential way that human beings connect with others and explore their creativity. The study of music has been demonstrated to enhance academic learning and helps to develop discipline and confidence that will serve children well throughout their lives. As part of the vision of reinventing the community music school for the 21st Century, BMS is dedicated to:

* Making high quality musical instruction approachable and affordable to a wide range of students,

* Creating frequent opportunities for performance for our students and cultural enrichment for our community,

* Representing a wide range of musical traditions, including European, African, Middle Eastern, and American to represent the diversity of Brooklyn's musical talent, and

* Offering a warm and welcoming space for families and individuals to explore new talents and make lasting friendships.

For more information, visit www.brooklynmusicschool.org.

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