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Elliot Health System is a non-profit organization serving your healthcare needs since 1890.
Child Life Program

Music Therapy Program

What is Music Therapy?

Music therapy is the use of clinical and evidence-based music interventions by a credentialed professional. Music therapists are educated and clinically trained to provide support to patients and their families with the use of specified music intervention. At the Elliot Hospital, patients and families admitted on the pediatric unit may have the opportunity to engage in live music making during hospitalization as a way to promote activity, reduce anxiety and help patients cope during illness or injury. Active music listening experiences may also be utilized to help promote relaxation and sleep and/or provide a calming support for patients and families. On the NICU music therapy can help support neurologic development, foster family interactions, and promote relaxation by providing live singing right at bedside.


Our Music Therapists:

  • Hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in Music therapy
  • Complete a rigorous 2400-hour practicum and internship training
  • Are nationally certified through the Certification Board of Music Therapy(https://www.cbmt.org/about/ ) and are supported professionally by the American Music Therapy Association ( https://www.musictherapy.org/ )
  • Hold additional credentialing as a registered NICU MT

How Can Music Therapy Help My Child?

MT InstrumentsMusic therapy interventions during hospitalization can include:

  • Instrument play
  • Ukulele lessons
  • Music assisted relaxation
  • Live music at bedside
  • Supported parent-infant directed singing
  • Multimodal neurologic enhancement and parent training
  • Pacifier activated lullaby
  • Music pacification techniques


Ukulele Kids Club

The music therapy program at Elliot Hospital is supported by the Ukulele kids club, a foundation that believes in helping hospitalized kids just be kids through the power of music. The Ukulele kids club provides a generous donation of ukuleles to the pediatric unit for use in ukulele lesson and independent patient play. To learn more about Ukulele Kids Club, make a donation or access free resources please visit the foundation website at https://theukc.org/