One reason for music’s popularity as a social work tool is because it exists in every culture and clime.
There’s a song for virtually every human activity. As such, it’s often easy to relate with societies and facilitate positive change through music that resonates with their cultures and beliefs.
However, using music as a form of therapy isn’t a modern phenomenon. The ancient Greeks often used flutes and lyres to treat physical illnesses.
Aristotle also famously wrote that flute music could purify the soul.
However, as psychological and societal music therapy evolved with time, intervention strategies were developed.
Music therapy interventions involve using rhythms and sound to influence human behavior and reactions.
Often, they consist of hands-on activities, such as group singing, solo performances, and music-related games. Interventions could also involve passive exercise, such as mindful music meditation.
Why Music Therapy Is an Effective Tool for Social Work
Engaging and influencing societies towards positive change often begin with appealing to your target audience. Here’s why music can serve as an effective tool to appeal to communities:
1. Music Can Convey Information
Although music offers entertainment value, it can also be a tool for communication. Songs often contain messages that can affect and influence our emotions and behavior.
However, it’s not just song lyrics that are influential. The tone and rhythm of a song can also impact how an audience perceives its message.
Interestingly, songs without lyrics can also convey messages and affect emotions through their melodies.
Since music spreads across every human culture, social workers can leverage it as a medium to communicate ideals and principles to foster societal change.
However, music is culture-specific. As such, communicating ideals and values through songs will involve leveraging music that resonates with a specific society, or else the message will be lost.
2. Music Can Inspire and Motivate
Music often serves as a source of relief and hope in difficult times. Songs can lift us during challenging situations and inspire us to fight our way out of life’s struggles.
Research shows that music-related activities, such as dancing, can help with psychological issues such as depression and anxiety.
For social workers, music can serve as a tool to promote positive attitudes and behaviors across societies.
For societies dealing with specific struggles (such as poverty and homelessness), you can leverage music as a tool to reach out and inspire these communities while helping them tackle these struggles.
3. Popular Local Musicians Can Appeal to Your Target Audience
Since music is culture-specific, bringing together local musicians during social outreaches is an effective way to appeal to target communities.
However, the right local musician for social outreach depends on the demographic.
In order words, your audience’s age and gender influence your choice of local musicians.
Rap and hip-hop musicians may appeal to a younger audience in specific societies; however, they may not effectively communicate with and influence older individuals.
Conclusion
Music as an art form spreads across every human culture. As such, it’s an effective social tool to relate with, influence, and impact communities.
However, since different cultures have varying expressions of music, organizing an effective social outreach through music requires leveraging songs, rhythms, music-related activities, and musicians that resonate with your target audience.
