Music is for everyone
Music speaks to us all, from our first memories to our last. While people make music for the pure enjoyment of it, music also helps us learn, heal and transition from one stage of life to the next.
Music is more than entertainment. Music is teaching. Music is speech. Music is movement. Music is therapy.
Amanda Martin is a board-certified music therapist who works with energetic pre-schoolers through elderly dementia patients and uses music to enhance the quality of their lives.
What is Music Therapy?
Music therapy uses music to achieve non-music goals, such as improved
thinking, enhanced communication, and more physical agility.
Music therapy can improve the quality of life for lots of people, including kids with autism, developmentally disabled adults, veterans with trauma, people recovering from a physical injury and seniors living with dementia.
Amanda provides therapy in group settings, such as personal care homes, well as at day centers and in out-patient support groups.
Why Do Kids Need Music?
Kids love music, but through structured sessions, they also learn skills that set them up for social and academic success.
Music sessions re-enforce material learned in the classroom, giving them another way to engage with the material.
Amanda contracts to provide trained, curriculum-based music sessions in child-care centers and schools around Athens.
Reviews
See what people have to say about the value of music and music therapy.
A care partner approached me to share how much she and her mother have been enjoying music therapy with Amanda Martin, and how beneficial it has been for her mom. Since her mother started attending weekly music therapy classes, she has had more energy and seems more engaged at home. Relatives have noticed a change in her mood and energy levels the day after music therapy. English is her mom’s second language and as her dementia has progressed, she only speaks in her native tongue. But music therapy still allows her to interact with others regardless of language because everyone is just enjoying familiar songs and sounds, and moving their bodies to familiar beats.
Kellye Call Morgan, director of the Dementia Resource Center, Athens Community Council on Aging
"My kids always looked forward to music day with Ms. Amanda—it was truly a highlight of their week. She has such a natural way of connecting with children and making music joyful, accessible, and fun. In a world that moves fast, I’m grateful for the pocket of time they had with Amanda to slow down, clap their hands, listen, laugh, and just be.”