The Potential of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Techniques in Music Therapy Practice for People Living with Dementia: A Literature Review

The number of people with dementia has sustained growth in recent years. According to the World Health Organization (2012), dementia is one of the major causes of the loss of ability and independence for older adults worldwide. Due to the increase in the needs and demands of this population, there are more and more music therapy professionals devoting their effort to this field. Among a variety of music therapy approaches, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy practitioners also expand the ideas and beliefs from handicapped children to dementia care settings. There are six discussion topics in this literature review: (1) the main concepts of the Nordoff-Robbins approach; (2) examination of the current Nordoff-Robbins research and articles; (3) the effect of improvised music-making on people living with dementia; (4) the concept of developmental levels of dementia from Elizabeth Schwartz; (5) the NRMT techniques which can be utilized in dementia care settings; (6) discussion of how music therapists can utilize these concepts, ideas, and techniques in music therapy practice for working with geriatrics