Music perhaps best used by music teachers.

In her Issue Is article entitled "Should Music Be Used Therapeutically in Occupational Therapy'" (AJOT, March 1992, pp. 275-277), Anne MacRae discussed issues that are not new. From 1984 until 1987, Kitchener-Waterloo Hospital in Kitchener, Ontario, was fortunate to have a part-time music therapist as a member of its occupational therapy department. Music therapy was introduced with the client porulation as a means of improving lhe qual ill' of their lives; for various reasons, these clients did not participate in programs already well established on the unit by occupatiOnal therapy, physical therapy, physiotherapy, and volunteer activities. Referral for music lherapy was through the occupational therapy department (either from a rhysician's referral or from the occupational therapists). Many similarities existed between occupational therapy and music therapyboth therapies had an assessment, problem list, goals, and treatment rlan plus an evaluation period to see if the rrogram was obtaining the desired results. The major difference was that occupational therapy used a different treatment medium to reach the goals. During the period of haVing music therapy available, a video l was made thaI clearly illustraled the change in clients over a 2-month period. Changes in silling poslUre, awareness of the environment, and improved communication were juSt some of lhe areas of improvement that were illustraled in lhe video. I agree with MacRae that music "can promote heallh through the use of activity that involves all the occurational performance components" (p. 276). Let us look at some similarities of our profession and thaI of lhe music therapisl.