Music Therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. … Music therapy also provides avenues for communication that can be helpful to those who find it difficult to express themselves in words. – American Music Therapy Association.

BKCM offers one on one and group music therapy sessions.  An initial phone call or email exchange leads to an intake session for us to assess placement. Fall and Spring semesters run 15 weeks.  Summer semester runs 7 weeks. 

Email our onsite music therapy clinical coordinator, Marie Lewis at marie.lewis@bkcm.org. An initial phone call will be set up so you can discuss goals for music therapy and schedule an intake session. 

An intake session is scheduled with your child and one of our music therapists.  The therapist and child will play music together with the therapist offering many musical, verbal and non verbal choices to gauge the child’s interests and strengths.  Our assessment is designed to get to know your child and assess where music can help with developmental, social and emotional growth.  We use piano, keyboard, guitar, small percussion, drums, movement and singing to assess communication, motor, social and expressive ways of being.

People of all ages and abilities can benefit from music therapy.  Many of the students we see onsite are looking for social, emotional, communicative and relational growth and development.  Music Therapy allows for both verbal and non-verbal expression, increasing avenues of communication while engaging physically in accessible and motivating forms of musical expression.

Yes. We have a financial aid coordinator for the music therapy program. We have limited financial aid based on need. Please reach out to Kris Mandapat kris.mandapat@bkcm.org, if you’d like to apply for financial aid. 

Your FI or broker can confirm if your Self Direction budget provides coverage for Music Therapy. Music Lessons are covered 100% by Self Direction.  More information about Music Lessons can be found here.

In addition to our onsite program at our building in Park Slope, Brooklyn, BKCM partners with schools and community organizations to provide music therapy at their site.  Some of the organizations and schools we currently partner with are City Access, Manhattan Children’s Center, PS 372@113 and CAMBA. A full map of our partner sites can be found on our website.

All music therapy partnership programs are set up individually based on the goals for a music therapy program at each site.  BKCM MT bills hourly.  A typical individual or group session is typically 30 to 45 minutes long.  There must be a minimum of 3 hours of consecutive hours for us to send a therapist to you.  Contracts are for 6 months to 1 year of service.  We try to subsidize programs in high need schools.  If you are interested in starting a music therapy program at your organization, please contact Dannyele Crawford, Music Therapy Outreach Program Coordinator. dannyele.crawford@bkcm.org.