Expanding understanding

As the only non-music therapy major here, I feel like I am not only uneducated about music therapy, but had a false notion about what music therapy truly is. I became more interested in music therapy this last semester; my first semester of college was the only time I had not been involved with my violin since I started playing in the first grade. Until then, I never realized how much I would miss playing it. As an exercise science major, I plan to go into physical therapy, focusing on an alternative or holistic approach. My mother brought to my attention the existence of music therapy as a field, and how I could incorporate that into physical therapy. I started researching more about it, and from what I read it looked very interesting and beneficial. To me it was a route that would incorporate both of my passions into one area of study and practice.
I learned that music therapists commonly incorporate African drums as well, and as I have also been playing African drums off and on since fourth grade, it was very important to me. I know African beats and dances are all focused around the heartbeat, controlling rhythm, and are relatable to every living being.
I have also read about different melodies or pieces that can change an individual’s brainwaves to specifically help the person reach a certain mood or mindset. This goes along with chanting as well, or the use of Tibetan bowls, which send off vibrations for therapeutic effects. I do not yet know if it has something to do with how we perceive and interpret the vibrations that make the sounds, rhythms, and tones so therapeutic, but this is something about which I would love to learn more.
It was not until I arrived in Thailand with another group of students for study abroad experience about healthcare in Thailand that I realized I did not know exactly what music therapy was. I have now been in Thailand over a month. For the first two weeks, I learned about Thailand’s health care as well as Chiang Mai University’s nursing school. We had the opportunity to talk with doctors of all specialties: alternative, psychiatric, HIV, etc. When I toured the hospitals in Chiang Mai, they showed us the “music therapy program” for some of these patients. This consisted of a band playing in a big room for the patients. My whole view of the degree changed when they told me their idea of music therapy and I became slightly disappointed. However, once I joined this group, I learned music therapy is very useful with helping children, elderly, and the disabled. I can see how it works conjointly with physical therapy as well as occupational therapy.
Nevertheless, my area of interest is working with athletes. As much as I love working with children, or even athletes in the Special Olympics, I would really like to work with sports injuries and prevention/rehabilitation in respect to athletes. I recently asked Dr. Dena if there was any information of the use of music with regards to athletes, and I learned that this is an area that is not well researched yet. However, I would LOVE to research how music could be self healing for patients not only recovering, but for going into surgery, or coming out of surgery, or for calming nerves down before a big competition, etc. I would even be interested in the research for meditation (specifically for injuries/pain levels/mental rehabilitation) and the rhythm of concentration on the breath. I think learning about that would be very beneficial for my area of interest.
I can say my perspective of music therapy has flipped a 180, and I feel like the more I think I know what I want to do with my life, the more I get confused! I am excited to see what else this trip will offer me and what I will take home with me for my future. As for you, the reader, I’m curious to know if and how your perspective of music therapy has changed for you during the time that you have known about music therapy?