An Open Letter to the American Music Therapy Association: On Professional Neutrality, Ethical Consistency, and Cognitive Responsibility

* If you’re reading this as a follower of the blog, you can receive future posts directly by email here: https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/1939736/175726236254865315/share

Introduction

I write this open letter as a concerned member and advocate for the music therapy profession. I remain deeply committed to AMTA’s stated mission of advancing ethical practice, promoting access to quality services, and supporting the professional development of music therapists. I also share the grief and concern over the tragic loss of life in Minnesota and the broader psychological harm that violence, fear, and instability cause to individuals, families, and communities.

At the same time, I feel a professional obligation to raise serious concerns about AMTA’s recent public endorsement of the Stand With Minnesota platform. While I understand the humanitarian intent behind this response, the form, framing, and language of this endorsement risk undermining the association’s ethical neutrality, professional credibility, and commitment to impartial, trauma-informed care.

Professional organizations must not only express compassion. They must model intellectual rigor, ethical consistency, and cognitive responsibility. When public advocacy becomes emotionally driven rather than ethically grounded, it risks transforming a professional body into a political actor rather than a stabilizing institution of care.

---

On Language, Framing, and De-Escalation

One of the most concerning aspects of the endorsement is its alignment with highly charged language and framing. Platforms that describe federal enforcement as an “occupation” adopt rhetoric that escalates fear and polarization rather than promoting de-escalation, psychological safety, and social stability.

A profession grounded in trauma-informed practice should be particularly cautious about endorsing language that intensifies emotional arousal, identity polarization, and moral absolutism. Healing work depends on reducing threat perception, not amplifying it. Ethical care requires careful attention to how narratives shape fear, cognition, and behavioral responses in vulnerable communities.

AMTA’s public voice carries moral authority. When that voice aligns with emotionally charged advocacy frameworks, it risks eroding trust among members and clients who rely on the profession to remain neutral, stabilizing, and non-partisan.

“Healing professions should reduce polarization, not amplify it.”

---

 

From Background Noise to Intentional Care: What College Students' Music Habits Teach Us About Everyday Regulation

A new issue of Music Therapy Perspectives was just released, officially publishing a study I co-authored on how college students actually use music in their daily lives. While the article has been available online for some time, seeing it in the Fall 2025 issue feels like the right moment to pause and reflect on what these findings really mean beyond academic journals.

Here's the short version:

College students don't need more music.
They need more awareness of how music is already shaping their mood, attention, and stress levels.

And honestly? The same is true for most of us.

---

Music Is Already Doing Emotional Work

In our study, first- and second-year college students reported listening to music daily, often for two to three hours at a time. Most of that listening happened alone (in dorm rooms, cars, or through headphones), primarily through streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.

When asked why they used music, the answers were strikingly consistent:

• Over 90% reported using music to influence their mood
• Many used music to relieve stress or anxiety
• Others used it to cope with loneliness, boredom, or emotional overload
• Music was frequently used as a way to "escape," "relax," or "take their mind off things"

One student summed it up simply: "Just how I feel during the day."

What stood out wasn't just how often students used music—it was how naturally music had become part of their emotional regulation system, even when they didn't consciously frame it that way.

---