Music intervention is a therapy easily accessible to children and as such can be effective in many fields: the main applications concern autism, prematurity, terminal illnesses, deafness, language and learning disorders and behaviour problems. When we are not in the presence of a pathology, music therapy becomes an opportunity to grow personal and group self-esteem, an opportunity for listening to “feel together” and for expression to “live music”, play with the voice, with the sound of the body, objects and instruments. During gestation, music therapy is used to increase awareness and perception of corporeity, body resonance, listening; teaches the importance of the voice, gestures and movements, their uses and meanings. It alleviates symptoms of stress in women with high-risk pregnancies, forced to be hospitalized before giving birth. In the neonatal period, music modulates the level of attention of newborns, causing pleasant or irritating sensations, influencing tone and mood. Melodious tones characteristic of language directed at newborns bring the little one closer to language, through the musical aspects of linguistic input. Music therapy acquires an even greater significance for premature babies: rediscovering the emotions experienced in the maternal body (body resonance, contact, …), the mother’s care and the sonorous and tonic dialogue with her. It brings physiological and psychological benefits to newborns admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units. In healthy premature infants, after exposure to Mozart’s music, there is an increase in oxygen saturation, the rate of non-nutritive sucking and body weight, a decrease stress levels, heart rate, salivary cortisol and a significant reduction in resting energy expenditure. In early childhood, understanding the musical aspects of language (prosody and rhythm) is essential for subsequent linguistic development. The treatment of speech disorders has these premises and is based on the principle of “listening to listen to yourself”, finding the intonation of the “true” voice. In the more specific learning problems, music therapy is based on the therapist-child dialogue, the discovery of the relationship, expressive gestures, sounds, the voice, articulation and the profound meaning of words and written signs. Significant evidence supports the value of music therapy also for the promotion of social, emotional and motivational development in children with autism, with an increase in the frequency and duration of joyful events, greater emotional synchronization in relationships and initiative capacity. “Making music “, in particular in musical imitation and synchronization activities, activates brain regions that partly overlap with the Mirror Neuron system, with important implications therefore in the field of rehabilitation and treatment of Generalized Developmental Disorders. The purposes of the treatment in these pathologies are: intentionality towards listening, giving value and meaning to the child’s behaviours and gestures, welcoming and valorising any hint of a new gesture, allowing communication (especially affective), allowing the expression of one’s feelings. It also seems that, in children under the age of two, social play develops more if subjected to group musical therapy, both in the case of premature and full-term children. Group music interventions also reduce aggression and increase self-esteem in children with highly aggressive behaviour. Another study carried out on a sample of children (2-6 years) with severe burns suggests providing a structured rehabilitation program, consisting of music therapy, exercises and occupational and physical therapy since it a greater increase in both passive and active ranges of movement (elbow and knee) was noted compared to patients subjected to standard therapy alone. A considerable number of studies have also evaluated the usefulness and relevance of music therapy in an integrated treatment program paediatric palliative care. The greatest effects concern communication and the perception of discomfort of both the young patient and the family. Faced with neurological pathologies such as Infantile Cerebral Palsy, an indispensable premise for music therapy treatment is support for parents, strengthening the mother-child relationship (especially in the first years of life) and promoting communication. The child is asked to get involved personally and the aim is to increase his skills, gratification in the face of successes acquired and awareness of his strengths and weaknesses. In Down’s Syndrome, instead, we work to improve the relationship (shared attention) and tonicity (body resonance), strengthen emotional-muscular tone, prolong attention spans, encourage movement, develop self-control, increase self-confidence , promote the development of verbal language and the main learning. In sensory disorders, the music therapist must first of all establish a positive relationship with the child, make him feel welcomed and appreciated and introduce him to the new environment. For visual deficits (blindness and low vision), the main therapeutic objectives are: allowing the child to explore the surrounding world guided by sounds, developing the space/time dimensions through sound waves, promoting motor skills and movement, learning to relate if himself and others in the real world and be an autonomous protagonist of his actions, of his learning and of dialogue with others. In cases of deafness or hearing loss it is important to let them experience sounds, access language through singing, teach them to listen, perceive sound waves (vibrating body) and finally allow, where possible, the use and mastery of the voice. At the same time, we must also work on self-esteem and strengthening our personality. In all the areas of intervention in developmental age previously described, the strong point of the treatment remains the parallel sharing of objectives and changes (positive and negative) with parents, through conversations and, if necessary, also providing therapeutic support.

Summary 

The word “music” can have a double meaning, scientific and artistic, so it is defined as the art that express by means of sounds feelings of human soul. Musical sound, cortically elaborated with total involvement of the nervous system and of the mental functions, affects not only emotions, but physical, cognition, relationships and sociality. Nowadays there are many kind of music therapies, which share the rational use of sounds to promote the well-being of the whole person. There are many different application’s fields, health, for prevention, rehabilitation and support, and welfare, to improve psycho-physical balance and harmony. In developmental age, music therapy is used for autism, prematurity, terminal illness, deafness, language and learning disorders and behavioural problems. If there’s no disease, it is useful for self-esteem and group growth, opportunity of listening and expressing himself. Psychotherapeutic music therapy tries towards sound, music and movements to open communication channels in individual’s interior world, using a different non-verbal code, based on the Individual Sound Identity. According to that principle, music can have a therapeutic effect only if the time of music is the same of the mental time of patient, which is the addition of all music elements learned since conception. Music therapist use many intervention techniques, active and receptive, in particular sing, musical instruments, rhythmic activities, improvisation, composition and listen. A characteristic therapeutic use of music is based on Tomatis Method, a discipline which improve the listening function introducing a psychological dimension and which use an instrument called Electronic Ear. Relationships between music therapy, physiology and neurosciences are yet to be developed. Was found that musical input acts not only on Central Nervous System, but on emotional pathway too; however it is necessary and desirable to integrate musicology and neurosciences together, for the enrichment of scientific background and the definition of new common models of application.