Bridging Familiarity with Unfamiliarity: The Use of Music Therapy to Normalize the Pediatric Hospital Environment

Abstract

This article explores how music therapy can help to normalize the hospital environment for pediatric patients regardless of their acute or long-term status. Many different facets of how normalization can be utilized through music therapy are explained, as well as some case examples to further demonstrate these circumstances. The main concept of this article is to reflect upon how normalization of the hospital environment, via music therapy, may provide pediatric patients with an opportunity to explore their healthy selves rather than focusing on their illness or medical ailments. Case vignettes are also provided to enlighten the many facets of normalization and show how music therapy may offer unique ways of accessing feelings of normalization.