Records of the American Music Therapy Association

Collection

Identifier: MMTA

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Records of the American Music Therapy Association consists of materials dated 1729 to 2016, with the majority of the holdings falling from 1950 to 2010. The collection documents the history of the American Music Therapy Association and its predecessor organizations, the National Association for Music Therapy and the American Association for Music Therapy. Material types consist of governance documents, financial records, committee records, meeting minutes, publications, conference programs, academic and clinical facilities records, correspondence, brochures, clippings, photographic materials, and audio and video tapes. Additions to the collection continue to accrue and include books, articles, recordings, and photographs that, in some cases, predate all of these organizations.

Dates

Creation: 1729-2017
Creation: Majority of material found within 1950-2010

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection. However, it is stored off-site, so advance notice is required.

Restrictions on Use

Not all of the material in the collection is in the public domain. Researchers are responsible for addressing copyright issues.

History

In the United States, the practice of using music therapy to treat people with physical and psychological disorders dates back to the late eighteenth century. During the first years of the twentieth century, physicians, musicians, and psychiatrists presented clinical evidence that music could be effective in a variety of settings. In the 1940s, a number of educational institutions started programs to train music therapists at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Graduates of these programs comprised the first group of professionally trained music therapists, most of whom worked with persons with mental illnesses.

With the establishment of music therapy curricula at a small number of colleges and universities during the mid-1940s, movement toward the formation of a national organization began. Music therapist Ray Green chaired an organizational committee to form a national music therapy association and would become the first president. The first meeting of the new organization, named the National Association for Music Therapy (NAMT), took place in June 1950 in New York City. Attendees adopted a constitution, set goals, developed membership categories, and appointed a standing committee for research. The first annual conference, held in conjunction with the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), took place in Washington, D.C., during December of 1950. The years following the founding of NAMT focused on improving education and clinical training as well as establishing standards and procedures for the certification of music therapists. Professional publications enhanced the credibility of the young organization.

A second organization, the Urban Federation for Music Therapy (UFMT), later named the American Association for Music Therapy (AAMT), was established in 1971. Many of its purposes were similar to those of NAMT but the association differed in the way music therapists were trained academically and clinically. In January 1998, the National Association for Music Therapy and American Association for Music Therapy merged to create a single organization, the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). Since the merger, the profession of music therapy has continued to grow, with emphasis on high standards for education, clinical training, and clinical practice. Today there are more than 3,500 AMTA members in the United States and abroad working in diverse settings with a variety of clientele.

Extent

153 linear feet (102 record cartons)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Founded in 1998, the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) promotes the progressive development of the therapeutic use of music in rehabilitation, special education, and community settings. AMTA actively fosters the advancement of education, training, professional standards, credentials, and research in support of the music therapy profession. Predecessors to the American Music Therapy Association include the National Association for Music Therapy (founded in 1950) and the American Association for Music Therapy (founded in 1971). The collection documents the history and activities of the AMTA as well as the two earlier organizations. Material types include governance documents, financial records, committee records, meeting minutes, publications, conference programs, academic and clinical facilities records, correspondence, brochures, clippings, photographic materials, and audio and video material.

Arrangement

The materials in the collection have been arranged into 3 series in 102 boxes. The series correspond to the American Music Therapy Association and its two predecessor organizations, the National Association for Music Therapy and the Urban Federation for Music Therapy/American Association for Music Therapy, with subseries reflecting material types or dates of acquisition. The files of the American Music Therapy Association continued to be received in annual accessions, and so series are listed chronologically by year, with categories for each year corresponding to the subseries of the NAMT, AAMT, and AMTA holdings.

Series 1: National Association for Music Therapy, 1950-1997 and undated

Subseries 1.1: Governance documents, 1950-1997 and undated

Subseries 1.2: Financial records, 1956-1996

Subseries 1.3: Committee records, 1956-1995 and undated

Subseries 1.4: Meeting minutes, 1950-1997

Subseries 1.5: Handbooks, 1966-1997

Subseries 1.6: National office annual reports and other business, 1962-1981 and undated

Subseries 1.7: Publications, 1930-1997 and undated

Subseries 1.8: Publications of organizations other than NAMT, 1729 and 1930-1997

Subseries 1.9: Conference programs, 1950-1997

Subseries 1.10: Academic program records, 1948-1987 and undated

Subseries 1.11: Clinical training facility records, 1948-1997 and undated

Subseries 1.12: Correspondence and records of individuals, 1919-1997 and undated

Subseries 1.13: Photographs, audio and video media, 1948-1997 and undated

Subseries 1.14: Memorabilia/artifacts, 1982-1995 and undated

Subseries 1.15: NAMT regional files, 1950-1997 and undated

Subseries 1.16: National Association for Music Therapy Students and Student Advisory Affairs Boards files, 1965-1997 and undated

Series 2: Urban Federation for Music Therapy/American Association for Music Therapy, 1971-1999 and undated

Subseries 2.1: Governance documents, 1971-1997 and undated

Subseries 2.2: Financial records, 1972-1996 and undated

Subseries 2.3: Committee records, 1973-1995

Subseries 2.4: Executive board meeting minutes, 1971-1997

Subseries 2.5: National office materials, 1980-1995 and undated

Subseries 2.6: Publications, 1971-1996

Subseries 2.7: Conference programs, 1973-1997

Subseries 2.8: Academic program records, 1980-1996

Subseries 2.9: Correspondence, 1970-1997 and undated

Subseries 2.10: Photographs, audio and video media, 1981-1999

Series 3: American Music Therapy Association, 1998-2016

Subseries 3.1: AMTA regional files

Subseries 3.2: Memorabilia

Subseries 3.3: 1998 materials, 1998

Subseries 3.4: 1999 materials, 1999

Subseries 3.5: 2000 materials, 2000

Subseries 3.6: 2001 materials, 2001

Subseries 3.7: 2002 materials, 2002

Subseries 3.8: 2003 materials, 2003

Subseries 3.9: 2004 materials, 2004

Subseries 3.10: 2005 materials, 2005

Subseries 3.11: 2006 materials, 2006

Subseries 3.12: 2007 materials, 2007

Subseries 3.13: 2008 materials, 2008

Subseries 3.14: 2009 materials, 2009

Subseries 3.15: 2010 materials, 2009-2011

Subseries 3.16: 2011 materials, 2011

Subseries 3.17: 2012 materials, 2012

Subseries 3.18: 2013 materials, 2013

Subseries 3.19: 2014 materials, 2014

Subseries 3.20: 2015 materials, 2015

Subseries 3.21: 2016 materials, 2016

Acquisition

In recognition of the national and international prominence of the music therapy program at Colorado State University, the American Music Therapy Association selected the CSU library in 1998 to preserve the Association's historic records. The collection was assembled by AMTA archivist William Davis, a Professor of Music Therapy at CSU, from a number of sources including the National Association for Music Therapy (NAMT), the American Association for Music Therapy (AAMT) and the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), as well as from individuals and educational and clinical institutions associated with the music therapy field. A second accession of materials related mostly to NAMT was received in several batches starting in 2008, and accruals to the third series are received annually.

Online Materials

Some materials have been scanned and are available through the Colorado State University Libraries website. In the electronic version of this document, direct links appear in context. One electonic file is not online. Contact Archives and Special Collections to access this file.

Processing

Processing of the first and second series was mostly completed in June 2007, and finished in 2016. The processing of the second accession of the National Association for Music Therapy will be completed at a later date, and processing of series three (The American Music Therapy Association), is ongoing as materials are received. Materials were rehoused in acid-free file folders and boxes. Metal fasteners were replaced with plastic clips, and rubber bands and self-stick notes were removed. Personal identification numbers were blacked out or destroyed and duplicates of material past a second copy were not retained. The content was arranged by association and, within associations, by subject matter, or date.