The Music Therapy Profession: Inspiring Health, Wellness, and Joy by Christine Korb is a non-fiction guide that introduces readers to music therapy from the perspective of a practitioner to those who may look toward becoming one themselves. Broken down over seven interconnecting chapters, Korb enlists her own experience in the profession, as well as students who have benefited exceedingly from the path they chose for their own careers. Korb covers everything from who music therapists actually are and how to get into a program, to the job prospects and sessions, including the possibility of international work and the future of the profession.

Christine Korb has written a wonderfully comprehensive guide that will likely appeal to all who have a shared interest in music and the capacity to help others with The Music Therapy Profession. I admit that aside from my grandmother's mention of it as a piece to her own treatment, I knew very little about practitioners (a shame really, given how beneficial it has been to her health and quality of life). My absolute favorite part in this book was the audition essays from students, with particular relation to one student's experience with the residents of a home for retirees in the Alzheimer's and Dementia ward. She describes a resident who in all other situations is non-responsive and doesn't participate—except when she is able to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” with gusto and a massive smile. Give that there's nothing Korb leaves off the table, I'd be confident in recommending this as the go-to guide for anyone with an interest in music therapy.

The Music Therapy Profession: Inspiring Health, Wellness, and Joy by Christine Korb is an inspiring book that offers a general explanation of the field of music therapy and assesses the reasons that motivate those who enter it. Containing twenty-six essays written by former students who took a course in the field, the book offers a first-hand glimpse into their lives and what led them to their calling. In the essay, Why I Want to Be a Music Therapist, Letha L. Winger details why she chose to be a music therapist. As a sophomore studying piano pedagogy at Brigham Young University, Winger constantly felt pressured to keep up as she struggled to master the technicalities of her skill. Then she discovered music therapy which combined both music and psychology and from that point she never looked back.

The Music Therapy Profession by Christine Korb is distinct from other books that have been written on the subject as it contains a collection of essays that give a personal viewpoint from music therapists regarding what inspired them to follow this path. The former students come from a range of backgrounds but they all have a desire to help people through their musical skills and also an appreciation for music, especially its ability to heal. The work is effectively organized. It begins by defining what music therapy is. It also offers information on music therapy training among other important topics. It discusses the future growth of the field and also looks into how music therapy has grown worldwide. Both practical and inspiring, The Music Therapy Profession contains invaluable information for those wanting to become music therapists and for anyone curious to learn what music therapy is.

Music is a powerful language that is created from and speaks to the very depths of the human soul. It therefore stands to reason that music can be and is used to soothe, inspire, create, improve and everything else positive in one’s personal sense of being. All this coming from a retired music teacher who is proud to claim that some of her students have, in fact, chosen the career of a music therapist. Thus, when Christine Korb’s insightful book, The Music Therapy Profession: Inspiring Health, Wellness, and Joy, popped up for review, I jumped at the opportunity to read it and learn more about this auspicious career. But, it’s more than just a career: it’s a calling.

The Music Therapy Profession by Christine Korb is thoroughly researched and thoughtfully put together. It begins with an interesting look into the profession of music therapy. With profound words, like “Music therapy is a calling of the soul’s deepest longing” and “As a music therapist, we use music in a specific way to increase quality of life”, this book brings together the words and thoughts of both professionals in the fields of music therapy and those who are just beginning in their chosen path. Included in the book is a compelling collection of student audition essays (for students applying to enter the music therapy program) explaining why they want to be a music therapist. For many, it’s a calling, a desire to make the world a better place for those suffering from different ailments, either psychological and physical. A wonderful, very insightful look into this relatively new form of therapy.