"We were looking for something special for him and he really likes music,"
said Dustin’s father, Jason. "He now has a better attention span and is calmer.
His language has also improved," the Sunnyside resident said.
Piccinnini has been practicing music therapy since 1979. He opened Richmond
Music Center in 1989 and began working with children with diagnoses like autism,
Down syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety
Piccinnini explains that music lessons and music therapy differ in that, in
the latter, children don’t necessarily learn to play an instrument. Depending on
their needs, they work on physical, cognitive, emotional or social skills.
The outlet such therapy offers for communicating without words is especially
helpful for those students who are non-verbal or have language delays
"We focus more on specific goals and it’s tied into their schooling with
speech, occupational therapies," said the state-licensed music therapist.
"Parents inform me of their treatment therapy and we work with that. We look for
how they can achieve their fullest potential."
The primary tool used is improvisation, which Piccinnini describes as "a
medium capable of capturing tremendous differences," and one that can help
children express whether they feel ecstatic or angry, sad or upbeat.
Piccinnini, a musician himself, lets the children lead, taking cues from them
as he plays along on instruments like the guitar or piano and offers encouraging
words. Instruments the children employ in the music therapy sessions include
various drums and guitars, piano, tambourine, xylimba and kalimba. There’s also
"When you play an instrument, music has a way of being therapeutic
inherently," he continued. "It gives them the built-in benefit of feeling more
in touch with themselves, while improving mood and reducing stress."
A DIVERSE FIELD
Al Bumanis, a spokesman for the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA),
said music has been used for therapeutic purposes for centuries. His association
came into being shortly after World War II, with a focus more on mental health
and soldiers returning from war.
Since then, the industry has grown, with music therapists treating people of
all ages, and a range of disabilities. "It’s very diverse," Bumanis noted. "Our
people work from prenatal to hospice and palliative care. It runs the whole
For children, music therapy offers a "safe way to express themselves," he
said. The overall goal is to transfer what they learn to everyday tasks, whether
paying better attention in school, acting out less frequently or verbalizing
"It’s a fun activity," Bumanis said. "It doesn’t look like therapy and that’s
sort of key to it."
As it becomes more widely recognized, more insurance agencies are covering
music therapy, Bumanis said.
He noted the field recently garnered media coverage as a tool that aided in
the recovery of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords from a gunshot
wound to the head suffered during a mass shooting last year. And a character in
popular author Jodi Picoult’s most recent novel, "Sing You Home" was a music
Marco Cuffaro of Huguenot has been taking music therapy with Piccinnini since
he was 18 months old. The now-7-year-old has been diagnosed with both Down
syndrome and autism and is non-verbal.
His mother, Maria, said music therapy has given Marco an outlet for his
feelings, including his frustration. He has tried other therapies, she said, but
seems to enjoy music the most – evident as he banged on drums and made sounds
along to the beat during a recent session.
"Music therapy helps him to be more productive," Mrs. Cuffaro said. "It’s a
positive energy release."
It also has helped Tyler Zielinski of Travis, who is on the autism spectrum.
During a recent session at Richmond Music Center, he sang "Twist and Shout" as
he played the drums and Piccinnini accompanied him on guitar.
"I feel happy when I’m playing," the 7-year-old said.
His mother, Tara, observed that when her son played the music video game
"Rock Band" he would "come alive," which led her to look for a place where he
could play real instruments.
"When he’s playing, it calms him down and he’s very focused," Mrs. Zielinski
said. "I feel like it’s starting to transfer over, and he’s more calm in
general. We’re thrilled it’s been helping him."