When was the American Music Therapy Association formed?
Treatment of bereavement through music therapy
The use of music to soothe grief has been used since the time of David and King Saul. In I Samuel, David plays the Lyre in order to make King Saul feel relieved and better. It has since been used all over the world for treatment of various issues, though the first recorded use of official "music therapy" was in 1789 - an article titled "Music Physically Considered" by an unknown author was found in Columbian Magazine. The creation and expansion of music therapy as a treatment modality thrived in the early to mid 1900's and while a number of organizations were created, none survived for long. It wasn't until 1950 that the National Association for Music Therapy was founded in New York that clinical training and certification requirements were created. In 1971, the American Association for Music Therapy was created, though at that time called the Urban Federation of Music Therapists. The was created in 1983 which strengthened the practice of music therapy and the trust that it was given. In 1998, the American Music Therapy Association was formed out of a merger between National and American Associations and is now the single largest music therapy organization in the world (American music therapy, 1998–2011). More about the history along with general information and application of music therapy can be found on the website.
Chamber Music America
Chamber Music America was founded in 1977 by 34 musicians with the principal aims of uniting, serving, and advocating for small ensemble music professionals. After first initiating a series of residencies designed to bring small ensemble performance into new, community-oriented venues, CMA was chosen by the National Endowment for the Arts to administer NEA's first chamber music grant program.