This can mean the difference between purposeful behavior and random behavior for an individual with profound disabilities. Individuals are further encouraged to maintain participation by the intrinsic motivation music carries. Music further structures behavior by eliciting physical and emotional responses. These two responses are tied together and influence each other. It has been stated that behavior is more likely to change if you can alter the emotional response.
Music is effective at creating motivation, which therefore makes behavior change more likely.
Music must be carefully selected to elicit the desired responses that will bring about therapeutic changes in behavior. If music is used first to facilitate a response in people with profound disabilities, it may then be used to enhance and augment the behavior after it has been elicited. Furthermore, musical behaviors often reflect other patterns of behavior. Music is also valuable in behavior modification because it can be used to manage behaviors non-physically. Music can be used as a contingency to encourage appropriate behaviors, however, because of the multiple benefits of music, it should not be taken away from an individual because they behaved inappropriately.