Michel, D. E., & Pinson, J. (2005). Music therapy in principle and practice. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. 164 pages. ISBN: 0-398-07542-5. $46.95

Michel, D. E., & Pinson, J. (2005). Music therapy in principle and practice. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. 164 pages. ISBN: 0-398-07542-5. $46.95. In what was originally intended as a third edition to Michel's Music Therapy (1976, 1985), Michel and Pinson offer an easily readable, brief, concise, and personal approach to this new introduction to the principles and practice of music therapy. The approximately 134 pages of text reflect the authors' experience in clinical practice, training, and research within a behavioral paradigm. The reader is provided with an overview of Michel's research and clinical experience combined with Pinson's clinical experience and pragmatism, and the subtle humor of his "And Furthermore" contributions. Three pages of references support the material presented in the text. The study questions at the end of each chapter provide a ready resource for test development, and the appendix of selected web-based resources offers a unique contribution. The eleven chapters begin with an overview of the field starting with a "lively" discussion and interchange between the authors as they explore their definitions and philosophies of music therapy. A brief description of the profession's history as an activity therapy, followed by a quick glance at employment opportunities for music therapists, completes the first chapter. In chapter two, "Professional Guidelines," the authors discuss the Iso-Principle, protocol planning, and the element of change as essential principles in the practice of music therapy. The chapter concludes with an overview of Michel's "Stress and Developmental Skills Model" and brief descriptions of the four diagnostic categories that will be discussed in the text: developmental disabilities, psychiatric disorders, physical disabilities, and behavior disorders. In chapter three, "Assessment" is discussed within the context of the developmental skill areas of Michel's model: motor, communication, cognitive, and social-emotional. The chapter continues with a brief discussion of assessment measures using strengths and weaknesses to establish baselines, and concludes with an example. In chapter four, "Protocol Planning," goals are defined as a "direction for treatment, as determined by measurable objectives" (p. 43). Objectives are defined as an "immediate focus of treatment, which includes a specific measurable outcome, a condition for achievement and a projected time of completion" (p. 46). The evidence of Pinson's humor is again clearly present in his song for learning and remembering how to write objectives, "Writing an Objective" (p. 48). The chapter comes to a close with a section on implementation and evaluation. The succeeding chapters are clinically focused and organized so that each chapter addresses the skill areas of Michel's "Stress and Developmental Skills Model": motor, communication, cognitive, and social-emotional. Each chapter briefly explores preliminary considerations, conditions and causes, diagnostic areas and music therapy interventions with case descriptions for each chapter based on the authors' experiences. A chapter on "Professional Ethics and Disclosure" includes several examples of ethical violations for study and reflection that are based on the AMTA Code of Ethics. The text finishes with an introductory chapter on research and final comments from the authors in chapter eleven, "Looking Back-Looking Ahead." The obvious strength of this book is its readability. The language is clear, concise, and personable. The authors' discussion about their own philosophies and definitions of music therapy was neatly framed as a caveat for the reader to get started towards developing their own definition of music therapy. The distinction between habilitation and rehabilitation helped to clarify the development of protocol planning for individual client needs. The authors demonstrated a clientfocused orientation to therapy by advocating a treatment approach to help a challenged individual develop important life skills, rather than labeling a client with diagnosis or placing an individual for treatment based on a diagnosis. …