Director and Professor of Music Therapy Myra J. Staum, Ph.D., RMT-BC, of Willamette University, Salem, Oregon, utilizes music as a tool to encourage development in social/emotional, cognitive/learning and perceptual-motor areas. According to Dr. Staum, music therapy has a wide variety of functions with the exceptional child, adolescent and adult in medical, institutional and educational settings. “Music is effective because it is a nonverbal form of communication,” Dr. Staum said. “It is a natural reinforcer, it is immediate in time and provides motivation for practicing nonmusical skills. Most importantly, it is a successful medium because almost everyone responds positively to at least some kind of music.”