The Music Engagement Scale: An Instrument to Measure Engagement in Music Making

Work Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Department

Music Therapy

Keywords

engagement; music therapy; Nordoff-Robbins; psychometrics; reliability

Abstract

Music engagement is a central process of music therapy, but there remains a need for a feasible instrument to measure it. The Music Engagement Scale (MES) addresses this need with a single-item process measure of music engagement. This study evaluated the sensitivity to change and inter-rater reliability of the MES using a convenience sample of 20 clients (ages 1–69 years) receiving individual sessions in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy (NRMT). The majority of clients were autistic children. Three independent raters with graduate training in music therapy, but no advanced NRMT training, rated the 1st, 8th, and 15th sessions. Results showed sensitivity to change in MES scores across sessions. Inter-rater reliability was acceptable-to-strong at the 1st and 15th sessions, while reliability was lower at the study midpoint. These findings suggest that the MES may be used to measure changes in music engagement over the course of music therapy, and that inter-rater reliability may vary over the course of treatment, potentially increasing when music engagement levels are more stable. The MES may be applied in future research to test whether music engagement functions as a moderator or mediator of music therapy outcomes. Implications for clinical practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided. The complete scale is included at the end of this article.

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