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Cover Progettare in musicoterapia
Series «Il mestiere si impara» · 2/5

Designing Music Therapy Projects

A project that withstands an uncomfortable question · In Italian

The central volume of the series: how to turn a clinical intuition into a clear, credible, defensible project — a needs analysis grounded in data, measurable goals, a replicable methodology, a timeline, a transparent budget, an evaluation plan. A single case runs through every chapter, from the first observation to the complete project commented line by line.

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Why this manual exists

A music therapist works well in a facility for three years. Then the management changes, someone asks "what results does this activity produce?", and there is no document to answer. The activity closes — not because it wasn't working, but because no one could prove it.

This manual exists to prevent that story. Because a well-written project is not bureaucracy: it is the way your work produces the evidence of itself.

What you find in the PDF (65 pages)

The words of project design
The bridge metaphor: aims, objectives, activities, outputs, outcomes, impact — every technical term translated and explained
The eleven sections of a project
One by one, with the typical mistakes reviewers spot at first glance
The international compass
Theory of Change, Logical Framework, SMART objectives, Results-Based Management — and the stakeholders
The ten steps of your first project
And the complete project, commented line by line
After delivery
Presenting, negotiating, answering calls for proposals, disseminating
Appendices
A fillable template, checklists, an informed-consent outline, a glossary

Who it is for

  • → Music therapy students writing their first placement project
  • → Professionals seeking recognition from the healthcare, educational and social systems
  • → Anyone answering a call for proposals or presenting a project to institutions and foundations
  • → Anyone who has to defend an activity that works, with the evidence in hand

Download the PDF — it's free

Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. Share it freely, citing the source. The volume is in Italian.

How to cite: Caneva, P. A. (2026). Progettare in musicoterapia. https://canevapaolo.it

Go to Resources and download →

Questions? Mentoring is the right place.

In the same series

1 Observing in Music Therapy 3 The Project Workbook — this manual's operational twin 4 Evaluating in Music Therapy 5 Other People's Tools → All free resources

Frequently asked questions

How do you write a music therapy project?

Starting from an identified need, not from the activities you know how to run. The volume sets out eleven sections — title, abstract, needs analysis, participants, aims and objectives, method and activities, timeline, resources and budget, evaluation, references, professional profile — and ten practical steps, with a complete worked project commented line by line.

What is the difference between outputs and outcomes?

Outputs are what the work produces in countable terms: 48 sessions delivered, 12 participants, one report. They are the easiest thing to measure and the least important. Outcomes are changes in people: the difference between «I played with Marco for six months» and «Marco learned to wait for his turn, and does so at school too».

How long should a project document be?

For a commissioner, eight to twelve pages. A thirty-page project is not twice as professional as a twelve-page one: usually it is read half as much.

How do you work out fees and write the budget?

By declaring non-contact hours too — planning, documentation, team meetings, feedback sessions — because whoever leaves them out is giving them away. A detailed budget does not make you expensive: it makes you legible, and it moves the discussion from «how much does it cost» to «what are we buying».

Does the volume help with funding applications?

Yes, and it has a chapter on it: the call for proposals rules, and the first cut is formal — excellent projects are excluded over a missing attachment. It also includes a fillable project outline and a checklist to run before submitting.