Music Therapy Commons^™

The Experience Of Countertransference For Music Therapists When Working With Children With Developmental Disabilities, Carly Caprioli

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how music therapists recognized, acknowledged, utilized, and managed countertransference when working with children with developmental disabilities. Three board-certified music therapists (MT-BC), who had experience working with this population and experienced strong countertransference reactions in their work, openly shared their experiences during 45-60 minute audio-recorded in-person or telephone interviews. Phenomenological design was employed in this study. Essential themes that emerged from the data were identified and presented. Common themes included feelings of attachment, reexperiencing the past, fulfilling needs in the therapist, and experiencing deep concern for the client. Overall, this study concludes that …

Comparing Textbooks From Entry-Level Courses In Music Therapy And Related Health Professions, Alexandria Langella

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music therapists often co-treat with other therapists from related professions, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. In order to co-treat effectively and obtain referrals for music therapy services, it is important that other professionals have an awareness of the profession of music therapy. University-level professional training program courses are one place where health care professionals may learn about music therapy. The purpose of this study was to see if required textbooks used in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology entry-level courses in Kentucky contain references to music therapy, and if the required textbooks used in music therapy …

Music Therapy Interventions For End-Of-Life Care: An Integrative Literature Review, Ranjani Sukumaran

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music therapy plays an integral role in end-of-life care, positively impacting emotional, social, physical, cognitive and spiritual health. The purpose of this integrative review was to collect and compile studies (N= 55) between 2000 and 2016 on the topic of music therapy interventions in end-of-life care, in order to provide both music therapy students and therapists access to the most recent and commonly used music therapy interventions and goals. Results of the integrative literature review indicate that the most common intervention for all age groups in end-of-life care is songwriting and composition, with the most common therapeutic goal …

Practices And Perceptions Of Music Therapists Using Songwriting Interventions With Clients Who Are Grieving, Erin Aubrey Batkiewicz

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music therapists use songwriting interventions to address a variety of goals with several populations. Nevertheless, limited research exists regarding the use of songwriting interventions with individuals who are grieving. The purpose of this study was to examine practices and perceptions of board-certified music therapists working with clients who are grieving, specifically: (a) common interventions used to address grief (b) use of songwriting intervention; (c) perceived effectiveness of songwriting; and (d) music therapists’ comfort levels and training in implementing songwriting interventions. An online survey was sent to 6,292 board-certified music therapists, 324 of whom completed the survey. Participants reported that they …

Current Practices In Music Therapy With Bone Marrow And Organ Transplant Recipients, Heather Humphrey

Theses and Dissertations--Music

There is limited research on music therapy for transplant recipients, yet board-certified music therapists working in medical settings often encounter individuals from the transplant population. The purpose of this study was to examine the current practices of music therapists working with bone marrow and organ transplant recipients. A total of 68 board-certified music therapists completed an online survey, providing information related to goal areas addressed in music therapy sessions and interventions frequently used with bone marrow and organ transplant patients. The most frequently reported goal areas included: coping skills, mood, and self-expression. The most frequently reported interventions included: singing, songwriting, …

Parents’ Experiences Of Music Therapy In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Nicu), Naoko Mizutani

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to deepen my understanding of parental experiences having an infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Three parents of premature infants in the NICU at a large urban medical center participated in an individual music therapy session and post-session interview that was conducted right after the session. Data was collected through video recordings of music therapy sessions and post-session interviews. In order to appropriately reflect the music therapy process, I employed, for my analyses of the music therapy sessions, Forinash and Gonzalez's (1989) method, which was adapted from the original method proposed …

Music Therapy With Adolescents In Crisis In America And Korea : A Cross-Cultural Analysis, Seulgi Kim

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore music therapy with adolescents in crisis in both America and Korea. Qualitative methods were employed in this study and the data were collected through semi-structured interviews with two music therapists —one American music therapist practicing in the United States and one Korean practicing in Korea — who have experience working with adolescents in crisis. The participants openly shared their experiences during an hour video-recorded on-line interviews. After the interviews, all content of the interviews was transcribed and analyzed. Three essential categories emerged: (a) the role of music, (b) the role of therapist, …

Integrating Creative Arts Into Music Therapy Practice, Megan E. Novak

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study was to gather information regarding the use of creative arts in music therapy practice. The survey used to collect the data was a 10 question multiple choice survey with an option for participants to provide any additional information they found necessary. This survey collected responses from 457 actively working music therapists in the United States. The data collected in this study was analyzed both quantitatively for statistical purposes as well as qualitatively to explore common themes and trends among participants. The results of this study showed the following: 1. The largest group of currently working …

Music Therapy In Detroit's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit : A Simulated Grant Proposal, Elizabeth Barone

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Infant mortality is the number one killer of children in the city of Detroit (Bouffard, 2014) and prematurity is the largest component, representing more than fifty percent of the current infant deaths in Detroit (Bouffard, 2014; Johnson, 2015, www.henryford.com, 2015) . Over the last two decades there has been an overwhelming amount of research in support of music therapy meeting the needs of parents and infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Abrams, Dassler, Lee, Loewy, Silverman & Telsey, 2007; Arnon, Shapsa, Forman, Regev, Bauer, Litmanovitz, & Dolfin, 2006; Baker & Mackinlay, 2006; Cevasco, 2008; Creighton, 2011; Edwards, 2011; Loewy, …

The Neurochemistry Of Group Singing: Bonding And Oxytocin, Jason Keeler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the neurochemical correlates of group vocal improvisation and to determine the feasibility of the research methods. One group of four participants sang together in two conditions: pre-composed and improvised. Concentrations of plasma oxytocin and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were measured before and after each singing condition to assess levels of hormones associated with social affiliation, engagement and arousal. Successful implementation of the methodology, including recruitment, data collection, and sample analysis, served as the primary outcome of this study. ACTH concentrations decreased in both conditions, and significantly so in the pre-composed singing condition. Mean …

Physiological Response To Dissonance In Musicians And Nonmusicians, Angela Beth Biehl

Masters Theses

Knowing the human response to musical dissonance could have important therapeutic implications in the music therapy setting. The listener’s musical experience could significantly impact their response and subsequently its effect in a therapeutic setting. Thus, this study aimed to examine both the psychophysiological and subjective responses to dissonance and the difference in these responses between those with high experience and those with low experience. Participating groups, categorized as high experience (HE) and low experience (LE) in terms of musical knowledge, listened to consonant and dissonant musical excerpts, and rated each excerpt on its pleasantness; their physiologic responses were measured to …

Ed Roth, Margaret Von Steinen

International Faculty Researchers

Can listening to and making music be effectively used in the treatment of people diagnosed with neurologic and psychiatric disorders? This is the primary question Professor Ed Roth, director of WMU’s music therapy program, is attempting to answer in collaboration with colleagues from around the world to improve treatment for people experiencing post-traumatic stress and other acute anxiety disorders. He is a co-founder and director of WMU’s Laboratory for Brain Research and Interdisciplinary Neurosciences (BRAIN) (article) and a Fellow in the Academy of Neurologic Music Therapists, who specializes in the application of music in the treatment of neurologic disorders and …

The Experience Of Social Flow In Vocal Jazz Improvisation, Brittany Neuser

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of experimental research procedures and gather initial data in studying the experience of social flow within the context of group music production tasks. Participants completed two different group vocal music production tasks: Performance of a pre-composed song and an improvised performance. The Flow State Scale-2 (FSS-2), a 36-item survey in which a mean score of 45 implies the ultimate flow experience and a score of 9 implies that no flow was experienced during the event in question, was used to assess the level of social flow experienced by the participants …

A Developmentally-Informed, Stage-Based Model Of Music Therapy In Cancer Care, Cheryl Lynn Olson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The physical needs of cancer patients have been documented and accounted for in various methods and theories. Some of the emotional needs of patients have been addressed as well. However, the purpose of this paper is to address the need for a music therapy model that relates developmental life stages to the needs of cancer patients. A brief literature review of physical and emotional needs of cancer patients will be presented, as well as a life-stage model of cancer in terms of Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outcome. Based on the existing literature, this study will develop a music therapy model targeting …

Music Therapy In Schools : The Current Status, Tammy Takaishi

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study, to assess the prevalence and role of music therapy in various school systems across the United States, utilized a demographic survey design. The instrument used in this study was a 10 item self-report electronic survey. A mix of open ended and multiple choice questions were utilized.

Descriptive statistics, percentage analysis, and topic categorizing were used to analyze the data supplied by 166 school-based music therapists from throughout the United States. Results indicated the following: 1. The majority of respondents (78%) provided music therapy in public schools with weekly self-contained groups being the most common type of session. 2. …

Orchestral Instruments In Music Therapy : Developing An Educational Track For Orchestral Musicians In Music Therapy Training, Laura Bunker

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This paper proposes a supplemental educational track for the training of music therapy students who play an orchestral instrument. Containing three courses, this proposed protocol for instruction aims to bridge the gap between standard practices of classical music training, and training related specifically to music therapy in a graduate program. Designed with a focus on improving one’s functional musicianship on his or her orchestral instrument, courses offer opportunities to foster and practice these skills through class workshops, and community outreach and advocacy.

Starting with a detailed review of literature, this paper delves into the use of orchestral instruments in music …

Neurologically-Informed Musicking (Nim) For Relaxation : Process And Effects, Ji Young Cho

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study aimed to look at the effects of client directed therapeutic musical improvisation on relaxation. The protocol used immediate brain wave data to inform a music therapist’s improvisation for the purpose of affecting the client’s state of rest.

Based on prior and existing music therapy techniques, this music therapy method was further developed by the researcher and thesis sponsor, and for the sake of consolidation and brevity, was given the name, Neurologically-Informed Musicking (NIM). The researcher asked the following questions: (1) What form does the NIM process takes when relaxation is a clinical goal? How (if at all) does …

Music Therapists Behind Locked Doors: The Role Of Trauma Exposure And Current Music Therapy Practices In Correctional And Forensic Psychiatry, Deanna K. Bush

Masters Theses

The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the role trauma exposure has on the possible development of symptoms of Vicarious Traumatization (VT) in the lives of Board Certified Music Therapists employed in correctional and forensic settings. Research was conducted through completion of an electronic survey. Additionally, the researcher sought to identify current music therapy practices as well as differences between practicing in forensic settings and correctional settings. The participants involved in this study were Board Certified Music Therapists who work in forensic and correctional settings. Survey invitations were electronically sent to 133 prospective participants as listed on either …

Perceptions Of Guitar Use And Training In Music Therapy: A Survey Of Clinicians, Joshua Robert Keller

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine music therapists' perceptions of guitar use and training in clinical practice. Three major research questions dealt with guitar use, guitar training, and clinicians' confidence using the guitar in clinical practice. A quasi-random sample of 1000 board-certified music therapists were invited to complete an online questionnaire with 27 questions in the areas of guitar use, guitar training and experience, and the importance of 28 specific skills. One hundred fifty music therapists (n = 150) responded.

Major findings include: (1) clinicians appear to use the guitar frequently and, on average, see guitar skills as …

The Experiences Of Music Therapists Developing Music Therapy Programs In New York State Public Schools, Michelle Kovacs

Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the experiences of music therapists who have developed music therapy programs in New York State public schools. Participants included three board-certified music therapists currently working as music therapists in public schools in New York. Open-ended questioning interviewing techniques were employed to address three research questions: (1) What are the experiences of music therapists developing music therapy programs in New York State public schools? (2) What challenges do they face? (3) What recommendations do they have for others who are looking to build music therapy programs in public schools? Six themes emerged: (a) beginning in public schools …