Music Therapy Commons^™

Clinical Efficacy Of Music Therapy In Addiction Counseling: A Systematic Review, Marissa Renee Rinehart

Masters Theses

A previous systematic review study by Mays, Clark, and Gordon in 2008 reviewed music therapy research to look into the clinical efficacy of music therapy and addiction counseling. Their research concluded that the present literature contained few articles that had quantitative evidence and the music therapy that was presented was not an independent therapy for treatment for patients with substance abuse. This systematic review sought to research literature within the past six years that studied the effects of music therapy on clients who were dealing with substance abuse to review the progress of music therapy research since the 2008 article …

Clinical Supervisors' Experience With Conflict With Music Therapy Interns, Joanna M. Kelly

Theses & Dissertations

Clinical supervision is integral to student development during music therapy internship, yet fundamental characteristics of the supervisory relationship can become a source of conflict. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to construct the essence of music therapy clinical supervisors’ experience of conflict with their interns. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five music therapy clinical supervisors: three with more than five years of experience supervising interns and two with less than three years of experience. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for themes. Different themes emerged based on supervisors’ level of experience, which informed my construction of the phenomenological essence. Supervisors’ …

The Role Of Songs In Music Therapy With Adults Who Have Developmental Disabilities, Gregory Razzano

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to conduct a holistic investigation into the role of songs in music therapy in the lives of adults who have developmental disabilities. Four music therapists with experience with this population participated in open-ended interviews about the role of songs with their clients. McFerran and Grocke’s (2007) method of qualitative interview analysis was used to find the individual and collective essences of the participants’ experiences. Four global themes were associated with the role of songs in relation to clients: developing familiarity and attachment; receiving safety and stability; bringing out the able, engaged individual; and …

Exploring The Implications Of Resource-Oriented Music Therapy For Medical Practice, Jacqueline M. Christen

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the implications of resource-oriented music therapy (RoMT) in medical practice. This approach has been applied to other populations in music therapy practice, but remains under-researched in the medical environment. Three participants, each of whom works in the medical setting, were interviewed. A descriptive analysis was used to identify particular themes that emerged from the interview process. These themes were then related to each component of the RoMT approach. The results showed that despite not having a comprehensive understanding of the RoMT approach, each of the participants practiced in ways that supported the …

The Role Of Personal Therapy For Music Therapists: A Survey, Carla D. Chikhani

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes toward and prevalence of use of personal therapy among music therapists. An online survey was conducted with a sample of 132 music therapists working per diem, part-time, and full-time in the Unites States. A total of 130 surveys were analyzed using quantitative methods. The study examined the prevalence of use of personal therapy among music therapists, the ways music therapists seek to increase their personal development, the reasons and importance of receiving personal therapy, and the benefits of receiving personal therapy. Prevalence of use of non-music personal therapy was 33.6%, …

The Role Of Compositional Music Therapy In The Treatment Of Adults With Bipolar Disorder, Tyese Andrea Brown

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to expand on a desire to expand our knowledge, and understanding about Bipolar Disorder and its relationship with compositional music therapy as a possible beneficial treatment for this illness. Compositional music therapy is both a music therapy intervention and process in which the client and therapist work together to generate an original, permanent musical model. The music may be instrumental or vocal, of any genre, and may be musically notated as a score, handwritten/types, or recorded (CD, Tape, MP3, etc.) It may incorporate the client’s original song/rap, lyrics, poetry (set to music), or be …

Lyric Analysis: A Resource For Acute Psychiatric Music Therapists, Sok Hwee Tay

Music Therapy Theses

As a music therapist working in a psychiatric setting, I have the privilege of working with individuals of varying psychiatric diagnoses. There is never a dull moment and I am constantly learning about myself through my work and through the individuals that I work with.

Lyric analysis and song writing are two techniques that I frequently employ in my sessions. In order to find songs that fit the requirement of the objectives that my individuals are working on, it requires me to spend time researching the song lyrics as well as the musical components of the song. This process is …

Use Of The Iso Principle As A Central Method In Mood Management: A Music Psychotherapy Clinical Case Study, Annie Heiderscheit, Amy Madson

Faculty Authored Articles

The iso principle originated in 1948, as a concept and method of intervention in the context of mood management (Altshulter, 1948). Since then, the use of the iso principle has expanded to a variety of areas within music therapy (Smeijesters, 1995; Crowe, 2004; Michel & Pinson, 2005; Wigram, Pedersen, Bonde, 2002). This article traces the use of the iso principle as a means for mood management from its origins through contemporary clinical uses. It then poses a method of mood management utilizing the iso principle as a central concept and reviews its implementation and efficacy through the presentation of a …

Aesthetic Foundations Of Music Therapy: Music And Emotion, James Hiller

Department of Music Faculty Publications

The subject of aesthetic experience as it relates to music embodies a vast and fascinating territory of philosophical thought. Ancient philosophers to modern musicologists have engaged in scholarly debate over the topic from many perspectives (Davies, 2010; Kivy, 1989). Not surprisingly, a similar intrigue surrounds questions regarding the clinical value of aesthetic aspects of music and of music making for health, healing, and human development (Aigen, 1995, 2007).

Numerous links between aesthetic experience and therapeutic processes are found in the music therapy literature. In fact, volumes could be filled with theories and philosophical arguments for and against the meaning and/or …

#Wfmt30rocks: 30 Years And Growing Strong, Amy Clements-Cortés

Music Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

30 Amazing Years Of The Wfmt, Amy Clements-Cortés

Music Faculty Publications

In this issue of Music Therapy Today, I have chosen to write about the history and contributions the World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT) has made to grow the global awareness of music therapy as an art and science. This paper will provide readers with a brief history of the WFMT by highlighting its purpose, organization and important events from the past 30 years. Further information on projects undertaken by WFMT officers from 2011 forward will also be highlighted.

Advancing The World Federation Of Music Therapy: Strategic Planning Process, Annie Heiderscheit,, Petra Kern, Amy Clements-Cortés, Anita L. Gadberry, Jeanette Milford, Jen Spivey

Music Faculty Publications

The World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT) is a nonprofit organization committed to its mission of developing and promoting music therapy throughout the world as an art and science. Since the organization’s inception in 1985, there have been significant changes in the world and many positive developments within the organization. These are reviewed providing a rationale for the initiation of this executive work. Methods utilized to complete the strategic planning process are outlined, along with the challenges and discoveries encountered throughout. outcomes of the strategic planning process are also highlighted.

Using Music And Applied Behaviour Analysis To Introduce An Adaptive Mobility Device To A Student With Multiple Disabilities: A Case Study, Vicki Depountis, L. Kathleen Sheriff

Faculty Publications

Introducing an adapted mobility device (AMD) to a child with multiple disabilities can be especially challenging. In this descriptive case study, an AMD is introduced to a six year old boy with congenital blindness, speech impairment, and an intellectual disability. Observational data were collected via A-B-C documentation resulting in a strategic intervention design plan to improve grasping and independent travelling skills. Over the course of 16 weeks, data indicated that Joey (pseudonym) met his IEP goal of holding his AMD consistently for 50 feet. Music treatment was applied as a positive reinforcer to change Joey’s behaviours.

Does Music Affect Behavior In The Special Education Classroom?, Randall L. Crum

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

It is general knowledge that music affects our emotions; slow rhythmic music can make us sad and fact upbeat music can make us happy. Music is everywhere and it is a powerful outlet for people’s emotions. Music in the classroom can have many effects on students. It may relax them, motivate them, or even sooth them, helping to reduce frustration levels. Music enhances learning in the classroom and it has long been used to help memory skills in students such as learning the alphabet through song. Music helps stimulate creativity and reflection, and it also provides a welcoming entrance into …

The Effect Of Low-Frequency Sound Stimulation On Patients With Fibromyalgia: A Clinical Study, Lili Naghdi, Heidi Ahonen, Pasqualino Macario, Lee Bartel

Music Faculty Publications

Background: The search for effective treatments for fibromyalgia (FM) has continued for years. The present study premises that thalamocortical dysrhythmia is implicated in fibromyalgia and that low-frequency sound stimulation (LFSS) can play a regulatory function by driving neural rhythmic oscillatory activity.

Objective: To assess the effect of LFSS on FM.

Method: The present open-label study with no control group used a repeated-measures design with no noncompleters. Nineteen female volunteers (median age 51 years; median duration of FM 5.76 years) were administered 10 treatments (twice per week for five weeks). Treatments involved 23 min of LFSS at 40 Hz, delivered using …

International Perspectives In Music Therapy Education And Training: Adapting To A Changing World, Amy Clements-Cortés

Music Faculty Publications

“International perspectives in music therapy education and training: Adapting to a changing world”, is the follow-up text to the widely acclaimed Goodman, 2011 book titled: Music therapy education and training: From theory to practice. This new volume edited by Professor Karen Goodman; music therapy professor at Montclair State University, senior educator and clinician, as well as a widely published author and international lecturer, offers the academic community a current and comprehensive text that includes the perspectives on music therapy training and education from distinguished authors representing the global regions served by the World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT).