Music Therapy Commons^™

Contributing To Quality Of Life By Facilitating Music-Based Social Interaction For Adults With Intellectual Disability, Julie Lynn Andring

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed method investigation was to discern whether participation in a task-specific music therapy group contributed to quality of life for adults with intellectual disabilities. Engaging in social interaction had previously been shown to benefit physical and emotional health (Duvdevany, 2008) while lack of social connection had produced detrimental effects, most often loneliness and depression (de Belvis et al., 2008). Two research questions were posited: 1) Does the level of social interaction increase when individuals participate in a group activity as compared to unstructured leisure time? 2) Does active participation in the group activity contribute to the …

A Survey Of Current Music Therapy Practices Addressing Motor Goals In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Matthew Proffitt

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Motor deficits in children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have started to become recognized as an area of concern. The purpose of this study was to examine practices of board-certified music therapists who address motor goals of children with ASD. A total of 168 current board certified music therapists completed an 18-item online survey regarding music therapy practices with children who have ASD, particularly the frequency with which they address motor goals and specific goals and interventions. Respondents reported addressing motor goals with children who have ASD more frequently than suggested by previous research. Motor goals most …

The Effects Of Music Therapy And Its Impact On Sound Levels In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Sarah L. Timmons

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Sound levels in the neonatal intensive care unit often exceed the recommended level of 45 dBA. Various sounds contribute to the extraneous noise that envelops this fragile environment. Increase in noise and high levels of sound can be detrimental to the health of premature infants, which can cause both short and long-term developmental delays and negative physiologic responses. Music therapy interventions in the NICU have addressed numerous needs of this population, with a positive effect on development, physiologic responses, and hospital stay. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of music therapy on decreasing the sound levels …

The Effect Of Music Therapy Interaction On Child And Parental Preoperative Anxiety In Parents Of Children Undergoing Day Surgery, Christopher R. Millett

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Young children who experience high levels preoperative anxiety often exhibit distress behaviors, experience more surgical complications, and are at a higher risk for developing a variety of negative postoperative consequences. A significant factor in pediatric preoperative anxiety is the level of anxiety present in their caregivers. Music therapy interventions addressing a variety of procedural outcomes have been met with success. The purpose of this study was to investigate the comparative effectiveness of two music therapy interventions on reducing preoperative anxiety in young pediatric surgical patients and their caregivers.

A total of 40 pediatric patient and caregiver dyads were included in …

Interdisciplinary Collaboration With Music Therapy During Routine Pediatric Dental Procedures, Austin S. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The incorporation of integrative medicine into traditional treatment options has steadily increased during the past two decades. This has resulted in a change in the dynamics of interdisciplinary teams creating the need to better understand the roles and responsibilities of team members. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of dental treatment team members regarding the role and responsibilities of music therapy during treatment.

A total of 10 participants were included in this study. Participants completed a pre-music therapy survey to establish prior knowledge, experience with, and perceptions of music therapy. Following an experiential intervention, participants completed …

Music Therapy Students’ Experiences During Pre-Internship Training And The Music Therapy Internship: A Collective Case Study Using Semi-Structured Interviews, Christopher Marvin Nix

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music therapy students engage in a variety of academic and clinical opportunities within their music therapy education. There are options for students who want to gain the basic training for certification in music therapy, either bachelor’s, or equivalency for students with a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Previous research has been used to analyze the experiences of students and educators throughout education, with no research focusing specifically on the master’s equivalency population. Within this study, semi-structured interviews were used to gain qualitative data analyzing music therapy students’ perceptions of academic and internship curricula and their effects on the transition …

The Effect Of Music Listening On Relaxation Level And Volume Of Breast Milk Pumped By Mothers Of Infants In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Amber A. Colliver

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Breast milk is considered the gold standard for infant nutrition, but many factors can hinder milk production. Mothers of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are especially prone to stress, which can inhibit volume of breast milk. The purpose of this study was to determine if music listening had an effect on the volume of breast milk pumped and relaxation level of mothers of infants in a NICU.

A total of 28 participants, who were mothers of infants in the NICU, were included in the data analysis of this study, with 14 in the control group and 14 …

Tapestry Of Tears: An Autoethnography Of Leadership, Personal Transformation, And Music Therapy In Humanitarian Aid In Bosnia Herzegovina, Alpha M. Woodward

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In the fall of 2003 I was invited to lead a team of music therapists in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), a country that had been recently savaged by two brutal inter-ethnic wars. The program operated out of the Pavarotti Music Centre on the East side of Mostar, a divided city in the southwest region of BiH. My journey over the next four years was epically challenged by my immersion into the complexities of post-conflict recovery, and the cultural confusion that followed the atrocities of those wars. Transformation and change not only characterized the world in which I worked, but also …

The Status Of, Teacher Attitudes Towards, And The Lmpact Of Music Therapy Lnclusive Music Education In Michigan, Ann E. Armbruster

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine Michigan music teachers' attitudes and perceptions regarding their training for and experience with special learners in their classrooms, and their collaboration and consultation with music therapists. Eighty-six music educators completed a 51 item questionnaire. Results showed that music teachers' attitudes and perceptions are generally positive toward inclusion. Mean scores for attitude and perception were not influenced by whether participants had or had not taken a course in special education as a student, whether they had access to continuing education regarding inclusion through their school district, or participants' predominant teaching area or degree …

The Efficacy Of Music As A Non-Analgesic Method Of Reducing Pain Perception During Cold Pressor Trials, Amanda Lynn Ziemba

Masters Theses

The purpose of this project was to investigate the impact of differentiated onset of self-selected music on pain perception and pain tolerance during a cold pressor test. Subjects participated in four trials during which music was presented at different points of time in relation to their exposure to the cold pressor test. Results indicated that listening to music prior to and concurrently with the onset of the pain resulted in lower self-reported pain (F(3, 66) :3.25, p < .05). Behavioral results indicated that subjects were able to tolerate an average of 25s longer (F(2.04,44.81): I.56,p > .05.) when music was presented after the onset of painful stimuli. Both results have positive implications for the clinical use of music as …

Comparative Analysis Of Varying Theoretical Frameworks In Argentine Music Therapy., Talia Girton

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

One of the most shocking cultural phenomena that American visitors to Argentina experience is the prevalence of psychoanalytic theory, thought, and practice. It is so embedded into the Argentine way of life that its terminology is sprinkled throughout their daily speech and the cost of regular therapy sessions is factored into the monthly budget along with food, rent, and clothing. The widespread use of psychoanalysis is especially confounding to those of us in the mental health care field in the United States, as the enthusiasm for psychoanalysis and Freudian theory has receded among the intellectual community largely because it is …

A Suryey Of Music Therapists' Use Of Music To Facilitate Reading Development In Children, Cynthia Cross

Masters Theses

This study utilized Naturalistic Inquiry methods to investigate how music therapists use music elements to impact reading development in school-aged children. Eleven Board-Certified Music Therapists were interviewed providing information regarding music therapy interventions, reading skills targeted, theoretical influences, and professional influences. Transcripts of interviews were analyzedto determine themes, coÍtmon use of language related to the subject, common perceptions, and techniques and uses for music to impact reading development. In general subjects did not report specifically using music elements to target reading behavior. Rather, most subjects identified reading objectives determined by classroom teachers and developed music interventions to accommodate those objectives. …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Experience Of Music Therapists With Vocal Health Issues, Liisa Hill Murray

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the experience of music therapists who have had vocal health issues. Participants included three board-certified music therapists who use their voice as a primary or secondary instrument in practice and have experienced vocal health issues for which they obtained medical treatment. Participants described their experiences during semi-structured interviews, and an adaptation of Giorgi's (2012) descriptive phenomenological psychological method was used to identify the underlying themes. Themes that depicted the essence of the therapists' experiences were: (a) Physical Sensations Leading to Emotional Experiences, (b) Challenges to Identity, (c) Relationship Shifts, (d) Changes …

Exploring Empathy In Music Therapy, Jessica Haviland

Theses & Dissertations

This following research is a phenomenological inquiry exploring the role of empathy in the clinical work of music therapists. Three board-certified music therapists were interviewed about their personal and clinical experience with empathy, and the role empathy has played in their clinical work. Data are analyzed according to procedures associated with transcendental phenomenology methodology, and overall themes are discussed. Related literature is reviewed, and implications for future research in relation to this phenomenon are discussed.

We Are The Same But Different: The Lives Of Two College Music Majors, Josephine M. Cannon

Honors Theses

As the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder continues to increase every year, so does the number of students on the spectrum who pursue a college education. This case study was designed to examine the lives of two college music majors: one, Bella, lies on the autism spectrum with a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), and the other, Rebekah, does not. In order to collect rich, reliable, and valid data, several different methods of data collection were employed. Each student graciously recorded several video journal entries, as well as individual practice sessions on their major applied instrument. In addition, each student, …

Effects Of Music Intervention On The Patient’S Perception Of Pain After Knee Replacement Surgery, Heather E. Hooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether therapeutic music affects the patient’s perception of pain, postoperative day 1 after knee replacement surgery in an inpatient hospital. In addition to the patient’s pain levels, the study was an analysis of the quantity of opioids the patient was requested, the length of stay, and the physiological parameters, which included blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation. Sixty knee replacement patients were randomly placed in the music group or the quiet group. The Faces Pain Scale Revised with Numeric Rating Scale was used to measure pain levels. Statistical analysis …

Yalom's Group Psychotherapy Work And Its Implication For Group Music Therapy Practice, Amanda Pelletier

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Irvin D. Yalom discusses eleven therapeutic factors which are present in group psychotherapy: Instillation of hope, universality, imparting information, altruism, the corrective recapitulation of the primary family group, development of socializing techniques, imitative behaviors, interpersonal learning, group cohesiveness, catharsis, and existential factors. More recent work related to the topic of factors in group psychotherapy (Joyce, MacNair-Semands, Tasca, & Ogrodniczuk, 2011) suggests that there are four global therapeutic factors in group psychotherapy: instillation of hope, secure emotional expression, awareness of relational impact, and social learning. Joyce et al. (2011) created a Likert-type self-measurement scale to measure the presence or absence of …

Preparing Music Educators To Work With Students With Diverse Abilities: An Introduction To Music Therapy, Elizabeth Mitchell

Music Faculty Publications

Music education programs are uniquely situated within Canadian universities as most disciplines do not offer honours education programs at the undergraduate level. Within faculties of music, honours music education students engage in both practical and philosophical preparation for their teaching careers prior to acceptance and enrolment at a Faculty of Education. These students often return to departments of music education to pursue graduate work after having taught music within public or private school systems.

Music teachers regularly teach children with special needs within self-contained as well as integrated or inclusive classrooms. Research indicates that music educators are enthusiastic about the …

-Heroines’ Journey- Emerging Story By Refugee Women During Group Analytic Music Therapy, Heidi Ahonen, Antoinetta Mongillo Desideri

Music Faculty Publications

There has been some evidence of the benefits of participating in group analytic music therapy with traumatized people. This pilot clinical project investigates the impact of a combination of narrative therapy and group analytic music therapy on refugee/newcomer women in Canada. An ongoing therapy group met for a period of 8 sessions, to share stories and feelings of past experiences and of resettlement. The focus of this group was emotional expression (verbal and musical). Musical listening, improvisation, art, writing, clay-work, and relaxation techniques were used. Several consistent themes re-emerged, including feelings around loneliness, fear guilt, and loss.

The analysis of …

Essential Music Therapist Attributes For Relationship-Building With Children: Does Our Profession Train Personal Abilities?, Jean M. Nemeth

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this sequential mixed method investigation was to discern the personal attributes that a music therapist employs to engender therapeutic relationships with children and to begin ascertaining the music therapy profession’s attempts to foster these qualities in music therapy students. The overarching goals of this dissertation were to identify aspects of relationship-building that go beyond skills, techniques, and theoretic orientation and to open a discussion about how to best address training of the person of the music therapist. The Phase One phenomenological inquiry consisted of thematic cross-comparison of in-depth interviews with five highly experienced children’s music therapists. Results …