Music Therapy Commons^™

Singing An Imaginal Dialogue: A Study Of A Bereavement-Specific Music Therapy Intervention, Yasmine A. Iliya

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to understand the experience of singing an imaginal dialogue with a deceased loved one. This bereavement-specific music therapy intervention was an adaptation of Shear, Frank, Houck, and Reynolds’ (2005) imaginal dialogue intervention and was heavily influenced by Austin’s (2008) method of vocal psychotherapy. Following Shear’s (2006) use of the spoken imaginal dialogue with therapists, the guiding question of the present study was: What are creative arts therapists’ experiences of singing the intervention? The sample consisted of nine female creative arts therapists with a minimum of three years of clinical experience. It included women who …

Music Therapy As An Intermodal Practice: Clients And Therapists Perspectives, Daniel Hyams

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to investigate the lived experiences of clients and music therapists working with an integrated arts approach in music therapy. Seventeen client participants (aged 11-19 years old) underwent five consecutive therapy sessions with one of three qualified music therapists. The guiding questions pertained to the participants’ experience of having various arts materials in addition to the standard musical instruments available during the music therapy sessions. The results showed a positive response from the clients’ perspectives, and a negative response from the therapists. The clients unanimously preferred having choice in the sessions. The therapists, however, …

The Effect Of Family Centered Music Therapy Sessions On Relaxation States Of Informal Caregivers Of Hospice And Palliative Care Patients, Adrienne Claire Steiner

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Advances in healthcare and shifts toward patient and family centered care have allowed healthcare professionals to focus on the entirety of a patient and what affects his/her health. In noting such changes, and in consideration of what affects quality of life, findings in the literature address the physiological and physiological differences between those who are caregivers versus those who are not caregivers. This study investigated the relaxation state of those who were considered informal caregivers of hospice and palliative patients in an acute hospitalized setting.

A family centered music therapy session was conducted utilizing a music-­‐ assisted relaxation intervention incorporating …

Use Of The Diagnostic And Statistical Manual-5 Among Current Music Therapy Students, Jasmine Simons

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) provides updates of diagnostic criteria and it is crucial that clinicians from all relevant fields are aware of new terminology. Music therapists are increasingly being added to interdisciplinary teams and need to efficiently communicate with other professionals. This study aimed to discover if current music therapy students are familiar with the DSM-5 before they enter their professional practice. Music therapy students from two American Music Therapy Association-approved universities completed a survey aimed to assess their use and knowledge of the DSM-5. A total of 58 participants were included in the analysis. Findings from …

De Concentv Amisso Qvaerendo: An Investigation Into The Relative Benefits Of Three Different Types Of Ambient Music On The Observed Agitated Behaviour And Quality Of Life Of Dementia Sufferers In Residential Aged Care Facilities, Peter Wilkinson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There is an increasing body of research evidence to support the use of music as a therapeutic modality in reducing the agitated behaviour frequently associated with late-stage dementia. Although much of this evidence suggests that music interventions are most effective when they are “individualized”, this type of intervention is often difficult to implement in large, busy, aged care facilities where residents may be located together in communal areas during the day. The challenge therefore is to try and identify a particular musical genre which, when played as “ambient” or “background” music, demonstrates a consistent capacity to reduce agitated behaviour in …

Hip-Hop, Medellín And Social Change, Veronica Henao Posada

Master's Theses

This study explores the ways in which the Hip-hop movement is producing social change in Medellín, Colombia. Looking specifically at a Hip-hop school called Cuatro Elementos Skuela, which exists autonomously and with very little state support in the Medellín neighborhood of Aranjuez, I argue that young people are contributing to the reconstruction of the city’s social, cultural and economic fabric. I start by explaining the historical context of Medellín, describing the different sets of conflicts that unleashed high levels of violence and caused the fragmentation of the social, cultural and economic fabric. Moreover, I review the role of the …

The Role Of The Musical - Self In Promoting Career Longevity Among Music Therapists, Peter Davis

Theses & Dissertations

To attend to the musical and clinical needs of music therapy consumers, music therapists must attend to their own music so as to nurture their musical-self (Bruscia, 1987; Priestley, 1994; Robbins & Robbins, 1998). Yet, despite the fact that music is the basic tool music therapists rely upon to conduct their work (Aigen, 2005b; Brookins, 1984), the topic of nurturing the musical-self has received scarce, if any attention in the music therapy literature. The purpose of this study was to understand the views of professional music therapists in regard to the role of the musical-self in promoting career longevity among …

Comparison Of The Strength Of Harmony, Melodic Line, Rhythmic Variation, And Expressive Elements In Influencing Emotional Judgment In Music, Marilyn M. Moore

Masters Theses

Studies in the literature have been conducted that seem to establish that humans make consistent and similar emotional judgments when they are asked to describe an emotion that is being expressed musically. The present study targets four musical elements; harmony, melodic line, rhythmic variation, and expressive elements, to investigate which of these musical elements are most effective for influencing a listener to be able to recognize the composer's intended emotion of the music. There are eight original songs composed by the researcher, each song is assigned a specific intended emotional term. The eight songs are presented in five distinct conditions, …

Music At The End Of Life: Bringing Comfort And Saying Goodbye Through Song And Story, Amy Clements-Cortés

Music Faculty Publications

Music has been an important part of the human existence across all continents and cultures since the beginning of recorded time. It is used, for example, in the celebration of happy events, for religious rituals, and to acknowledge the death of loved ones, often as part of spiritual and symbolic rituals. Although the formal and structured use of music as a component of care for individuals in end-of-life palliative care and hospice systems is relatively new in the world of contemporary medicine, its use is growing rapidly and is appreciated by both those providing the music and those receiving the …

Boundary Issues In Music Therapy Internship Supervision, Michelle Lasco

Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the prevalence and frequency of boundary issues within music therapy internship supervision. An online survey was used to obtain data from 243 board- certified music therapists who finished their training within the past five years. Participants were asked for demographic information, and asked to respond to questions about boundary issues and challenges during their internship. The study found a relatively low frequency of boundary issues; however some issues occurred more often than others, most notably social media connections and social outings beyond the internship site. Social media connections that were initiated by the supervisor, the gender mix …

Freeing The Voice Within Through Guided Imagery And Music, Amy Clements-Cortés

Music Faculty Publications

This paper presents the case study of a 38-year-old female, "Joy," and her Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) process. Joy was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to Canada in 2008 to pursue further studies along with her husband. Joy is a music educator who was drawn to GIM to explore issues with her parents, husband, anxiety and stress in order to lead her to improved well-being and healing. This paper provides the relevant background information on GIM, and several important topics in Joy's therapeutic process, including: gender issues being raised in Hong Kong, effects of parental gambling on child …

Music And Conflict Resolution: Can A Music And Story Centered Workshop Enhance Empathy?, Parfait Adegboyé Bassalé

Dissertations and Theses

The Story and Song Centered Pedagogy (SSCP) is a workshop that uses songs, stories and reflective questioning to increase empathy. This preliminary study tested the prediction that being exposed to the SSCP would increase empathy using, the Emotional Concern (EC) and Perspective Taking (PT) subscales of the renowned Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) (Davis, 1990). Subjects self-reported their answers to the IRI before and after undergoing the SSCP intervention. Comparing their pre and post intervention results, no statistically significant changes were noticed for the EC and PT scales (p-value = 0.7093 for EC; p-value = 0.6328 for PT). These results stand …

Music Therapy, Pain, And Anxiety In Short-Term Adult Inpatient Orthopedic Rehabilitation: A Randomized Controlled Trial, John Marino

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of music therapy on pain and anxiety with older adult orthopedic patients in short-term inpatient rehabilitation. Pain and anxiety are common conditions faced by older adults that can hinder progress in therapy. Ten participants were randomly selected to music therapy or control group. Pain and anxiety levels were measured pre and post intervention, for eight sessions. A music therapy questionnaire addressing interventions for pain and anxiety management was administered to the experimental group following the last session. Music therapy interventions applied were consistent with current research and contained preferred, familiar …

Effects Of Patient-Directed Music Intervention On Anxiety And Sedative Exposure In Critically Ill Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilatory Support A Randomized Clinical Trial, Annie Heiderscheit, Linda L. Chlan, Craig R. Weinert, Mary Fran Tracy, Debra J. Skaar, Jill L. Guttormson, Kay Savik

Faculty Authored Articles

Importance:

Alternatives to sedative medications, such as music, may alleviate the anxiety associated with ventilatory support.

Objective:

To test whether listening to self-initiated patient-directed music (PDM) can reduce anxiety and sedative exposure during ventilatory support in critically ill patients.

Design, Setting, and Patients:

Randomized clinical trial that enrolled 373 patients from 12 intensive care units (ICUs) at 5 hospitals in the Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota, area receiving acute mechanical ventilatory support for respiratory failure between September 2006 and March 2011. Of the patients included in the study, 86% were white, 52% were female, and the mean (SD) age …

A Preliminary Study Of The Articulatory And Acoustic Features Of Forward And Backward Tone Placement In Singing, Krista Wyllys

Masters Theses

A variety of terms exist for describing tone quality in singing, and voice scientists, voice therapists, teachers of singing, and students of singing use different terms to describe the same sound. One aspect of tone quality is tone placement. Teachers of singing often rely on imagery and imitation to elicit correct tone placement from students of singing. More concrete data about what produces forward and backward tone placement could supplement singing teachers’ current practice of using imagery and imitation to elicit a desirable tone quality. This study examined forward and backward tone placement to determine the articulatory gestures and acoustic …

The Effect Of Laser Therapy On Baseball Pitchers, Connor Barnes

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Experience Of Teamwork In Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy: A Phenomenological Investigation, John Mulcahy

Theses & Dissertations

Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy (NRMT) is a unique improvisational approach to music therapy utilizing the model of a two-therapist clinical team to treat clients. In this phenomenological study, four NRMT-trained music therapists were interviewed and asked to reflect upon their past experiences working within a two-therapist team. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for relevant themes. Eight invariant themes common among all participant responses were found demonstrating patterns of interpersonal/musical interaction and shared experiences/understanding between team members, along with demonstrating the influence of outside factors on the overall team dynamic. Participants reported that the qualities of team member interaction encompassing trust and …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Nordoff-Robbins Trainees' Personal And Musical Growth During Certification Training, Matsuri Imura

Theses & Dissertations

Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy (NRMT) is an improvisational model of music therapy that involves active music making between a client and therapist. Through this interaction, the therapist may promote communication, self-expression and relatedness (Aigen, 2005). NRMT requires advanced training beyond what is necessary to practice music therapy at an entry level, and it offers certification at three levels. This study examined the experience of three participants who have completed Level I NRMT training. The first level of training focuses on developing musical resources and clinical applications of music while trainees attend classes and conduct individual and group sessions. Improvisational competencies necessary …

Exploring The Impact Of Personal Bereavement On Music Therapists' Work In End-Of-Life Care, Kaitlyn Leann Weeks

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the impact of personal loss on music therapists' work in end-of-life care. Each of the two participants in this study has worked in an end-of-life care setting as a board certified music therapist, has experienced a personal loss within the past ten years, was willing to share their experience of grief openly, and was personally aware as to how their experience has impacted their work.

The participants discussed their loss on a personal and professional level, and shared the positive effects and challenging outcomes of grief in relation to their clinical …

The Experience Of Music Therapists Who Balance The Dual Professions Of Music Therapist And Professional Musician, Colin Turner

Theses & Dissertations

This phenomenological research explores the experiences of professionals who balance careers as both music therapists and professional musicians. Interviews with these participants provide new insights into the lives of music therapists who are also music performers outside of clinical work. This study aims to gain a better understanding of how music therapists describe the impacts of balancing the two professions. Four Board-Certified Music Therapists who simultaneously work as professional musicians participated in open-ended interviews regarding their experiences of balancing the two professions and how it has impacted their clinical work. Two main categories emerged during the analysis: (a) Performance had …