Music Therapy Commons^™

Music Therapy For Women Survivors Of Human Trafficking And Domestic Violence, Dorothy Briggs

SPARK Symposium Presentations

As music therapy research progresses, populations that are underrepresented and under-researched become more evident. There is a lack of research, specifically intervention studies, addressing the needs of women survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. The aim of this study was to construct a goal focused plan of care created by and for these survivors. Nine music therapy sessions were created, each focusing on a different goal outlined by women survivors completing the work development program at Strings for Hope in Nashville, Tennessee. The sessions followed a natural progression, addressing increasingly more difficult topics. One session was led with the …

Improved Motor Skills In Autistic Children After Three Weeks Of Neurologic Music Therapy Via Telehealth: A Pilot Study, Nicole M. Richard Williams, Corene Hurt-Thaut, Jessica Brian, Luc Tremblay, Marija Pranjic, Jessica Teich, Melissa Tan, Julia Kowaleski, Michael Thaut

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Many autistic children experience motor skill deficits which can impact other areas of functioning, and research on therapeutic interventions for motor skills in autism is in a preliminary stage. Music-based therapies have been used extensively to address motor skills in non-autistic populations. Though a handful of studies exist on the effects of music-based therapies for movement in autistic children, none have investigated the possibility of administering sessions via telehealth. This mixed-methods pilot study investigated whether nine Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT)^® sessions via telehealth would improve motor and attention skills in autistic children.

Methods: Five autistic children between five …

Auditory Feedback Decreases Timing Variability For Discontinuous And Continuous Motor Tasks In Autistic Adults, Nicole M. Richard Williams, Luc Tremblay, Corene Hurt-Thaut, Jessica Brian, Julia Kowaleski, Kathrin Mertel, Sebastian Schlüter, Michael Thaut

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction: Autistic individuals demonstrate greater variability and timing error in their motor performance than neurotypical individuals, likely due at least in part to atypical cerebellar characteristics and connectivity. These motor difficulties may differentially affect discrete as opposed to continuous movements in autistic individuals. Augmented auditory feedback has the potential to aid motor timing and variability due to intact auditory-motor pathways in autism and high sensitivity in autistic individuals to auditory stimuli. Methods: This experiment investigated whether there were differences in timing accuracy and variability in autistic adults as a function of task (discontinuous vs. continuous movements) and condition (augmented auditory …

Factors Influencing Music Therapists’ Retention Of Clinical Hours With Autistic Clients Over Telehealth During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Nicole M. Richard Williams

Faculty Scholarship

The COVID-19 pandemic influenced music therapists to migrate services to online platforms, though some lost clinical hours during the pandemic when telehealth was not a viable option. This survey study aimed to ascertain factors that helped music-based therapists to continue serving autistic clients over telehealth during the pandemic. We surveyed 193 accredited music therapists located mainly in Canada and the United States. In addition to gathering data on general perceptions of telehealth music therapy and Neurologic Music Therapy® (NMT), one-way ANOVAs were applied to determine differences in percent-change loss of clinical hours for music therapists: 1) working in different employment …

Novel Screening Tool And Considerations For Music Therapists Serving Autistic Individuals Via Telehealth: Qualitative Results From A Survey Of Clinicians’ Experiences, Nicole M. Richard Williams

Faculty Scholarship

During the COVID-19 pandemic, music therapists transitioned services from in-person to telehealth due to health and safety concerns. Though online delivery of music therapy services for autistic individuals occurred prior to 2020, the number of North American music therapists using telehealth with autistic clients rose substantially during the pandemic. The current paper’s objective was to delineate music therapists’ perceptions regarding factors that helped or hindered autistic persons’ engagement in online music therapy sessions. One-hundred ninety-two participants completed the survey. Qualitative content analysis of an open-ended question identified seven overarching themes regarding benefits and challenges of telehealth music therapy for autistic …

The “Sing Me A Story” Project: A Study Of Songwriting And Its Impact On The Disabled, Camden M. Diver

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

The “Sing Me a Story” project is an initiative with the purpose to explore the therapeutic effect of songwriting on young adults with disabilities. With sessions taking place over the course of several weeks, the project is inspired by my own experience and incorporates research on the ever-growing field of music therapy. Participants are invited to join me for co-writing sessions where they will help write a song that expresses their original ideas and emotions. As we get to know one another and the songs are written, the goal is for participants to experience greater confidence in conveying and communicating …

Sound In Color, Amber Rhodes

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

“Sound in Color” is an interactive audio-visual experience designed to explore the relationship between sound, color, and emotions. Taking place on the Massey Concert Hall stage, the project is inspired by synesthesia and incorporates research on color psychology. Participants are invited to select an emotion and color. As the user hums into a microphone, they hear their emotions expressed through sound in their headphones and watch as the lights on stage respond to their vocal cues.

Investigating Music-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation For Individuals With Moderate To Severe Chronic Acquired Brain Injury: A Feasibility Experiment, Nicole M. Richard Williams

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Acquired brain injuries often cause cognitive impairment, significantly impacting participation in rehabilitation and activities of daily living. Music can influence brain function, and thus may serve as a uniquely powerful cognitive rehabilitation intervention. Objective: This feasibility study investigated the potential effectiveness of music-based cognitive rehabilitation for adults with chronic acquired brain injury. Methods: The control group participated in three Attention Process Training (APT) sessions, while the experimental group participated in three Music Attention Control Training (MACT) sessions. Pre-and post- testing used the Trail Making A & B, Digit Symbol, and Brown-Peterson Task as neuropsychological tests. Results: ANOVA analyses showed …