Music Therapy Commons^™

Learning How To Practice Takes Practice, Micah Killion, Robert Duke

John J. Cali School of Music Scholarship and Creative Works

Effective music learning depends on effective music practice. Although time spent with teachers is an important component of young musicians’ development, time spent alone practicing is perhaps even more consequential. Researchers and teachers have offered many prescriptions about effective music practice, yet observations of young musicians’ actual practice reveal that their behavior in the practice room is often quite unlike what teachers envision. The most important aspects of effective practice are the thinking, perceiving, and decision-making that serve to organize how musicians spend their time. We discuss how to help students focus their attention in ways that lead to the …

Music Therapists’ Experience With Resistance In An Inpatient Psychiatric Setting, Mark E. Ackerman

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This phenomenological research study examined music therapists’ experiences with resistance as it occurred with patients in the context of inpatient psychiatric care in the New York City area.While there are many definitions of resistance in the previously published literature on the subject, participants were asked to recount their experiences of resistance without reference to a specific definition: their responses are based on an individual interpretation of the phenomenon.

While there are notable studies on music therapy and resistance, there have been few studies on resistance in the context of inpatient psychiatric care. The following research questions were addressed in this …

Community Music Therapy And El Sistema : Addressing The Empowerment Needs Of Marginalized Individuals And Their Communities, Virginia Carolina Eulacio-Guevara

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Music is an accessible tool for positive change within people and societies, even in places facing socioeconomic marginalization due to poverty, discrimination, and lack of access to resources. Social capital has to do with the resources and networks available within society, which may help confront issues faced by individuals and communities. Community Music Therapy (CoMT) and the music education movement known as El Sistema both utilize music—understood as social capital—to address social justice. The purpose of this study was to comparatively examine the ways in which CoMT and El Sistema programs may address the empowerment needs of individuals and communities …

The Effect Of Thematic Improvisation And Lyric Analysis On Classroom Performance In An Adolescent With A Behavioral/Emotional Disorder, Brandon K. Madsen

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The prevalence of adolescents with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) is growing by the year, and schools and diagnostic clinicians are having difficulty agreeing on the definition of the terms and diagnoses that fit into the EBD category. As these discrepancies in definitions and requirements can trickle down and affect treatment, it is important to find lasting, effective treatment that can help reduce disruptive behaviors that are often present for children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders. This study highlighted two music therapy interventions that are designed to focus on emotional identification, goal setting and the therapeutic relationship. The …

The Experience Of Thirdness For Music Therapists Working With Children On The Autism Spectrum, Jamison Chester Fox

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This research explores the phenomenon of thirdness and seeks to understand the experience of thirdness for music therapists working with children on the autism spectrum. This thesis includes a review of literature on thirdness as a general phenomenon, as well as thirdness specifically in music therapy. This was accomplished through a set of phenomenological interviews with three experienced music therapists in the field. A total of 102 meaning units were extracted from the culled transcripts and sorted into 17 categories. The categories were derived by carefully reviewing the related meaning units and were then stated in terms of thirdness. The …

Analyzing The Quality Of Attention Of A Client With Williams Syndrome During Improvisational Music Therapy, Hyun Kyoung Kim

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study sought to investigate the effectiveness of improvisational music therapy for a client with Williams Syndrome (WS). The study employed both quantitative and qualitative analysis to assess the quality of attention of a client with WS during improvisational music therapy. The participant of this study was a teenage boy with Williams Syndrome who received music therapy at the Rebecca Center for Music Therapy and Molloy College in New York. The study analyzed the participant’s attention behaviors in musical-play by reviewing video recordings that had been made of the client’s therapy sessions at the Rebecca Center. To analyze the quantitative …

Perceptions Of Music Therapy Among Hospice Health Care Clinicians : Implications For Effective Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Crystal Antoine

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

One reported strategy towards effective interdisciplinary collaboration for optimal patient care is through understanding the purpose and roles of the other disciplines on the health care team. In comparison to disciplines such as nursing, music therapy is a more recent discipline that has been added to hospice interdisciplinary teams. The purpose of this study was to discover how hospice clinicians perceive the role of music therapy in end of life care. A multiple-select choice survey was conducted asking 15 hospice clinicians their feedback on the following music therapy topics: reasons for referrals, benefits of music therapy, music therapy interventions, and …

The Role Of Performance Anxiety Within The Music Therapist, Emma Jane Walker

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the manifestation of anxiety, the role it plays in the life and practice of the music therapist, as well as exploring the techniques and exercises utilized by the therapist for this or her own care. This explorative research study used a survey approach to gather qualitative data based on both practicing music therapists and music therapy students’ perceptions and experiences related to performance anxiety within their training and clinical work. A total of 100 surveys were completed online by music therapy students, interns, novice clinicians, as well as seasoned music therapists and …

Establishing Foundations For The Development Of A Music-Centered Music Therapy Assessment For Adults With Thought Disorders, Kaitlin Elizabeth Miller

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Mental illness in the United States affects approximately 9.6 million adults, or 4.1% of the population (NIMH, 2014). Thought disorders are most often associated with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, but can be present in other forms of mental illness, as well. Traditionally, the term thought disorder is defined as a disorder of cognitive organization in form and content, as indicated by disordered speech, delusions, disturbed sense of self, and abnormal psychomotor behavior (APA, 2013). The current methods of assessment primarily rely on the patients’ verbal language, however the literature indicates that there are limits to confining understanding to the verbal domain. …

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, …

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 …

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 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. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Understanding The Benefits Of An Asian Music Therapy Student Peer Group, Yi-Ying Lin

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

As Asian international music therapy students, we shared many experiences and challenges when adjusting to the United States culture. In order to improve each other’s learning experiences and amplify our coping strategies, six of my Asian peers at Montclair State University and I spontaneously formed a group in 2011. The group seemed to have a positive effect on its members. To understand the benefits of the group from multiple facets and identify its role when addressing members’ needs in academic, clinical, and personal domains, I chose to use narrative inquiry and arts-based research in order to allow the participants to …

The Common Issues In Hospice Music Therapy : A Survey Of Hospice Music Therapists, Wone Juhn

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Hospice patients experience physical, cognitive, psychological, social and spiritual challenges. Literature has suggested the needs of hospice patients, and the goals, methods, techniques and case examples in hospice music therapy. However, the statistical information about the general hospice music therapy practice is not sufficient. Thus, it is necessary to collect data about the common issues in hospice music therapy involving hospice patients, their family caregivers and hospice music therapists. The purpose of this study is to gather experiential information about the common issues in hospice music therapy practices. The quantitative and qualitative data were obtained from a survey of a …

The Experiences Of Music Therapists With Mental Illness Working With Clients With Similar Diagnoses, Adam Makofske

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This phenomenological research study examined music therapists’ experiences of working with clients when both are diagnosed with a mental illness. The following research questions were addressed:

What is the experience like for music therapists with psychiatric illnesses to treat clients who have the same or similar diagnoses? What are the specific challenges regarding the therapeutic dynamics in this unique situation?

How is the countertransference defined, experienced and handled by the music therapist, including the specific role of the music and its impact on the therapy process?

In person, phenomenological interviews were conducted with three participants, each self-identified as having been …

The Effect Of Music Therapy Versus General Classroom Instruction On The Social Skills Of A Preschooler On The Autism Spectrum In An Inclusive Setting, Rachel A. Crawford

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this case study was to examine the effects of music therapy on the development of the social skills of a preschooler on the autism spectrum in an inclusive setting. The study was performed in an inclusive preschool classroom at the Ben Samuels Children’s Center on the campus of Montclair State University. A literature review related to this topic included information on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the etiology of the disorder and the use of music therapy in the inclusive school setting with students on the autism spectrum. The review also covered the effect music therapy has on …

Exploring The Relationship Between Therapeutic Voice Work And Duration Of Held Tone, Tone Quality, And Volume With School-Aged Children Diagnosed With Asthma, Susanne N. Kobb

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Asthma is one of the most prevalent diseases diagnosed in young children today, and has been the focus of many research studies in the medical field. Despite recent breakthroughs in medical research, children are still suffering from asthma symptoms in their daily routines and lifestyles. Because asthma is directly connected to one’s breath and lung function, focus has shifted in recent years to include alternative medicines such as breathing techniques, yoga, and music. This thesis reviews the sparse literature on music and relaxation techniques - most specifically the use of voice and breath - as it relates to asthma, in …

Effects Of Vocal Toning And Bio Acoustics Assessment On Pain And Bio Acoustics Vocal Profile, Crista Marie Orefice

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The objective of this research study was to investigate the effects of vocal toning interventions informed by a BioAcoustics assessment tool on the perceived pain and the vocal profile in a participant diagnosed with fibromyalgia. The study employed a single case study design. The participant (N=l) was a woman diagnosed with fibromyalgia, who underwent a series of ten 25-minute music therapy treatments of vocal toning, twice a week, for five weeks. Vocal profile was recorded and measured with the BioAcoustics nano Voice program for each session, pre- and post-treatment. Perceived pain was measured using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) questionnaire …

Considerations In A Brief Therapy Model For Music Therapy, Justin Francis

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of the study is to ascertain the extent to which music therapists are working in ways that utilize components of brief therapy. The goals are to gain insight into the following: 1) Are music therapists utilizing brief therapy? 2) What are music therapists' perception(s) of brief therapy work? A total of 108 Board-Certified Music Therapists participated in a three-part survey consisting of demographic information, clinical experience, and various perceptions pertaining to applications of brief music therapy. Survey Monkey administered the survey for one month via a linked email cover letter. Data from the survey was descriptively summarized. A …

The Effect Of Group Music Therapy On Adjustment Disorder For Korean Population In The United States, You-Ri Lee

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study is to present multiple case studies of three individuals between the ages of 19 and 31, living in the New York City area and participating in a music therapy group for Korean exchange students experiencing Adjustment Disorder in the United States. The study provides an in depth discussion of the group music therapy process, which took place over nine one hour sessions held at Montclair State University. The case study is preceded by an extensive literature review describing the needs of the population, the lack of music therapy interventions and/or models with this population, and …

Music Therapy And The Families Of Nicu Infants : A Proposed Program For Development And Implementation, Angela Ferraiuolo-Thompson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This thesis proposes a music therapy program for families whose infants are hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The goals of the program include the following: reduction of stress, anxiety and depression; working through trauma responses via the promotion of relaxation and the facilitation of coping skills. A review of the literature leads to the conclusion that families of NICU infants are under-served in terms of populations receiving music therapy as a supportive service. It is important to note that this population is often suffering from the same debilitating symptoms addressed in music therapy treatment of adults with …

The Use Of The Music Therapist’S Principal Instrument In Clinical Practice, Angela Voyajolu

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine the use of the music therapist’s primary instrument in clinical practice. Specifically, the interest lies in whether there is a relationship between the type of primary instrument reported and the degree to which it is used with clients. In the current study two-hundred and twenty-two therapists completed a survey concerning the use of their principal instrument in clinical practice. The use of the principal instrument was limited to the timeframe of one year so as to obtain results on current practices. Results suggest that many music therapists do use their principal instrument …

Adaptive Piano Pedagogy For The Student With Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Nava Zeevi

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Music therapy is a well known means of creating emotional, academic and social advances in the life of children with autism. However, private instrumental instructions, a form of music therapy for this population, are not easily accessible. Not many piano teachers have the experience, background or understanding needed to teach students with varying degrees of challenges in sensory integration, information processing, aural and visual discrimination, motor problems and low muscle tone.

The literature review in this thesis includes an overview of autistic spectrum disorder, the special learning needs of the child with autism, and general piano pedagogy theories, strategies and …

Awareness And Attitudes Regarding Music Therapy In Jakarta, Indonesia : A Survey Amongst College Students, Liana Hadi

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purposes of this study are to ascertain the awareness, knowledge levels and the attitudes of college students towards music therapy in order to provide a perspective on the possible development of training and education in Indonesia. This study was completed by performing a random survey of seventy one college students, between the ages of 18-24 years old, over several local universities in Jakarta, Indonesia. The survey has 18 open-ended questions, which would require no more than 10 minutes for completion. The survey opens with some general questions about participants’ age, gender, the highest education and their major education. The …

The Role Of Music Therapy In Increasing Motivation For Change In Individuals With Dual Diagnosis : Alcohol Abuse And Depression In An Inpatient Short-Term Psychiatric Setting, Ann C. Charoonsathvathana

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The role of music therapy in increasing motivation for change in individuals with dual diagnosis with regard to alcohol abuse and depression in an inpatient short-term psychiatric setting is explored in this pilot study. This study involves a total of ten participants attending five music therapy sessions which consist of music improvisation, drumming, sing along, lyrics discussion, song writing, and music relaxation. A Readiness to Change Questionnaire (RCQ), Music Therapy Questionnaire and Music Therapy Survey form are administered at different times of the sessions. The ¿-tests (within-subject design) are used to analyze the data. The study also includes descriptive data …