Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Research Publications
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ItemLearning to use music as a resource: the experiences of people with dementia and their family care partners participating in a home-based skill-sharing music intervention: a HOMESIDE sub-study(FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, 2023-05-18)An increasing number of people with dementia receive informal care from family members to help them remain living in the community. Music therapy is particularly beneficial for supporting the wellbeing of people living with dementia. However, little is known about how music therapy might support people with dementia and their family care partners as dyads. This study explored the experiences of six dyads participating in a 12-week home-based skill-sharing music intervention facilitated by a music therapist. We examined their experiences during the intervention period and in the 3-6 months following. This study was conducted within a larger randomised control trial, HOMESIDE. Data was collected through video-recorded music-based interviews, participant diaries, and a semi-structured interview. Data was analysed using an abductive and relational-centred research approach in consideration of the Contextual Connection Model of Health Musicking for People Living with Dementia and Their Family Care Partners. The study found fifteen themes that describe dyads' supported experiences of sharing music in their homes. These were organised into three global themes: (1) experiences were shaped by complex influences; (2) a connected musical ecosystem; and (3) music was a resource for wellbeing. This study highlighted the important role of personalised facilitation and the therapeutic relationship as dyads learned to use music as a resource through a process of trial and error. The implications for skill-sharing, indirect music therapy and direct music therapy practice are discussed.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableProfessional Pathways for Musicians with Disability in Victoria, Australia(ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2022-01-02)The work of disabled musicians has become the focus on of an increasingly large body of academic work; however, existing literature rarely provides details about the educational experiences of these musicians, or how disability impacted these experiences. This study interviewed eleven performing musicians living with disability in Australia to elucidate the barriers and enablers that they faced in their music educations and careers. We developed a ‘nested model’ based on a qualitative narrative analysis which identified barriers and enablers coming from ‘the musician’, ‘the self’, ‘other people’, and ‘the system’. We used this model to draw out further themes and counter-themes across the interviews to begin to illuminate the barriers. Each of our participants was able to identify numerous barriers to access, which they had experienced during their musical careers. Despite this, ten of our eleven participants continued to find ways to participate and express their creativity in musical activities, and they provided many practical suggestions for improving access. Future studies that seek perspectives from disabled music students, or those who are in the early stages of their careers, may provide further insights to better understand barriers and enablers.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableReflective Lullaby Writing with two mother--infant dyads who recently experienced an admission to a neonatal intensive care unit(GRIEG ACADEMY, 2023-05-27)Introduction: Having a premature baby is a complex experience for parents, especially where an admission to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) after birth is required. Regardless of length of admission, parents likely confront mixed emotions related to their concerns for their baby’s physical health and development, which are often still present in the months and years after their baby’s discharge. Supporting parents to emotionally process their experience presents unique challenges, and a deeper understanding of how to facilitate this process is needed. Method: The purpose of this research project was to explore parents’ experiences of engaging in individualised parent--infant music therapy in their home setting after their baby’s discharge from a NICU setting. Interviews were conducted with two mothers and descriptive phenomenology guided the immersive process of data analysis and explicating the prominent themes. Results: Four shared themes were identified. Songwriting was experienced as being distinctly therapeutic, and mothers described the value of intentionally creating lyrics which captured what they wanted to remember about their NICU and parenting journey. Both mothers valued reconnecting with aspects of their previous selves from before their NICU experience. Discussion: The composition of a personal song using therapeutic techniques offered mothers the opportunity to reflect on, and to begin to process their parenting experiences. Reflective Lullaby Writing is articulated as a novel approach to support post-NICU families. The findings of this pilot study will inform future studies in this area of practice which has not yet been well-established in the current discourse.
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ItemReconsidering the Dominant Narratives of the Music Therapy Profession for the Future(Canadian Association of Music Therapists, 2021)Music therapy has always been a research-based profession that is informed by theory. However, many of the theories that we rely on were proposed nearly half a century ago. This paper, which was presented as a keynote to the Canadian Music Therapy Association in 2020, provides one answer to the question of what theoretical perspectives we might privilege if the profession were established now, instead of at that time. Critical theories including intersectionality, post-humanism, and post-ableism are highlighted and practical suggestions are made about how these perspectives would alter the way we describe our practice as music therapists. La musicothérapie repose depuis toujours sur une recherche aux fondements théoriques. Cependant, nombre des théories sur lesquelles nous nous appuyons ont été formulées il y a près d'un demi-siècle. Le présent article, qui a fait l'objet du discours d'ouverture du congrès de l'Association canadienne des musicothérapeutes de 2020, propose une réponse possible à la question des perspectives théoriques qui seraient adoptées si la profession s'était établie aujourd'hui plutôt qu'il y a cinquante ans. On y aborde des théories critiques, portant notamment sur l'intersectionnalité, le post-humanisme et le post-capacitisme, et on y fait des suggestions pratiques sur les variations qu'apporteraient ces perspectives à notre définition de l'exercice de la musicothérapie.
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ItemCorrigendum: What young people think about music, rhythm and trauma: An action research study.(Frontiers Media SA, 2022)[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.905418.].
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ItemExploring the lived experiences of young autistic adults in Nordoff-Robbins music therapy: An interpretative phenomenological analysis(Taylor and Francis Group, 2022)Introduction: Research in music therapy and autistic people to date has predominantly focused on communication and social interaction outcomes. The purpose of this exploration was to explore the lived experiences of young autistic adults in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. To our knowledge, the body of research that seeks to understand participants’ perspectives regarding their experiences of music therapy and the goals they want to pursue is limited. Method: Four autistic young adult men who had received at least 6 months of Nordoff-Robbins music therapy services at the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at New York University participated in this study. Each participant engaged in four to five interview sessions to share their experiences of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy and the role it plays in their life. Interviews were analyzed using the IPA method. A summary of the results was shared with each participant to ensure sensitivity to and accuracy of their lived experiences. Results: Three themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Participants attend Nordoff-Robbins music therapy to develop their musicianship and personal selves; (2) participants create meaningful relationships with their peers, music therapists, and music; and (3) participants bring their sociocultural identities into music therapy sessions. Discussion: Participants’ responses led to a critical reexamining of “the music child”, challenging music therapy research and practice agendas of normalizing autistic social and communication behaviors, and suggest the need for more research that collaborates and centers the autistic community.
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ItemSix adolescents' lived experiences of resource-oriented music therapy assessment in a community-based mental health day program*(PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2023-02)This qualitative study focuses on a previously unexplored question, “how do adolescents experience resource-oriented music therapy assessment (ROMTA) in a community-based mental health day program?” Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was applied to data from semi-structured interviews with six 13–16-year-olds soon after multidisciplinary mental health assessment. Member-checking interviews were conducted close to discharge to ensure the trustworthiness of findings. Participants described apprehension regarding mental health assessment as a result of prior experiences; however, felt supported during assessment at the day program and valued the opportunity to try the program out before committing. Participants also felt unsure about ROMTA and had mixed responses to a psychometric music therapy tool, the Healthy Unhealthy Uses of Music Scale (HUMS). However, participants indicated that ROMTA didn't feel like an assessment, and that they valued the interpersonal focus and musical experiences. Prolonged psychotherapy without improvement can reduce adolescents’ hope and willingness for treatment. Music therapy assessment can provoke anxiety if adolescents think they will be judged or tested, or it can promote therapeutic rapport, enhance engagement, and increase motivation for treatment. Carefully preparing adolescents before assessment, providing information, focusing on the therapeutic relationship, and scaffolding interactions may increase positive outcomes from music therapy assessment.
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ItemAdolescents and Music Therapy: Contextualized Recommendations for Research and Practice(Oxford University Press, 2020-03-01)Music therapists have been working with, writing about, and researching their work with adolescents for many decades. This paper provides a reflective review of the research literature in the field that is categorized in three contexts: education, mental health, and community. Grouping knowledge in this way affords a new perspective on how music therapists describe adolescents, including the terms we use to describe them, the types of programs we offer, the approaches to research that are most popular, and the way we talk about the focus of therapy. Distinctions between research in these fields are highlighted, with reference to the beliefs and values that are most congruent with each of these contexts. Following this reflective review on the literature, I provide five recommendations for consideration by researchers and practitioners. These include: determining if and when evidence is an appropriate focus; continuing to seek understanding; not underestimating the value of positive experiences; avoiding an exclusive focus on the music therapist’s perspective; and being realistic about the outcomes of group versus individual therapy. The paper concludes with an illustrative example to emphasize how one adolescent might be “seen” differently in each context.
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ItemMusic, adversity and flourishing: Exploring experiences of a community music therapy group for Australian youth(SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2022-05)Community music therapy is a widely accepted approach that has its origins in the British community music scene and was carefully developed with respect to participatory values dominant in Norwegian practice. This article describes the way an Australian community music therapy programme for youth has been experienced by a group of diverse young people participating in a programme that is for youth who share an enthusiasm and a passion for music and often bring formidable talent to the group. They are also young people who are experiencing adversity due to chronic illness, mental ill-health, unstable homes lives or acute personal crisis or challenge. Qualitative analysis of interviews identified a number of themes including It is like a family; We understand one another’s life experiences and It is good for me, and also identified that diverse group members responded first to the emphasis on the value of music-based experiences, but strongly benefitted from the understanding afforded of the challenges they faced as a result of adverse life experiences. Possible distinctions between traditional group music therapy with adolescents and community music therapy are considered, with implications for programme descriptions and the level of focus on music and support adopted by facilitators.
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ItemShifting the Focus to Teachers: A New Approach for Music Therapists Working in Schools(OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC, 2023-05-06)Abstract This paper presents a new approach for music therapists in schools wishing to support the work of teachers. This music therapy approach is underpinned by theoretical resources drawn from community music therapy and a critical inclusive approach to education. Illustrative examples of the first authors’ music therapy practice as part of a teacher professional learning program, Music for Classroom Wellbeing, are offered. Two practice principles, “focus on the teacher” and “enable sharing,” are presented to provide a framework for music therapists striving to support teachers. Following these principles may allow teachers to grow their musicality, teaching, and self-care practices. This paper concludes with implications of reframing the focus of music therapy practice with teachers for other music therapists working in the current performance-driven schooling system.