Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Research Publications
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ItemNo Preview AvailableOnline music learning: informal, formal and STEAM contexts(Begell House, 2017)The increased development and learning benefits of online learning technologies have prompted music educators to rethink the possibilities of learning music online (Crawford, 2013). Found throughout the Internet on sites such as Online Academy of Irish Music Online, BanjoHangout.com and MusicTheory.net, online music learning has firmly established a base of informal learning. The informal online music learning context has been built through specific affinity groupings ‑ online communities and websites that promote learning music through identity, community or curriculum skill sets. The innovation of formal online music learning (i.e. post‑secondary credited courses) utilizes the academic learner′s affinity for music. According to preliminary data as identified in this paper, formal online music learning is currently increasing at an exponential rate of inclusion. While formal online music learning is not a fix‑all for niche faculty programs like music, it can present opportunities for offering students flexibility in time and location, community of collaboration, and assistive learning modalities for broader ranges of students (Crawford, 2013; Johnson, 2016). Dove‑tailing on the innovations available in online music learning, we conclude by highlighting the field of audio engineering ‑ a discipline that requires both music and mathematical skills. As a connector to STEAM education, online learning becomes an important learning support for audio engineering students taking physics as they can better experience audio, visual and practical aspects of music and physical mathematics.
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ItemParticipant-selected music and physical activity in older adults following cardiac rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial(SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2017-03)OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effects of participant-selected music on older adults' achievement of activity levels recommended in the physical activity guidelines following cardiac rehabilitation. DESIGN: A parallel group randomized controlled trial with measurements at Weeks 0, 6 and 26. SETTING: A multisite outpatient rehabilitation programme of a publicly funded metropolitan health service. SUBJECTS: Adults aged 60 years and older who had completed a cardiac rehabilitation programme. INTERVENTIONS: Experimental participants selected music to support walking with guidance from a music therapist. Control participants received usual care only. MAIN MEASURES: The primary outcome was the proportion of participants achieving activity levels recommended in physical activity guidelines. Secondary outcomes compared amounts of physical activity, exercise capacity, cardiac risk factors, and exercise self-efficacy. RESULTS: A total of 56 participants, mean age 68.2 years (SD = 6.5), were randomized to the experimental ( n = 28) and control groups ( n = 28). There were no differences between groups in proportions of participants achieving activity recommended in physical activity guidelines at Week 6 or 26. Secondary outcomes demonstrated between-group differences in male waist circumference at both measurements (Week 6 difference -2.0 cm, 95% CI -4.0 to 0; Week 26 difference -2.8 cm, 95% CI -5.4 to -0.1), and observed effect sizes favoured the experimental group for amounts of physical activity (d = 0.30), exercise capacity (d = 0.48), and blood pressure (d = -0.32). CONCLUSIONS: Participant-selected music did not increase the proportion of participants achieving recommended amounts of physical activity, but may have contributed to exercise-related benefits.
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ItemExploring the Self through Songwriting: An Analysis of Songs Composed by People with Acquired Neurodisability in an Inpatient Rehabilitation Program(Oxford University Press, 2017-03-01)Background: Neurological trauma is associated with significant damage to people’s pre-injury self-concept. Therapeutic songwriting has been linked with changes in self-concept and improved psychological well-being. Objective: This study analyzed the lyrics of songs composed by inpatients with neurological injuries who participated in a targeted songwriting program. The aim of this study was to understand which of the subdomains of the self-concept were the most frequently expressed in songs. Methods: An independent, deductive content analysis of 36 songs composed by 12 adults with spinal cord injury or brain injury (11 males, mean age 41 years +/– 13) were undertaken by authors 1 and 2. Results: Deductive analysis indicated that when writing about the past self, people created songs that reflected a strong focus on family and descriptions of their personality. In contrast, there is a clear preoccupation with the physical self, on the personal self, and a tendency for spiritual and moral reflections to emerge during the active phase of rehabilitation (song about the present self). Statistical analyses confirmed a significant self-concept subdomain by song interaction, F(10, 110) = 5.98, p < .001, ηp2 = .35), which was primarily due to an increased focus on physical self-concept and a reduced focus on family self-concept in the present song, more than in either past or future songs. Conclusions: The analysis process confirmed that songwriting is a vehicle that allows for exploration of self-concept in individuals with neurological impairments. Songwriting may serve as a therapeutic tool to target the most prevalent areas of self-concept challenges for clients undergoing inpatient neurological rehabilitation programs.
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ItemExploring the feasibility of a music-assisted relaxation intervention to assist with the initiation of non-invasive ventilation in people with Motor Neuron Disease(International Association for Music & Medicine, 2017)Background: Transitioning to non-invasive ventilation (NIV) can cause anxiety in people with Motor Neuron Disease (MND), which may reduce adherence rates. Music therapy has demonstrated positive effects with mechanical (invasive) ventilation. Method: This feasibility study examined the effects of music-assisted relaxation (MAR) on NIV adherence, anxiety, and quality of life for people with MND. Data were collected at baseline, 7-days post, and 3-months post NIV implementation. Results: Of 18 consenting participants, 15 chose the MAR condition. Results suggested that supporting NIV transition within the first 7 days may be advantageous for long-term adherence. No effects were found for anxiety or quality of life. Limitations included small sample size, lack of an adequate control, and possible ceiling effects on the instruments used. Qualitative data indicated most participants considered the relaxing and distracting effects of MAR were useful. Conclusions: In this small sample, we found some demand for and acceptability of a music-based intervention in this setting. Participants reported differing experiences of using MAR, and there were technical and logistical issues regarding timely and accessible provision of a MAR intervention within the treatment trajectory of NIV implementation. Conflicting quantitative and qualitative data support the need for mixed method research in this area.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableMusic interventions for acquired brain injury(John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2017)Background: Acquired brain injury (ABI) can result in impairments in motor function, language, cognition, and sensory processing, and in emotional disturbances, which can severely reduce a survivor's quality of life. Music interventions have been used in rehabilitation to stimulate brain functions involved in movement, cognition, speech, emotions, and sensory perceptions. An update of the systematic review published in 2010 was needed to gauge the efficacy of music interventions in rehabilitation for people with ABI. Objectives: To assess the effects of music interventions for functional outcomes in people with ABI. We expanded the criteria of our existing review to: 1) examine the efficacy of music interventions in addressing recovery in people with ABI including gait, upper extremity function, communication, mood and emotions, cognitive functioning, social skills, pain, behavioural outcomes, activities of daily living, and adverse events; 2) compare the efficacy of music interventions and standard care with a) standard care alone, b) standard care and placebo treatments, or c) standard care and other therapies; 3) compare the efficacy of different types of music interventions (music therapy delivered by trained music therapists versus music interventions delivered by other professionals). Selection criteria: We included all randomised controlled trials and controlled clinical trials that compared music interventions and standard care with standard care alone or combined with other therapies. We examined studies that included people older than 16 years of age who had ABI of a non‐degenerative nature and were participating in treatment programmes offered in hospital, outpatient, or community settings. We included studies in any language, published and unpublished. Data collection and analysis: Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. We contacted trial researchers to obtain missing data or for additional information when necessary. Where possible, we presented results for continuous outcomes in meta‐analyses using mean differences (MDs) and standardised mean differences (SMDs). We used post‐test scores. In cases of significant baseline difference, we used change scores. We conducted a sensitivity analysis to assess the impact of the randomisation method. Main results: We identified 22 new studies for this update. The evidence for this update is based on 29 trials involving 775 participants. A music intervention known as rhythmic auditory stimulation may be beneficial for improving the following gait parameters after stroke. We found a reported increase in gait velocity of 11.34 metres per minute (95% confidence interval (CI) 8.40 to 14.28; 9 trials; 268 participants; P < 0.00001; moderate‐quality evidence). Stride length of the affected side may also benefit, with a reported average of 0.12 metres more (95% CI 0.04 to 0.20; 5 trials; 129 participants; P = 0.003; moderate‐quality evidence). We found a reported average improvement for general gait of 7.67 units on the Dynamic Gait Index (95% CI 5.67 to 9.67; 2 trials; 48 participants; P < 0.00001). There may also be an improvement in gait cadence, with a reported average increase of 10.77 steps per minute (95% CI 4.36 to 17.18; 7 trials; 223 participants; P = 0.001; low‐quality evidence). Music interventions may be beneficial for communication outcomes in people with aphasia following stroke. Overall, communication improved by 0.75 standard deviations in the intervention group, a moderate effect (95% CI 0.11 to 1.39; 3 trials; 67 participants; P = 0.02; very low‐quality evidence). Naming was reported as improving by 9.79 units on the Aachen Aphasia Test (95% CI 1.37 to 18.21; 2 trials; 35 participants; P = 0.02). Music interventions may have a beneficial effect on speech repetition, reported as an average increase of 8.90 score on the Aachen Aphasia Test (95% CI 3.25 to 14.55; 2 trials; 35 participants; P = 0.002). There may be an improvement in quality of life following stroke using rhythmic auditory stimulation, reported at 0.89 standard deviations improvement on the Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale, which is considered to be a large effect (95% CI 0.32 to 1.46; 2 trials; 53 participants; P = 0.002; low‐quality evidence). We found no strong evidence for effects on memory and attention. Data were insufficient to examine the effect of music interventions on other outcomes. The majority of studies included in this review update presented a high risk of bias, therefore the quality of the evidence is low. Authors' conclusions: Music interventions may be beneficial for gait, the timing of upper extremity function, communication outcomes, and quality of life after stroke. These results are encouraging, but more high‐quality randomised controlled trials are needed on all outcomes before recommendations can be made for clinical practice.
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ItemTherapeutic singing protocols for addressing acquired and degenerative speech disorders in adults(Oxford University Press, 2017)The ability to communicate and make oneself understood is integral to a person’s quality of life. It affects social interaction, educational and vocational opportunities, and ultimately independence and sense of self. Unfortunately, speech production is often impaired as a result of neurological damage (e.g., traumatic brain injury, stroke) or disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s disease). There are many similarities and shared neural mechanisms between speech and singing. For example, both singing and speech utilize rhythm, pitch variation, tempo, dynamics, articulation, and respiratory support. Music therapists manipulate these elements of music when addressing therapeutic goals for people with neurogenic speech disorders. Many clinical protocols to address speech disorders in adults have now been published to guide clinical practice in music therapy. This paper summarizes existing music therapy and singing-based protocols used to address commonly occurring acquired or degenerative speech disorders, namely dysarthria, dysphonia, dysprosody, and apraxia of speech. We examine individual and group therapy protocols used in medical and community settings for people with neurogenic speech disorders caused by traumatic brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, and Parkinson’s disease. We highlight the strengths and limitations of these protocols and make recommendations for clinical practice.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableOptimising visual attention in children with autism spectrum disorder: a comparison of fixation distributions viewing singing and speech(Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, 2017-06-01)Purpose : Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk of social isolation and limited social development due to difficulties with gaze and visual attention to people. Studies have shown that children with ASD may prefer music to other stimuli. We hypothesised that a short video of a singer would elicit more attention to the performer, particularly to her face, than a video of her reading a story and that the child’s familiarity with the song and story would enhance attention. Methods : 16 children aged 7-10 (14 M, 2 F) with ASD took part. Stimuli were 4 videos 1 minute long. Content was a favourite song or story of the child, along with a song and story which were the same for all children. The performer, her clothing, lighting and sound level were the same across tasks. Props were a pair of drums for the songs and a storybook of similar size for the stories. Eye movements were recorded with an Eyelink 1000; areas of interest (AOIs) were defined for the face, prop and body. 3-way repeated measures ANOVAs were used to examine the proportion of total dwell time, the proportion of total fixations and pupil area for each AOI in each trial. Results : For dwell time proportion, a significant interaction was found for familiarity*AOI (F=7.45, p=.004), with gaze time to the face being increased for familiar trials (Table 1). Similarly, medium*AOI was significant (F=6.01, p=.013), with increased gaze time to the face and body and decreased time to the prop for the songs (Table 2). The same patterns were seen for proportion of fixation counts to the AOIs (familiarity*AOI F=4.97, p =.016; medium*AOI F=10.33, p=.001). For the pupil, only familiarity and AOI were significant; pupils were larger for familiar stimuli (F=16.70, p=.001) and for the face and prop (F=6.8, p=.015), with the body eliciting less dilation. Conclusions : As hypothesised, the videos of singing attracted children's gaze to the performer more than did those of her reading a story. Familiarity with the material being performed also attracted more attention to her face. Familiarity and gaze to the face also increased arousal, as indexed by pupil dilation. Observation by children with ASD of a singer, particularly one performing their favourite songs, may be a useful intervention for improving their social engagement skills.
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ItemONLINE MUSIC EDUCATION STREAM INTRODUCTION(Begell House, 2017)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableLa estética tardía de Les Ballets Russes y la transformación de El amor brujo en la versión de León Woizikovsky y Natalia Goncharova (1935)(Centro de Documentación de Música y Danza-INAEM; Fundación Archivo Manuel de Falla, 2017)In 1935 Les Ballets de Léon Woizikovsky staged El amor brujo with costumes and sets by Natalia Goncharova. The production was the first major choreography by the famous dancer Woizikovsky, whose reworking of the celebrated ballet by Manuel de Falla was one of the principal attractions of the new company for several years in the second half of the 1930s. During this time they undertook long tours around Spain, Europe and Oceania. Woizikovsky and Goncharova, who had been key members of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, also had many ties with the music of Falla and Spain. However, some of the ideas they explored in El amor brujo had origins in their collaboration with Bronislava Nijinska in the staging of Igor Stravinsky’s Les Noces (1924). These concepts included the simplification of the original plot, stylisation of the choreography and the employment of a limited range of colours in the sets and costumes.
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ItemIntegrating Emotions Into the Critical Interpretive Synthesis(SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC, 2017-01)Critical interpretive synthesis is a particular form of systematic review that critically examines the decisions made by authors while conducting and publishing about their research and practices. It differs from empirical syntheses of qualitative research by emphasizing the interpreted and constructed nature of this form of secondary analysis. In this article, we extend previous literature on critical interpretive syntheses by highlighting the integration of emotional responses when developing critical questions for interrogating the literature and interpreting results. Our extension of the critical interpretive synthesis is illustrated through examples from five studies examining literature in our own field of music therapy, as well as related fields of disability studies, mental health, music psychology, and child welfare. The methodology we have refined uses an iterative and recursive method that promotes increased critical awareness of the assumptions driving the production of research in health contexts.