Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Research Publications
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 10 of 51
-
ItemOlder adults' music listening preferences to support physical activity following cardiac rehabilitation( 2016-01-01)Background: Music listening during exercise is thought to increase physiological arousal and enhance subjective experience, and may support physical activity participation among older adults with cardiac disease. However, little is known about how music preferences, or perceptions of music during exercise, inform clinical practice with this population. Objective: Identify predominant musical characteristics of preferred music selected by older adults, and explore participants' music listening experiences during walking-based exercise following cardiac rehabilitation. Methods: Twenty-seven participants aged 60 years and older (21 men, 6 women; mean age = 67.3 years) selected music to support walking over a 6-month intervention period, and participated in post-intervention interviews. In this two-phase study, we first identified predominant characteristics of participant-selected music using the Structural Model of Music Analysis. Second, we used inductive thematic analysis to explore participant experiences. Results: Predominant characteristics of participant-selected music included duple meter, consistent rhythm, major key, rounded melodic shape, legato articulation, predictable harmonies, variable volume, and episodes of tension with delayed resolution. There was no predominant tempo, with music selections ranging from slow through to medium and fast. Four themes emerged from thematic analysis of participant interviews: psycho-emotional responses, physical responses, influence on exercise behavior, and negative experiences. Conclusions: Findings are consistent with theory and research explaining influences from music listening on physiological arousal and subjective experience during exercise. Additionally, for older adults with cardiac disease, a holistic approach to music selection considering general well-being and adjustment issues, rather than just exercise performance, may improve long-term lifestyle changes and compliance with physical activity guidelines.
-
ItemNo Preview AvailableOlder Adults' Music Listening Preferences to Support Physical Activity Following Cardiac Rehabilitation(OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC, 2016)BACKGROUND: Music listening during exercise is thought to increase physiological arousal and enhance subjective experience, and may support physical activity participation among older adults with cardiac disease. However, little is known about how music preferences, or perceptions of music during exercise, inform clinical practice with this population. OBJECTIVE: Identify predominant musical characteristics of preferred music selected by older adults, and explore participants' music listening experiences during walking-based exercise following cardiac rehabilitation. METHODS: Twenty-seven participants aged 60 years and older (21 men, 6 women; mean age = 67.3 years) selected music to support walking over a 6-month intervention period, and participated in post-intervention interviews. In this two-phase study, we first identified predominant characteristics of participant-selected music using the Structural Model of Music Analysis. Second, we used inductive thematic analysis to explore participant experiences. RESULTS: Predominant characteristics of participant-selected music included duple meter, consistent rhythm, major key, rounded melodic shape, legato articulation, predictable harmonies, variable volume, and episodes of tension with delayed resolution. There was no predominant tempo, with music selections ranging from slow through to medium and fast. Four themes emerged from thematic analysis of participant interviews: psycho-emotional responses, physical responses, influence on exercise behavior, and negative experiences. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are consistent with theory and research explaining influences from music listening on physiological arousal and subjective experience during exercise. Additionally, for older adults with cardiac disease, a holistic approach to music selection considering general well-being and adjustment issues, rather than just exercise performance, may improve long-term lifestyle changes and compliance with physical activity guidelines.
-
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.
-
ItemMusic Therapy Methods with Children, Adolescents, and Adults with Severe Neurobehavioral Disorders Due to Brain Injury(Oxford University Press, 2011-05-01)The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the application of music therapy intervention in neurobehavioral treatment programs with pediatric, adolescent and adult populations through the presentation of six case reports, with special reference to post-traumatic amnesia. Severe behavioral disorders stemming from brain injury are challenging for both the affected individual and their support network. Managing neurobehavioral disorders requires specialist skills and knowledge of various strategies to minimize behavioral incidents and decrease episodes of agitation. Music therapy interventions are effective in increasing orientation and decreasing agitation in people with post-traumatic amnesia following brain injury (Baker, 2001). However, there is little published guidance or research on music therapy interventions for use in interdisciplinary rehabilitation programs for patients with short-term or chronic neurobehavioral disorders following traumatic brain injury. Music therapy is well-placed as a part of interdisciplinary rehabilitation with this population, offering opportunities to enable emotional expression and improve pragmatic communication skills and social interaction. This case material provided illustrates how music therapists integrate family members into treatment programs, and work with others to enable multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary outcomes.
-
ItemThe Effect of Singing Training on Voice Quality for People With Quadriplegia(Elsevier, 2014-01-01)Objectives: Despite anecdotal reports of voice impairment in quadriplegia, the exact nature of these impairments is not well described in the literature. This article details objective and subjective voice assessments for people with quadriplegia at baseline and after a respiratory-targeted singing intervention. Study Design Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Twenty-four participants with quadriplegia were randomly assigned to a 12-week program of either a singing intervention or active music therapy control. Recordings of singing and speech were made at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months postintervention. These deidentified recordings were used to measure sound pressure levels and assess voice quality using the Multidimensional Voice Profile and the Perceptual Voice Profile. Results: Baseline voice quality data indicated deviation from normality in the areas of breathiness, strain, and roughness. A greater percentage of intervention participants moved toward more normal voice quality in terms of jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonic ratio; however, the improvements failed to achieve statistical significance. Conclusions: Subjective and objective assessments of voice quality indicate that quadriplegia may have a detrimental effect on voice quality; in particular, causing a perception of roughness and breathiness in the voice. The results of this study suggest that singing training may have a role in ameliorating these voice impairments.
-
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.
-
ItemNo Preview AvailableThematic analysis of the experience of group music therapy for people with chronic quadriplegia.(American Spinal Injury Association, 2014)BACKGROUND: People living with quadriplegia are at risk for social isolation and depression. Research with other marginalized groups has indicated that music therapy can have a positive effect on mood and social interaction. OBJECTIVE: To gather descriptions of participants' experience of 2 types of group music therapy - therapeutic singing or music appreciation and relaxation - and to determine commonalities and differences between participants' experience of these 2 methods. METHODS: We interviewed 20 people with quadriplegia about their experience of participating in 12 weeks of therapeutic singing (n = 10) or music appreciation and relaxation (n = 10). These methods of group music therapy were the interventions tested in a previously reported randomized controlled trial. The interview data were subjected to an inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Six main themes were generated from the interview data. Four of these were shared themes and indicated that both types of group music therapy had a positive effect on mood/mental state and physical state, encouraged social engagement, and reconnected participants with their music identity or relationship with music. In addition, the participants who participated in the singing groups found singing to be challenging and confronting, but experienced a general increase in motivation. CONCLUSIONS: Group music therapy was experienced as an enjoyable and accessible activity that reconnected participants with their own music. Participants frequently described positive shifts in mood and energy levels, and social interaction was stimulated both within and beyond the music therapy groups.
-
ItemA theoretical framework and therapeutic songwriting protocol to promote integration of self-concept in people with acquired neurological injuries(The Grieg Academy Music Therapy Research Centre, 2016)A positive self-concept after neurological injury is associated with enhanced quality of life and good mental health. Therefore, effective reconstruction of identity is heralded as an important goal of rehabilitation. We have developed and tested a songwriting protocol for people with acquired brain injury and/or spinal cord injury (SCI) that focuses on six domains of self-concept (physical, personal, social, family, academic/work, and moral). Over 12 music therapy sessions, people create three songs that reflect their perception of their past, present, and future selves. The therapeutic process of creating these songs aims to integrate residual components of the past self with that of the present injured self. This article outlines the theoretical foundations for the use of songwriting as a medium for change and describes the protocol in detail. We then present a case study of a man with SCI to illustrate the application of the protocol and the ensuing changes in self-concept.
-
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.
-
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.