Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Research Publications
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ItemWhose choice? Exploring multiple perspectives on music therapy access under the National Disability Insurance Scheme(Australian Music Therapy Association, 2018)The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a new national funding system for people with disabilities in Australia, which has been tested in some trial sites since 2013 and is now instigated across the Nation. Whilst music therapy and other music services are included on the list of recognised providers, inclusion of these services within individual case plans has been questioned at times by those with authority within NDIS trial sites. This research project aimed to build a collaborative relationship between the University of Melbourne, Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA), and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to better understand the needs and capacity for contribution of each organisation involved in the access of people to music therapy. To this end, interviews were conducted with three NDIA employees, five Registered Music Therapists (RMTs) who had experiences providing music therapy services as NDIS providers, and one parent of an eight-year old participant in the scheme who had accessed music therapy. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to identify gaps in knowledge and awareness between the different stakeholders. Fourteen emergent themes and three final themes revealed different perspectives on the matter, but all agreed that it is a significant time to promote music therapy and educate the NDIS planners, allied health professionals, the participants of the scheme and their families. In plain language:This research study investigates how different stakeholders perceived access to music therapy under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the trial sites between 2013 and 2015. Nine people who had the lived experience of the matter such as NDIS planners, Registered Music Therapists (RMTs) and a parent of a boy with a disability were individually interviewed. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis reveals that everyone believed that music therapy was not fully understood or received well by everyone, and RMTs need to take more active roles in educating and promoting music therapy to staff in the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), allied health professionals, as well as parents of people with disabilities.
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ItemFunctional electrical stimulation plus iPad-based music therapy for upper limb recovery after stroke: Study protocol for a mixed methods randomised controlled trial(GRIEG ACADEMY, 2020-09-20)Introduction Music therapy offers an effective avenue for simultaneously addressing goals of upper limb function and wellbeing post stroke. However, there are currently no trials of therapeutic music-making interventions for stroke survivors with a very weak upper limb (Grade 0–3 level of strength). This randomised controlled trial will examine the effect of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) with iPad-based music therapy on upper limb recovery and wellbeing outcomes for stroke survivors. Method This convergent mixed methods study will take place at seven participating hospitals in Sydney, Australia. Forty participants will be randomly allocated to usual care only or usual care plus daily FES+iPad-based music therapy for four weeks (20 sessions). Standardised assessments of the paretic upper limb and self-report wellbeing measures will be administered at three time points (pre- and post- intervention, and at three months follow up) by a blinded assessor. All participants will be interviewed about their perceptions of the way the treatment they received (usual care only or usual care plus daily FES+iPad-based music therapy) supported their recovery. Results Ethics approval has been granted and data collection has commenced. Discussion This treatment approach has the potential to improve upper limb function and wellbeing for stroke survivors. The intervention is novel in its capacity to engage stroke survivors with a very weak upper limb in therapeutic music-making.
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ItemSupporting positive parenting practices within a community-based music therapy group program: Pilot study findings(WILEY, 2019-05)The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits of a short-term, community-based music therapy group program on positive parenting practices. Parent-child dyads receiving early intervention family services (N = 199) participated in 8 weekly, 45-60 minute, music-based group play sessions. We analyzed pre-post parent self-reports that measured parenting competency and clinician-observed ratings of parental responsiveness that evaluated behavioral domains of play, praise, and consistency. Significant results were found for parent-reported efficacy (p = 0.008, d = 0.21) and satisfaction (p = 0.004, d = 0.19) but not for interest (p = 0.149, d = 0.12). Significant results were found for clinician-rated observations of parental responsiveness, including play (p < 0.001), praise (p < 0.001), and consistency (p < 0.001). Short-term, music-based parenting programs may be an effective way to improve parents' sense of competency and foster greater parental responsiveness for those receiving family services.