Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Theses
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ItemThe body at the receiving end of political power( 2012)This research examines the experience of the body at the receiving end of political power, focusing specifically on the experience under the totalitarian regime in Bulgaria. Entwined within this are elements of family history, and the investigation of how experiences of political repression are remembered and how physical performance might begin to speak about these experiences. Notions of embodiment and ethics are central to the work.
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ItemThe effects of singing on respiratory function, voice, and mood for people with quadriplegia( 2012)This study examined the effects of a therapeutic group singing intervention on respiratory function, voice, mood, and quality of life outcomes for people with quadriplegia. Reduced lung function, diminished voice projection, and depression are common and disabling symptoms following cervical spinal cord injury. Respiratory muscle training has been shown to improve respiratory function but is limited by poor compliance and carryover. Singing training has facilitated improved respiratory capacity and voice projection in other populations and may be a more motivating way to train the respiratory muscles. A mixed-methods embedded, concurrent design was employed, with a quantitative principal component to obtain objective, statistical results from a sample of people with quadriplegia following two group music therapy interventions, and a qualitative component to explore the subjective experience of participation. Twenty-four participants with chronic quadriplegia (C4-C7, ASIA A & B) were randomly assigned to experimental or active control groups. The experimental group (n=13) received group singing training 3 times weekly for 12 weeks. The control group (n=11) received group music appreciation and relaxation for 12 weeks. Quantitative assessments were conducted pre, mid, immediately post, and 6 months post intervention. These assessments included respiratory function tests, electromyography, voice recording and analysis, in addition to mood, voice, and quality of life questionnaires. Participant interviews were conducted after the 6 month follow-up assessment. Results suggested a significant increase in projected speech intensity (p=0.028) and maximum phonation length (p=0.007) for the singing group. Trends for improvements in respiratory function, muscle strength and recruitment were also evident for the singing group. These effects were limited by a small sample size with large inter-subject variability. An immediate (post-session) increase in positive affect was demonstrated for singing intervention (p<0.000) and music appreciation and relaxation control groups (p=0.004). Longer term improvements in mood were also evident for both groups (p=0.002) and this improvement was maintained by control group after 6 months (p = 0.017). Qualitative data from a thematic analysis of participant interview data indicated that group music therapy improved mood and energy levels, increased motivation, and encouraged social interaction. These findings indicate that group music therapy can have a positive effect on not only physical outcomes, but can also improve mood, energy, social participation and quality of life for an at-risk population such as those with quadriplegia. Specific singing therapy can augment these general improvements by improving vocal intensity. Further research should examine the longer-term, community effects of this training on respiratory complications and voice function.
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ItemMaking a connection: randomised controlled trial of family centred music therapy for young children with autism spectrum disorder( 2012)Young children with autism spectrum disorder vary greatly in their social and communication skills, from non-verbal and difficult to engage socially, to using some sentences and showing social interest in other people. For those children who are non-verbal and difficult to engage socially, there is minimal evidence to help parents and early childhood intervention service providers determine which interventions will most successfully foster the social communication development of these young children. There is, however, increasing awareness in the literature of the positive impacts a strong parent-child relationship can have on social communication development in both typically developing children and children with ASD. The use of music therapy to assist children with autism to develop social communication skills has a long history, dating back to the 1960s. While the use of music therapy with children who have social communication impairments has been widely described, evidence into the effectiveness of music therapy with children with autism spectrum disorder has primarily taken the form of case studies, small quasi experimental research and small experimental designs. This mixed-methods study aimed to investigate whether family-centred music therapy positively influenced the social communication development of preschool aged children with severe autism spectrum disorder. 23 children between the ages of 3 and 6 years and their families were randomly allocated to either the treatment group or the control; with each participant receiving 16 weeks of family-centred music therapy sessions which took place in the family home. A variety of data was collected including 4 standardised measures, 1 non-standardised measure, a survey of the use of music in the home, and a structured interview with the participating parent. Quantitative analysis showed that children in the treatment group made improvements in the quality of their social interactions in the home and community, as well as their level of engagement within the music therapy sessions. The qualitative and mixed data analysis suggested that there were also improvements in the closeness of the parent-child relationship. Further, parents were able to adapt music activities to support their child in various activities in the home and community. These outcomes provide preliminary support for family-centred music therapy’s effectiveness in promoting developmental change in children’s social communication skills, and fostering greater closeness in the parent-child relationship.
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ItemThe accumulative effects of music therapy on dementia-related speech deficits in a sub-acute hospital setting( 2011)A single blinded randomised control trial was conducted to determine the accumulative effects of Music Therapy on dementia-related speech deficits. The hypotheses to be tested whether a programme of MT will result in greater improvement in dementia-related spontaneous speech deficits (in particular naming), than a programme of DT and 2) whether a programme of either MT or DT will result in a reduction in dementia-related spontaneous speech deficits (in particular naming) compared to a non intervention (control) group. Fifty-one participants with moderate to severe dementia, were randomised into 3 groups, one being the control group, the other two groups receiving either Music Therapy (MT) or Diversional Therapy (DT) (referred to as Recreational Therapy in the USA). The 45 to 60 minute Music Therapy and Diversional Therapy sessions were run concurrently every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning for 3 weeks by the author, a Registered Music Therapist or a Diversional Therapist. The Music Therapy sessions consisted of MT techniques previously used in Music Therapy dementia-related language studies, which included singing familiar songs, word cueing, instrument playing, music and reminiscence and music and movement. The Diversional Therapy activities were based on cognitive activities, physical stimulation and creative expression through arts and crafts activities. Data was collected at baseline and within 48 hours of the final session by the chief investigator and the research assistant. Data was generated by the following validated and standardised tools for the field of dementia: the Boston Naming Test Short Form (Mack, Freed, Williams, & Henderson, 1992), the Animal Naming Test (Spreen & Strauss, 1998), the Mini Mental State Examination (Folstein, Folstein, & McHugh, 1975), Geriatric Depression Scale, short version (Sheikh, 1986; Yesavage et al., 1983) and the Digit Span Test (Hunsley, Hanson, & Parker, 1988). Using a one-way repeated ANOVA the changes in the scores of the MT group were compared to the DT group (hypothesis 1), and score changes in both the MT and DT group were compared to the non-intervention (NI) group (hypothesis 2). Results of the one way repeated ANOVA did not support the two hypotheses. Changes in the scores of the secondary outcome measures using a one way repeated ANOVA also did not support the two hypotheses. Possible reasons for the null hypotheses are discussed including the research design, choice of research tools, and the challenges faced when conducting research studies within the dementia population. This study, with its large participant numbers and stringent research design significantly contributes to MT research literature. This study is also the first of its kind to define the MT technique of “word cueing”. Recommendations for future MT and dementia-related language deficits are discussed.
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ItemIssues of indeterminacy, metric modulation and “interference” in an individual compositional practice( 2011)This thesis consists of a folio of compositions and a dissertation. The folio comprises eight works that range in forces from full orchestra to piano trio: the largest piece is a (mostly wordless) song cycle for string quartet, electric guitar, spoken word and samples which spans fifty minutes, and is followed by two multi-movement works each of approximately twenty minutes in length. The remaining five compositions are shorter, single-movement pieces. The folio contains the scores to these compositions, accompanied by two CDs containing recordings of the works. The introduction to the dissertation presents an overview of the primary issues of indeterminacy, metric modulation and “interference”, and the secondary concerns of borrowing and allusion, Jewishness and septuple metre as aesthetic elements in the new works composed for this PhD project; following this is an overview of five of the compositions from the folio. The dissertation is then divided into two parts: Part I addresses the issues, Part II introduces and discusses each of the five compositions in detail. Each primary issue is discussed in a discrete chapter, beginning with definition, followed by a review of the literature, in addition to examples from my own work. The secondary concerns of borrowing, Jewishness and septuple metre are discussed in a composite chapter and are each treated similarly to the primary issues in tone and format. Musical examples, figures and tables are used throughout the dissertation to clarify, explicate and strengthen argumentation. The dissertation addresses the creative work itself, forming with the folio interdependent, mutually supportive constituents of the one argument. As a composer who is Australian, Jewish and a global citizen of the twenty-first century, I am part of a compositional continuum that is addressing the aforementioned problems now, and attempting to design relevant and meaningful solutions that may lead to a contribution to the literature and advancement in the field of music composition. Although certainly not the first, I am part of a burgeoning area of research investigating the nexus between jazz and Jewish music.
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Item'In tune with the times': the history of performing pitch in Melbourne( 2011)On 6 March 1909, Nellie Melba (1861–1931) presented a set of French diapason normal (a1=435) woodwind and brass instruments, known as the ‘Melba Gift’, to the Marshall-Hall Orchestra in Melbourne. Although she would benefit from use of the instruments in her later Australian opera tours, Melba made the gift primarily to help establish the French diapason normal as the uniform standard of performing pitch in Melbourne. At the beginning of the twentieth century, orchestral playing in the city was marred by tuning problems, and Melba’s gift formed part of a wider movement to standardise pitch in Melbourne. Melba’s set of instruments draws attention to an aspect of music making in the city, the frequency at which musical instruments are tuned, that, although fundamental to musical practice, has not yet been the subject of scholarly investigation. The aim of this PhD thesis is to explore how issues of performing pitch have shaped musical life in Melbourne. Focussing on the pitch of local pipe organs, orchestras, military bands, and civilian brass bands, this thesis traces the various standards of pitch used in Melbourne from the mid nineteenth to late twentieth centuries. It examines local discussion on pitch, and shows how practice has been driven by practical needs, economic considerations, aesthetics, and cultural attitudes. The thesis highlights local concern to keep up to date with international practice.
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ItemThe impact and effect of group music therapy on anxiety, depression, quality of life and coping with women with breast cancer: a mixed methods study( 2011)This mixed method study investigated the impact and effect of group music therapy on anxiety, depression, coping and quality of life, and the experience of music therapy for women with breast cancer. Four groups of women received 6 weekly music therapy sessions that incorporated various music therapy methods. Eighteen women at different stages of the disease trajectory took part in the study. A decision tree was developed to determine the most appropriate intervention to use each session. The pre and post program measures were the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (COPE), the European Organisation for Research and Treatment for Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment for Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Breast Cancer Module (QLQ-B23 (breast cancer). Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) measured mood, anxiety, coping and quality of life, pre and post each session. Qualitative data was gathered through focus group interviews which were held post music therapy program. A statistically significant improvement was found on one item of the EORTC QLQ-B23 (breast cancer) inventory, but there were no other notable changes. There were trends on two items of the COPE inventory, but no other changes, and no detected changes on the DASS. Statistically significant improvement was found on all four items on the VAS across all four groups, indicating that the music therapy sessions had a significant impact during the course of the six week program. The themes emerging from the qualitative analysis evolved from discussions about the music therapy sessions, the group experience and living with breast cancer. These were: a) music was heard and appreciated differently, b) the sessions allowed reflection, c) playing the chord harp was a voyage of discovery, d) songwriting was meaningful, e) listening to songs, singing and song writing were very moving experiences, f) confusion over the questionnaires, g) experiencing challenging moments, h) not enough time in the sessions and there were too few people, i) sharing experiences, j) it was a special space, k) the feeling endured, l) appreciation of the music therapist, m) it was a discrete experience, n) wanting to join a choir, o) the need to discuss the effects of treatment, p) silence of breast cancer, q) the impact on others of the diagnosis, r) seeing the funny side, s) it was a dual process coping with many things, and t) travelling similar but different paths. Individual distilled essences were generated from the focus group data, depicting the women’s distinctive experiences. Group essences were also developed from the data, illustrating the different group experiences. This study is one of only a few to examine a group music therapy model for women with breast cancer. Even though the study was small the findings make an important contribution to the research literature on the effect of group music therapy for women living with breast cancer.
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ItemEssential and inevitable ideas: a musico-dramatic analysis of Fritz Hart's 1919 opera "The Fantasticks" op. 35( 2010)The aim of this thesis is to examine musico-dramatic development and motivic organisation in Fritz Bennicke Hart's seventh opera, "The Fantasticks" op. 35. It examines and comments on Hart's approach to the correlation between musical procedures, and dramatic and textural elements. It argues that Hart created and manipulated motifs that are effective and appropriate to the accompaniment and illustration of dramatic events, character elucidation, interpretation of emotional response, and generation of form. This thesis accompanies critical editions of the full score, piano/vocal score, and orchestra parts, and included a critical commentary. It also accompanies a premiere concert performance of the opera with full orchestra.