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.