Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Theses
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ItemThe markers of interplay between the music therapist and the medically fragile newborn infant( 2007)An emergent qualitative design provided the scaffolding for the micro-analysis of video footage and subsequent video-cued discussion with four reviewers. The collated material was used to prepare thick descriptions which were annotated for infant and therapist behaviours. A further thematic analysis of these behaviours provided 14 sets of behaviours used by the medically fragile newborn infants to indicate availability for interplay and 20 sets of behaviours used by the therapist in response to the infant. The interaction of these categorised behaviours provided seven markers of interplay between the music therapist and the medically fragile newborn infant.
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ItemMusic therapy's relevance in a cancer hospital researched through a constructivist lens( 2001-09)A constructivist research paradigm informed an investigation of the relevance of music therapy (MT) in a cancer hospital, that is, (a) what did MT do(?) and (b) did it help? Over three months, criterion sampling was used to elicit interpretations from five sources: 128 patients who participated in MT, 27 patients who overheard or witnessed MT, 41 visitors, 62 staff, and the researcher who was also the MT clinician in this study. The researcher’s interpretations were recorded in a reflexive clinical journal and the respondents’ interpretations were written on anonymous open-ended questionnaires. The MT program was predominantly characterised by the use of patient and visitor selected live music. Thematic analysis, informed by grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1990), and content analyses were performed on the five groups of data with the support of ATLAS/ti (Muhr, 1997) software. Many patients and visitors who experienced MT reported that MT elicited a range of affective responses and altered imaginings. Responses were especially characterised by memories being revisited but also characterised by the respondents’ “transportation” to new spaces or thoughts and physical sensations. Some staff and patients who overheard MT also reported similar experiences. The researcher, and often staff and visitors, also perceived that MT elicited affective and imagined sensations in patients.
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ItemThe experience of group music therapy for six bereaved adolescents( 2001-08)This research is an investigation of the experience of group music therapy for bereaved adolescents. In order to collect the data for this project, the researcher facilitated ten music therapy sessions with six young people utilising two music therapy techniques: group improvisation and group music sharing. At the conclusion of sessions, the researcher conducted in-depth interviews with the participants in which they described their experience of being in the music therapy group. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using the qualitative research methodology of phenomenology, based on the Giorgi (1975) model. The results of this investigation showed that their developmentally appropriate desires for fun, freedom, control and the achievement of group cohesion were essential in order for the six bereaved adolescents to successfully address the emotions of grief and share stories that strengthen continuing bonds with their loved ones who have died. Significantly, the young people noted that music sharing and improvisation allowed them to express their feelings, including negative feelings, as well as share their stories without relying solely on the use of words. Some felt that participation in the group had also facilitated discussion of their grief in diverse environments, or that it had promoted an examination of existential issues related to their loss.
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ItemThe rehabilitative effects of piano-playing music therapy on unilateral and bilateral motor coordination of chronic stroke patients: a MIDI analysis( 2007)This study examined the effects of piano-playing music therapy on the motor coordination of stroke patients using MIDI-based analysis to measure finger coordination. Within a modified controlled trial, twenty participants were assigned to either a music therapy treatment group or a control group. Half-hour individual music therapy sessions comprising various piano-playing techniques were conducted three days per week for four weeks, consisting of 12 sessions in total. Using the MIDI analysis, the participants’ finger movements were measured before and immediately after the interventions. A five-point scale assessment was also undertaken as a secondary outcome measurement. The results of performance comparison between the groups in pre and post-tests showed statistically significant improvements in timing consistency, velocity evenness, accuracy of key striking, and stability of synchronizing two-key striking. This indicates that piano-playing music therapy could be a viable intervention in rehabilitating motor coordination of chronic stroke patients.
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ItemUsing song-choice in music therapy to improve the communication skills of adults with profound and multiple disabilities( 2009)A multiple case study design was used to examine the effect of a song-choice intervention on the communication skills of adults with profound and multiple disabilities in individual music therapy. Five females participated in three song-preference assessment sessions and ten song-choice intervention sessions on a weekly basis. In the preference assessment sessions, each participant was provided with a different set of eight songs that were sung with guitar accompaniment by researcher. Affective responses to each song were analyzed and four preferred and non-preferred songs were identified. In the 30-minute song-choice intervention, each participant was offered four song-choice opportunities, with each allowing for several attempts. When the participant clearly indicated their choice of song between a pair of preferred and non-preferred songs, the researcher verbally validated it and immediately sang the chosen song, actively interacting with the participant. All sessions were video-taped and the participants’ and therapist’s behaviors during the song-choice processes were analyzed. The analysis of this data resulted in three clear outcomes. First, most participants expressed consistent affective responses to different songs and it was more obvious when provided with a highly preferred song. Second, all participants were able to choose songs which were intentional decisions as they selected their preferred songs 73 % of the time. Third, most participants gained improved communication skills. Specifically (a) two participants developed intentional choice-making behaviors such as alternating eye-gaze between a song-card and the researcher, and picking up a song-card from two song-cards, and (b) three participants improved intentional communication skills by clearly displaying their facial expressions and voices. The findings have implications for providing adults with profound and multiple disabilities with opportunities to express preference and choice, which ultimately improve their quality of life.