Varvara Pasiali, Gretchen Benner, Ashley Tisdale, G. Jones, M. Tart, Nicole Crate
Children who experience multiple stressors may benefit from music therapy programming that addresses the development of social skills, self-expression, and coping mechanisms. Emerging evidence supports the use of improvisation techniques, group songwriting, and drumming activities to support self-regulation and increase social competence. In this article, we aimed to describe the inception and evaluate the implementation of a music therapy program for children at a residential treatment facility for women with substance use disorders (SUDs) at Dove’s Nest, a residential facility for women with SUDs. In this facility, children can reside with their mothers during the length of treatment. We collected pre/post data from children ages 5–11 (N = 20) who attended 8 nonconsecutive music therapy sessions by asking the mothers to complete the Home and Community Social Behavior Scale (HCSBS; Merrell, K. W., & Caldarella, P. (2008). Home & Community Social Behavior Scales user’s guide. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company). Statistical analyses showed no significant changes on individual HCSBS subscale pre–post comparisons. The total number of scale items on HCSBS flagged as areas of concern was reduced both in social competence (31 pre to 6 post or a decrease of 80.65%) and antisocial behavior (34 pre to 17 post or a decrease of 50%) scales. Evaluation results indicated that even though the children assessed may score within average ranges for social competence and antisocial behaviors, they still exhibit a high number of areas of concern at baseline, particularly in the defiant/disruptive category, which warrants preventive interventions. Clinicians may need to focus on interventions that promote social integration, self-regulation, and assertiveness while addressing behaviors such as blaming and attention seeking.
{"title":"Music Therapy with Children Whose Mothers Are in Residential Treatment for Substance Use Disorders: A Program Evaluation","authors":"Varvara Pasiali, Gretchen Benner, Ashley Tisdale, G. Jones, M. Tart, Nicole Crate","doi":"10.1093/mtp/miab020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miab020","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Children who experience multiple stressors may benefit from music therapy programming that addresses the development of social skills, self-expression, and coping mechanisms. Emerging evidence supports the use of improvisation techniques, group songwriting, and drumming activities to support self-regulation and increase social competence. In this article, we aimed to describe the inception and evaluate the implementation of a music therapy program for children at a residential treatment facility for women with substance use disorders (SUDs) at Dove’s Nest, a residential facility for women with SUDs. In this facility, children can reside with their mothers during the length of treatment. We collected pre/post data from children ages 5–11 (N = 20) who attended 8 nonconsecutive music therapy sessions by asking the mothers to complete the Home and Community Social Behavior Scale (HCSBS; Merrell, K. W., & Caldarella, P. (2008). Home & Community Social Behavior Scales user’s guide. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company). Statistical analyses showed no significant changes on individual HCSBS subscale pre–post comparisons. The total number of scale items on HCSBS flagged as areas of concern was reduced both in social competence (31 pre to 6 post or a decrease of 80.65%) and antisocial behavior (34 pre to 17 post or a decrease of 50%) scales. Evaluation results indicated that even though the children assessed may score within average ranges for social competence and antisocial behaviors, they still exhibit a high number of areas of concern at baseline, particularly in the defiant/disruptive category, which warrants preventive interventions. Clinicians may need to focus on interventions that promote social integration, self-regulation, and assertiveness while addressing behaviors such as blaming and attention seeking.","PeriodicalId":44813,"journal":{"name":"Music Therapy Perspectives","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49057271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Music therapy with women with addictions","authors":"K. Murphy","doi":"10.1093/mtp/miab018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miab018","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":44813,"journal":{"name":"Music Therapy Perspectives","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47573835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic changed the lives of very nearly every person in the world. For the music therapy profession and those populations that can benefit from its application, the ramifications are no less palpable, though they have been changing on a day-today basis. During the initial phase of the pandemic, the expressive therapy team, including the music therapists at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, was directed to work remotely using virtual platforms to facilitate services. Several studies conducted both prior to the pandemic and since its arrival in the United States demonstrate the delivery of expressive therapies via remote, web-based platforms. However, there is a general lack of literature on the subject. This article brings forward 3 case examples in order to illustrate the methods of achieving goals and objectives in distanced music therapy: a 5-year-old girl needing a heart transplant, an 11-year-old girl requiring tri-weekly hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease, and 2 brothers whose sister died of rhabdomyosarcoma and who was treated at Primary Children’s Hospital. These case stories offer perspective on both the challenges and positive responses that occurred throughout the process, with a focus on the adaptation to virtual music therapy services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
{"title":"Case Studies in Pediatric Music Therapy During COVID-19","authors":"Tom Goicoechea, Katie Lahue","doi":"10.1093/mtp/miab009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miab009","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic changed the lives of very nearly every person in the world. For the music therapy profession and those populations that can benefit from its application, the ramifications are no less palpable, though they have been changing on a day-today basis. During the initial phase of the pandemic, the expressive therapy team, including the music therapists at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, was directed to work remotely using virtual platforms to facilitate services. Several studies conducted both prior to the pandemic and since its arrival in the United States demonstrate the delivery of expressive therapies via remote, web-based platforms. However, there is a general lack of literature on the subject. This article brings forward 3 case examples in order to illustrate the methods of achieving goals and objectives in distanced music therapy: a 5-year-old girl needing a heart transplant, an 11-year-old girl requiring tri-weekly hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease, and 2 brothers whose sister died of rhabdomyosarcoma and who was treated at Primary Children’s Hospital. These case stories offer perspective on both the challenges and positive responses that occurred throughout the process, with a focus on the adaptation to virtual music therapy services during the COVID-19 pandemic.","PeriodicalId":44813,"journal":{"name":"Music Therapy Perspectives","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47998407","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-08-27eCollection Date: 2021-01-01DOI: 10.1093/mtp/miab013
Kory Antonacci, Nicole Steele, Jacob Wheatley, Donna M Weyant, Beverly Brozanski, Brittany Stone, Teresa Mingrone
A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be an extremely stressful environment for infants receiving complex medical care at a pediatric facility. Music therapy can help address the stressful environment by increasing comfort and relaxation as well as decreasing a patient's physiological response of heart rate and respiratory rate. A randomized controlled trial was completed, examining the effects of 2 guitar accompaniment patterns on infants (an arpeggiated pattern and a bass/chord pattern) in a NICU. There were 180 infants enrolled with mean chronological ages of 7.4 ± 6.1 weeks and postmenstrual ages (gestational age at birth + their chronological age) of 39.8 ± 7.9 weeks. All subject enrollees participated in a 12-minute initial music therapy session. Outcome measures included heart rate, respirations, and comfort responses. The results of the research study demonstrated that the arpeggiated guitar pattern had a lower mean heart rate and respiratory across all 3 data points (pre, during, and post intervention); however, the difference in means between the 2 accompaniment pattern groups was not statistically significant. Using the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) to measure comfort response, the results demonstrated no difference between the 2 group accompaniment patterns. Although the results show no significant differences among accompaniment pattern groups, the researchers describe the clinical significance that supports the use of both accompaniment patterns as suitable interventions for infants in the NICU receiving music therapy intervention.
{"title":"Effects of Guitar Accompaniment Patterns on Hospitalized Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial.","authors":"Kory Antonacci, Nicole Steele, Jacob Wheatley, Donna M Weyant, Beverly Brozanski, Brittany Stone, Teresa Mingrone","doi":"10.1093/mtp/miab013","DOIUrl":"10.1093/mtp/miab013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be an extremely stressful environment for infants receiving complex medical care at a pediatric facility. Music therapy can help address the stressful environment by increasing comfort and relaxation as well as decreasing a patient's physiological response of heart rate and respiratory rate. A randomized controlled trial was completed, examining the effects of 2 guitar accompaniment patterns on infants (an arpeggiated pattern and a bass/chord pattern) in a NICU. There were 180 infants enrolled with mean chronological ages of 7.4 ± 6.1 weeks and postmenstrual ages (gestational age at birth + their chronological age) of 39.8 ± 7.9 weeks. All subject enrollees participated in a 12-minute initial music therapy session. Outcome measures included heart rate, respirations, and comfort responses. The results of the research study demonstrated that the arpeggiated guitar pattern had a lower mean heart rate and respiratory across all 3 data points (pre, during, and post intervention); however, the difference in means between the 2 accompaniment pattern groups was not statistically significant. Using the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) to measure comfort response, the results demonstrated no difference between the 2 group accompaniment patterns. Although the results show no significant differences among accompaniment pattern groups, the researchers describe the clinical significance that supports the use of both accompaniment patterns as suitable interventions for infants in the NICU receiving music therapy intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":44813,"journal":{"name":"Music Therapy Perspectives","volume":"39 2","pages":"172-183"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8528111/pdf/miab013.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39552733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Perinatal loss poses unique challenges to grief work because of the complexity of dynamics it carries. Historically shrouded in socially and culturally based belief systems often impeding normal grief responses, the barriers to healthy processing have been surmounted in recent decades. The emergence of music therapy in partnership with social work is one such approach to addressing both anticipatory grief and bereavement of parents enduring the death of their infant prenatally. This retrospective article highlights the resourcing of popular music within a clinical music therapy approach to the curation of a perinatal bereavement event within a large hospital system in a metropolitan area. Popular music as a ubiquitous art form lends tangibility and relevance to the complicated themes of perinatal loss in a manner that invites bereft parents into a forum of acceptance and acknowledgment of a loss that for too long has remained in the shadows.
{"title":"Resourcing Popular Music for Relevant Themes in Music Therapy with Perinatal Loss","authors":"John Mondanaro","doi":"10.1093/mtp/miab014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miab014","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Perinatal loss poses unique challenges to grief work because of the complexity of dynamics it carries. Historically shrouded in socially and culturally based belief systems often impeding normal grief responses, the barriers to healthy processing have been surmounted in recent decades. The emergence of music therapy in partnership with social work is one such approach to addressing both anticipatory grief and bereavement of parents enduring the death of their infant prenatally. This retrospective article highlights the resourcing of popular music within a clinical music therapy approach to the curation of a perinatal bereavement event within a large hospital system in a metropolitan area. Popular music as a ubiquitous art form lends tangibility and relevance to the complicated themes of perinatal loss in a manner that invites bereft parents into a forum of acceptance and acknowledgment of a loss that for too long has remained in the shadows.","PeriodicalId":44813,"journal":{"name":"Music Therapy Perspectives","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41879094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to personal therapy for board-certified music therapists (MT-BCs), specifically regarding the rate of past and present therapy attendance, type of therapy utilized, reason(s) music therapists seek therapy, and the role of gender identity or theoretical orientation on rates of therapy utilization. Music therapists were considered as both professional musicians and allied health professionals, potentially exposing them to both areas of occupational risk relating to psychological stress or illness. A survey was created and sent out to all MT-BCs who opted to receive research inquiries (8,493), with a return of 945 usable responses. The majority of participants indicated that they have attended therapy or counseling at some point in time during their career. The most commonly utilized form of therapy was talk therapy or verbal counseling. Common reasons for therapy attendance were to seek personal insight, address a mental health concern, address feelings of stress from work, and address a mental illness. There was no apparent difference in therapy-seeking dependent on gender identity, but participants with theoretical orientations that emphasize the importance of personal insight may have higher rates of therapy utilization. Implications from the findings of the study and recommendations for future research were discussed.
{"title":"Music Therapists as Clients: Therapy-Seeking and Utilization of Personal Therapy by Music Therapists","authors":"Claire Kendrick","doi":"10.1093/mtp/miab012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miab012","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to personal therapy for board-certified music therapists (MT-BCs), specifically regarding the rate of past and present therapy attendance, type of therapy utilized, reason(s) music therapists seek therapy, and the role of gender identity or theoretical orientation on rates of therapy utilization. Music therapists were considered as both professional musicians and allied health professionals, potentially exposing them to both areas of occupational risk relating to psychological stress or illness. A survey was created and sent out to all MT-BCs who opted to receive research inquiries (8,493), with a return of 945 usable responses. The majority of participants indicated that they have attended therapy or counseling at some point in time during their career. The most commonly utilized form of therapy was talk therapy or verbal counseling. Common reasons for therapy attendance were to seek personal insight, address a mental health concern, address feelings of stress from work, and address a mental illness. There was no apparent difference in therapy-seeking dependent on gender identity, but participants with theoretical orientations that emphasize the importance of personal insight may have higher rates of therapy utilization. Implications from the findings of the study and recommendations for future research were discussed.","PeriodicalId":44813,"journal":{"name":"Music Therapy Perspectives","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44103032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Music therapy can decrease illness- and treatment-related symptoms for adults in medical settings. In these environments, service users often decide to accept or decline music therapy after a brief introduction by the music therapist. As there is limited literature exploring the challenges related to these introductions, the purpose of this interpretivist study was to describe how music therapists introduce music therapy in the form of patient-preferred live music (MT-PPLM) in adult medical settings to augment the likelihood of patients accepting treatment. We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine participants who had experience providing MT-PPLM in adult medical settings. In this exploratory interpretivist study, we used an inductive approach to thematic analysis and incorporated member-checking to augment trustworthiness and credibility of the results. We identified three themes (supported by eight subthemes depicted in parentheses): (A) Offer patient a unique interaction through verbal and nonverbal techniques (Provide opportunities for patient control; Engage patient through nonmedical dialogue; and Use affect and body language to convey a different demeanor); (B) Clarify expectations related to patient and session (Avoid the word “therapy”; Use the music to explain the intervention; and Mention clinical benefits to describe what the patient can expect from the session); and (C) Respond to patient’s verbal and nonverbal communication (Assess patient and adapt introduction; and Validate patient’s response). The findings offer introductory techniques for music therapists that may increase the likelihood of adults in medical settings accepting MT-PPLM. Implications for clinical practice, ethical considerations, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.
{"title":"Introducing Music Therapy to Hospitalized Adults in Medical Settings: A Thematic Analysis","authors":"Chantise J Hunt, Michael J. Silverman","doi":"10.1093/mtp/miab010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miab010","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Music therapy can decrease illness- and treatment-related symptoms for adults in medical settings. In these environments, service users often decide to accept or decline music therapy after a brief introduction by the music therapist. As there is limited literature exploring the challenges related to these introductions, the purpose of this interpretivist study was to describe how music therapists introduce music therapy in the form of patient-preferred live music (MT-PPLM) in adult medical settings to augment the likelihood of patients accepting treatment. We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine participants who had experience providing MT-PPLM in adult medical settings. In this exploratory interpretivist study, we used an inductive approach to thematic analysis and incorporated member-checking to augment trustworthiness and credibility of the results. We identified three themes (supported by eight subthemes depicted in parentheses): (A) Offer patient a unique interaction through verbal and nonverbal techniques (Provide opportunities for patient control; Engage patient through nonmedical dialogue; and Use affect and body language to convey a different demeanor); (B) Clarify expectations related to patient and session (Avoid the word “therapy”; Use the music to explain the intervention; and Mention clinical benefits to describe what the patient can expect from the session); and (C) Respond to patient’s verbal and nonverbal communication (Assess patient and adapt introduction; and Validate patient’s response). The findings offer introductory techniques for music therapists that may increase the likelihood of adults in medical settings accepting MT-PPLM. Implications for clinical practice, ethical considerations, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.","PeriodicalId":44813,"journal":{"name":"Music Therapy Perspectives","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48427118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that 9.5 million Americans aged 18 and older have been diagnosed with more than one mental disorder. Music therapists working in mental health treatment settings are likely to work with individuals who have a complex diagnosis defined here as 2 or more of the following: depression, eating disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, substance use disorder, and severe mental illness. Additionally, adverse childhood events or posttraumatic stress disorder often complicate the clinical profile. Given this, a trauma-informed approach to music therapy treatment is necessary to improve outcomes and minimize harm. The risks, contraindications, and ethical considerations necessary to effectively treat and care for these clients in music therapy will be reviewed. Methods of identifying, assessing, and treating these complex clinical issues in music therapy are discussed with the goal of helping clinicians understand: (1) where treatment needs to begin to ensure therapeutic goals addressing primary issues prior to addressing secondary issues and (2) the appropriate use of music therapy methods. The necessity for music therapists to understand the power of the music in the music therapy process is explored, to ensure that clinicians are meeting client needs, not triggering symptomatology, traumatic memories, or experiences. The importance of a clinician knowing their scope of practice, when they are adequately trained and prepared to work with clients with complex disorders, and how to utilize support such as consultation and supervision to support their effective treatment with client(s) is presented.
{"title":"Trauma-Informed Care in Music Therapy: Principles, Guidelines, and a Clinical Case Illustration","authors":"A. Heiderscheit, K. Murphy","doi":"10.1093/MTP/MIAB011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/MTP/MIAB011","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that 9.5 million Americans aged 18 and older have been diagnosed with more than one mental disorder. Music therapists working in mental health treatment settings are likely to work with individuals who have a complex diagnosis defined here as 2 or more of the following: depression, eating disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, substance use disorder, and severe mental illness. Additionally, adverse childhood events or posttraumatic stress disorder often complicate the clinical profile. Given this, a trauma-informed approach to music therapy treatment is necessary to improve outcomes and minimize harm. The risks, contraindications, and ethical considerations necessary to effectively treat and care for these clients in music therapy will be reviewed. Methods of identifying, assessing, and treating these complex clinical issues in music therapy are discussed with the goal of helping clinicians understand: (1) where treatment needs to begin to ensure therapeutic goals addressing primary issues prior to addressing secondary issues and (2) the appropriate use of music therapy methods. The necessity for music therapists to understand the power of the music in the music therapy process is explored, to ensure that clinicians are meeting client needs, not triggering symptomatology, traumatic memories, or experiences. The importance of a clinician knowing their scope of practice, when they are adequately trained and prepared to work with clients with complex disorders, and how to utilize support such as consultation and supervision to support their effective treatment with client(s) is presented.","PeriodicalId":44813,"journal":{"name":"Music Therapy Perspectives","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46025134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
When music therapists are supervising caregivers in how to apply music in their interactions with persons with dementia, we may term this as indirect music therapy practice. Musical interactions are mostly happening through nonverbal, implicit, and embodied knowledge, and, therefore, there is a need for exploring and verbalizing such interactions for music therapists to be able to disseminate to caregivers and other professionals. In this qualitative study, we examine how 6 music therapists with clinical experience in dementia care experience nonverbal interaction with persons with severe dementia living in nursing homes. Explorative focus groups were conducted to study the music therapists’ lived-experience descriptions about their nonverbal interactions with persons with dementia. Focus group transcripts were analyzed by a phenomenological approach, and the findings elaborated and peer validated by the use of musical improvisation as an arts-based analytic approach. The findings included five themes: vitality, disciplined subjectivity, attunement, therapeutic presence, and validation. The music therapists were guided by the vitality of the person with dementia, were aware of their own reactions, and sensed the needs of the person through disciplined subjectivity. They attuned to the person’s nonverbal musical parameters (e.g., tempo pitch and volume) and cocreated an open and mutual field through therapeutic presence and validation. The findings are relevant for future development of direct and indirect music therapy practice but contain limitations due to a homogenous and small group of participants. This study highlights the challenges of exploring nonverbal and musical interactions with the use of language-based methods of inquiry.
{"title":"Non-Verbal Interactions Between Music Therapists and Persons with Dementia. A Qualitative Phenomenological and Arts-Based Inquiry","authors":"J. K. Krøier, Brynjulf Stige, H. M. Ridder","doi":"10.1093/MTP/MIAB008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/MTP/MIAB008","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 When music therapists are supervising caregivers in how to apply music in their interactions with persons with dementia, we may term this as indirect music therapy practice. Musical interactions are mostly happening through nonverbal, implicit, and embodied knowledge, and, therefore, there is a need for exploring and verbalizing such interactions for music therapists to be able to disseminate to caregivers and other professionals. In this qualitative study, we examine how 6 music therapists with clinical experience in dementia care experience nonverbal interaction with persons with severe dementia living in nursing homes. Explorative focus groups were conducted to study the music therapists’ lived-experience descriptions about their nonverbal interactions with persons with dementia. Focus group transcripts were analyzed by a phenomenological approach, and the findings elaborated and peer validated by the use of musical improvisation as an arts-based analytic approach. The findings included five themes: vitality, disciplined subjectivity, attunement, therapeutic presence, and validation. The music therapists were guided by the vitality of the person with dementia, were aware of their own reactions, and sensed the needs of the person through disciplined subjectivity. They attuned to the person’s nonverbal musical parameters (e.g., tempo pitch and volume) and cocreated an open and mutual field through therapeutic presence and validation. The findings are relevant for future development of direct and indirect music therapy practice but contain limitations due to a homogenous and small group of participants. This study highlights the challenges of exploring nonverbal and musical interactions with the use of language-based methods of inquiry.","PeriodicalId":44813,"journal":{"name":"Music Therapy Perspectives","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45721309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the influence of gender on music therapy practice through the experiences and perceptions of gender aware music therapists (GAMTs). Participants (N = 5) included five board-certified music therapists or equivalent who have published scholarly literature on topics related to gender and music therapy. Participants shared their experiences in semistructured individual interviews; interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Six major themes emerged: (a) GAMTs recognize how socialization produces binary music participation, which is often perpetuated in music therapy practice; (b) GAMTs share the belief that gender roles and expectations create exclusive music practices that may restrict and limit musical expression and participation; (c) GAMTs create therapeutic spaces that encourage authentic music engagement by thoughtfully accepting and/or rejecting established gender stereotypes prevalent in music culture; (d) GAMTs suggest that gender is a marker of identity, which may or may not affect how the therapeutic relationship develops between music therapy clients and clinicians; (e) GAMTs utilize theories and therapeutic approaches that influence their music therapy research and practice; and (f) GAMTs recommend that practicing music therapists recognize their personal biases, develop a heightened awareness for how gender influences society, and actively pursue an inclusive practice that does not assume gender. Clinical implications and future research recommendations are discussed.
{"title":"Gender Aware Music Therapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis","authors":"Cassidy Besse","doi":"10.1093/mtp/miab007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miab007","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the influence of gender on music therapy practice through the experiences and perceptions of gender aware music therapists (GAMTs). Participants (N = 5) included five board-certified music therapists or equivalent who have published scholarly literature on topics related to gender and music therapy. Participants shared their experiences in semistructured individual interviews; interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Six major themes emerged: (a) GAMTs recognize how socialization produces binary music participation, which is often perpetuated in music therapy practice; (b) GAMTs share the belief that gender roles and expectations create exclusive music practices that may restrict and limit musical expression and participation; (c) GAMTs create therapeutic spaces that encourage authentic music engagement by thoughtfully accepting and/or rejecting established gender stereotypes prevalent in music culture; (d) GAMTs suggest that gender is a marker of identity, which may or may not affect how the therapeutic relationship develops between music therapy clients and clinicians; (e) GAMTs utilize theories and therapeutic approaches that influence their music therapy research and practice; and (f) GAMTs recommend that practicing music therapists recognize their personal biases, develop a heightened awareness for how gender influences society, and actively pursue an inclusive practice that does not assume gender. Clinical implications and future research recommendations are discussed.","PeriodicalId":44813,"journal":{"name":"Music Therapy Perspectives","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46256631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}