scholarly journals Integrating Music, Language and the Voice in Music Therapy

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Loewy
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Musical Context ◽  
The Voice

Although there has been a fair amount of research and clinical practice related to neurological music therapy, speech production within a musical context and music psychotherapeutic voice work, we rarely find these practices intertwined. The following article provides history, rationale, definition of practice and theory that provides strong backing for the integration of the models and approaches currently available to music therapists.

scholarly journals Moving Toward Incorporation a Definition of the Quality of Life

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eunmi Emily Kwak
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Fundamental Goal ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Therapy Treatment

The concept of quality of life is a fundamental goal in the practice of music therapy, whether implicitly or explicitly defined in the philosophy of the practitioner. To improve the quality of life is often mentioned as one of the goals for music therapy treatment. However, the definition of quality of life has not always been clearly defined. The purpose of this article is to review the literature concerned with a definition for quality of life in other disciplines and to suggest a model for a more comprehensive definition of the quality of life for use in the practice of music therapy. Anecdotal examples are given to stir the issues toward a more comprehensive definition of the quality of life to be used in music therapy. As the title suggests, this article will not give a decisive answer for the definition of quality of life. However, this article will afford readers a chance to think and revisit their experiences as music therapists and define their own definition for quality of life.

scholarly journals Speech production, music therapy and celebral palsy

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2/2) ◽  
pp. 275-288
Author(s):  
Jiří Kantor ◽  
Lenka Dzidová
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
Speech Therapy ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Audio Recordings ◽  
Video And Audio ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Therapy Interventions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Therapy Intervention

This paper deals with the analysis of music therapy interventions focused on the development of speech production in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). The paper summarizes the results of theoretical analysis of the development of communication for persons with CP from the perspective of special education, speech therapy and music therapy intervention. The research methodology was based on qualitative design with a combination of content analysis and interpretive approach to case studies. The aim of the research was to determine the relationship between the level of speech production of people with CP and goals of music therapy intervention, its methods and procedures and musical materials used in music therapy practice. The research sample consisted of 10 individuals with CP and different levels of speech production. Data collection was based on an in-depth case analysis of available data from documents, video and audio recordings, music therapy products and interviews with music therapists. The research results have identified four stages of music therapy intervention (pre-verbal, semantic, phonological and stadium of complex linguistic phenomena). In each stage typical goals, methods and tools were described.

scholarly journals An Investigation of Music Therapists' Experiences of Verbal Dialogue in Music Therapy Sessions

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siobhán Nelligan ◽  
Tríona McCaffrey
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Dyadic Relationship ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Professional Discourse ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Irish Music ◽  
And Function ◽  
Therapy Sessions

This study presents a preliminary exploration of music therapists’ first-hand experiences of engaging in verbal dialogue with clients in their clinical practice. To the authors’ knowledge no previous studies have examined the role of verbal dialogue from the first-hand perspectives of experienced professionals working in the field.  Three individual interviews were conducted with three accredited Irish music therapists. Four central themes emerged as a result of thematic content analysis: content and function of verbal dialogue, the use of verbal dialogue may contribute to professional ambiguity, returning to the music, and the dyadic relationship between musical and verbal exchange. The findings revealed verbal dialogue to be a topic of interest for the participants in this study, one which stimulated meaningful reflections about clinical practice. The implications for professional identity and clinical practice which arose distinguished verbal dialogue as a potential area for further research and professional discourse within the wider music therapy community. Suggestions were made for additional areas of learning that may assist in preparing trainee and newly-qualified music therapists for potentially challenging verbal encounters with clients.

Expectancy Theory of Motivation and Substance Use Treatment: Implications for Music Therapy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marshall Yoes ◽  
Michael J Silverman
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Expectancy Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Improved Performance ◽  
Theory Of Motivation ◽  
Expectancy Theory Of Motivation

Abstract The existing literature indicates that motivation is an important predictor of treatment outcome for people with substance use disorders (SUD). Although researchers have found that music therapy can positively impact motivation for people with SUD, the music therapy and SUD literature base lack a theoretical understanding of motivation. Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation (ETM) is an established theoretical framework positing that motivation depends on three relationships: expectancy, instrumentality, and valence. These relationships consist of four variables: effort, performance, reward, and preference. Based on these four variables, motivation depends on the expectation that an increase in effort will lead to improved performance, thus leading to a reward aligned with an individual’s preferences. The purpose of this paper is to apply Vroom’s ETM to music therapy and SUD clinical practice and research. We reviewed the existing literature addressing Vroom’s ETM within SUD treatment and created a model to depict how to apply Vroom’s ETM to music therapy clinical practice for people with SUD. Application of Vroom’s ETM may help music therapists understand and augment motivation for people with SUD, potentially leading to relapse prevention and recovery. Implications for clinical practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.

scholarly journals A Survey of Music Therapists Working in Pediatric Medical Settings in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Knott ◽  
Marial Biard ◽  
Kirsten E Nelson ◽  
Stephanie Epstein ◽  
Sheri L Robb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Medical Settings ◽  
Music Therapist

Abstract Music therapy is becoming a standard supportive care service in many pediatric hospitals across the United States. However, more detailed information is needed to advance our understanding about current clinical practice and increase availability of pediatric music therapy services. The purpose of this cross-sectional survey study was to collect and summarize data about music therapists working in pediatric medical settings. Specifically, we collected information about (1) therapist demographics, (2) organizational structure, (3) service delivery and clinical practice, and (4) administrative/supervisory responsibilities. Board-certified music therapists working in pediatric medical settings (n = 118) completed a 37-item online questionnaire. We analyzed survey data using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings indicated that there is a ratio of approximately one music therapist for every 100 patient beds, that one-third of respondents are the only music therapist in their setting, and that half of the surveyed positions are philanthropically funded. Prioritizing patient referrals based on acuity was common (95.7%, n = 110), with palliative care and pain as the most highly prioritized needs. More than half of respondents reported serving in high acuity areas such as the pediatric intensive care, hematology/oncology, or neonatal intensive care units. We recommend replication of this survey in five years to examine growth and change in service delivery among pediatric music therapists over time, with additional studies to (a) explore how therapist-to-patient ratios influence quality of care, (b) identify factors that contribute to sustainability of programs, and (c) determine how expansion of services support a broader population of patients and families.

scholarly journals What are the factors that have influenced individual music therapists' professional identity and have those factors impacted on their practice and the field as a whole in New Zealand?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Penny Warren
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Professional Identities ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Over Time

<p>The purpose of this research project is to investigate the factors that influence individual music therapists’ professional identities in New Zealand over time and whether these factors impacted on their practice and the field as a whole in New Zealand. Professional identity is a multi-dimensional process that develops over time and is underpinned by the concepts of personal and social identity. For music therapists, this process is also interconnected with the ongoing shaping of the boundaries of the music therapy profession.  A qualitative case study methodology was employed. Nine music therapists who had over five year’s clinical experience in New Zealand were engaged in open-ended interviews and a process of thematic analysis was used to generate the findings from verbatim transcriptions of each interview.  An overarching category and three core themes relating to personal, profession-specific individual and collective features of identity have emerged as influences on the individual music therapists’ professional identities. The overarching category is to be validated by others. The three core themes are to i) feel a sense of professional competence, ii) experience direct or indirect reciprocal communication with other music therapists, and iii) develop an ability to adapt and manage change in response to new conditions or client need. Within the overarching category and core themes are an overlapping interplay of subsidiary themes that hold different levels of salience for each music therapist and reflect the dynamic, interwoven nature of professional identity. All but one of the participants in this study had trained overseas. Now working in New Zealand as experienced practitioners, it is clear they would have had a significant international influence on the music therapy community in this country. In future it would be interesting to explore how the professional identity of music therapists in New Zealand might have changed as more locally trained music therapists become experienced practitioners.  The results of this study also draw attention to the presence and value of supervision within the New Zealand community of music therapists; an individual sense of belonging to a professional group that holds common values and norms, shared approaches and theories; and the strength of the participant’s own musical identity. Music is a key distinguishing factor in the professional identity of music therapists, and the primary modality that they use in their clinical practice. However, that it was rarely used as a method of supervision for music therapists’ in this study seemed significant.  The results suggest that a stronger and more expansive awareness of professional identity can potentially be developed through reflection upon the influences on identity, and can consequently positively influence clinical practice.</p>

Defining the Therapeutic Singing Voice: An Analysis of Four Music Therapists’ Clinical Work

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-186
Author(s):  
Martina C Bingham
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Singing Voice ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Music Therapist ◽  
Working Definition ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
Therapy Sessions ◽  
And Training

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the ways music therapists use their singing voices in music therapy sessions and, in doing so, to provide a working definition of the therapeutic singing voice. Four music therapists were observed leading at least 10 music therapy sessions each in order to examine the ways they used their singing voices in clinical practice. Interviews with each of these therapists, at the completion of session observations, enriched these observational data. Data were analyzed in two stages. First, individual singing voice profiles were developed for each music therapist, and second, these profiles were integrated to define essential singing voice characteristics. These characteristics included flexible postures and physicality, diverse breathing methods and strategies of phonation, flexible resonance strategies, improvisational skills, and knowledge of diverse music genres. Implications for vocal education and training in music therapy programs are discussed.

scholarly journals How did a Music Therapy Student Work with Patients with Dementia Who Were Anxious and/or Agitated?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Hsiau Wung Chin
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
Verbal Interaction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Physical Interaction ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Student Work ◽  
General Wellbeing

<p>This research aimed to uncover the strategies and techniques that I used in my work with patients who have dementia and who were anxious and/or agitated. The objective of this study was to examine and learn from my work in order to improve my own, and potentially others’ practice. Secondary analysis of data collected from my music therapy clinical practice in a hospital was used as methodology of study. The analysis found 21 techniques and strategies in my work with patients with dementia who were anxious and/or agitated. They include the use of:  (1) Choice; (2) Culture of race (used Maori songs); (3) Direct Engagement; (4) Exploration; (5) Familiar Song; (6) Favourite Songs; (7) Following the Patient; (8) Identity; (9) Imitation and Matching Patients’ Sound Making; (10) Improvisation; (11) Lyrics; (12) Matching Tempo; (13) Object-Musical Instrument (drum); (14) Observation; (15) Physical Interaction; (16) Safety; (17) Space; (18) Tempo; (19) Verbal Interaction; (20) Voice Only; and (21) Volume.  These techniques and strategies were developed as I learnt from different articles, books, own experiences as well as supported by my supervisors. Apart from helping patients to reduce their anxiety and/or agitation, maintaining or increasing socialisation, interaction, and general wellbeing of patients seemed important too. Patients are likely to experience less anxiety and/or agitation if their needs are being supported. Findings will be of interest to music therapists and music therapy students working in hospitals or in dementia units in New Zealand. Future research about music therapy work with patients with dementia who are anxious and/or agitated together with their family members is suggested.</p>

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