The Use of Music Therapy Strategies to Enhance the General Milieu in a Rehabilitation Centre

10.26686/wgtn.16993033 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Xinxin Liu

Keyword(s):

Action Research ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Leadership Style ◽

Group Dynamics ◽

Social Needs ◽

Community Music ◽

Rehabilitation Centre ◽

Interactive Music ◽

Supportive Role ◽

Therapy Strategies

<p>This research focused on how music therapy strategies could be used to improve the milieu in a rehabilitation centre in a New Zealand city. Residents in the rehabilitation centre had difficulty interacting with each other. I planned to use a Community Music Therapy approach to address residents' social needs. The research methodology was Action Research which involves the study of one's own practice. Cycles of learning led to the introduction of more 'open' groups and the use of the 'sharing concert' as a vehicle for promoting interaction between residents, staff, and family members, and staff and children at an early childhood centre. I examined the group dynamics, encouraged residents to move from small groups to bigger group or even open groups, and began to challenge them to take responsibility for individual tasks for their own and others' benefit. Through interactive music making, the residents improved understanding about conversation courtesy; their motivation for active participation increased as they developed a sense of togetherness, and appreciation for their community. They enjoyed interacting with the wider community also, and had the wish to 'branch out'. Further, the action research changed my understanding and leadership style: I learnt to gradually move from an aesthetic focus and into a supportive role as residents prepared for "their own concert".</p>

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How We Talk when We Talk About Disabled Children and Their Families: An Invitation to Queer the Discourse

Voices A World Forum for Music Therapy ◽

10.15845/voices.v19i3.2680 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Maren Metell

Keyword(s):

Action Research ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Participatory Action Research ◽

Community Music ◽

Disabled Children ◽

Participatory Action ◽

Critical Perspective ◽

Action Research Project ◽

Research Project ◽

Attitudes Toward Diversity

Despite contemporary perspectives in resource-oriented music therapy, community music therapy, and anti-oppressive practice, there seems still to be a tendency to describe disabled children and their families in a pathologizing, problem-focused way. Disability is often located within the child and not in the societal structures that sustain and support the concept of disability as tragedy and burden for the families. Queer theories challenge the concepts of normality and fixed identities, reject pathologization, and politicize access. In this paper, I attempt to explore how queertheories offer a critical perspective on normativity, identity, and power. I will do this by exploring the concept of normality and normativity and discourse current representations of disabled children in the music therapy literature and by reflecting upon an ongoing participatory action research project where I aim to co-create knowledge on musicking, its accessibility, and meaning together with disabled children and their families. I argue that we need to change the way we talk and write about our practice as well as to challenge the concepts and attitudes toward diversity in order to contribute to inclusive environments that appreciate and celebrate diversity.

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Kodály Approach in the Crossroad of Education and Therapy

Voices A World Forum for Music Therapy ◽

10.15845/voices.v15i2.804 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Luca Tiszai

Keyword(s):

Music Education ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Social Connectedness ◽

Social Needs ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Community Music ◽

Choral Singing ◽

The Common ◽

Different Cultures ◽

Shed Light

Kodály's concept about music education is worldwide adapted to different cultures. However, the significance of his theoretical framework is almost undiscovered by music therapy. The aim of the present paper is to shed light on the common elements of Commuity Music Therapy and the Kodály Approach by literature-based Research. Kodály was a pioneer establishing a multidisciplinary dialog between musicology, philosophy, sociology and education. The practice and theory he established was a powerful response to his time’s social needs and problems. As a musician an educator he devoted himself to the popularization community music, choral singing and thus building up a better society. As a researcher he studied the therapeutic effects of his method, especially transfer effect with intellectual and social skills. His overall goal to make music accessible to everyone highly resemble with Community Music Therapy. Many of his ideas such us choral singing for social connectedness or agency and empowerment through musical education are a part of the practice of Community Music Therapy. His concept is a fundamental part of music education but music therapy also could profit more from his ideas.

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Community Music and Music Therapy

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190219505.013.35 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Stuart Wood ◽

Gary Ansdell

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Community Music

This chapter outlines the historical and current relationship between community music and music therapy—in particular the seeming overlap between community music and the newer sub-discipline of music therapy called community music therapy. The chapter argues for a re-imagining of certain key areas of joint concern and potential linked to the broader shared agenda of working musically with people. These topics indicate a way for community music and music therapy to align and collaborate in a relationship that can be both ‘joint’ and ‘several’—ensuring that the work remains creative, effective, responsible, and professional for people and their communities.

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Working With and Within Chaos

Voices A World Forum for Music Therapy ◽

10.15845/voices.v18i4.2588 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Helen Brenda Oosthuizen

Keyword(s):

Sex Offenders ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Community Music ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Support Programme ◽

Group Music Therapy ◽

Group Members ◽

Valuable Complement ◽

Context Specific ◽

First Time

The Support Programme for Abuse Reactive Children, was initiated by the Teddy Bear Clinic (an NPO established to protect abused children) in South Africa in response to the increase of child-on-child offenders in this country. This short-term programme aims to offer holistic rehabilitation to first time young sex offenders and incorporates conventional diversion approaches alongside creative programmes, including group music therapy. Based on a review of my session notes, this paper considers challenges and positive developments I experienced over time as the programme’s music therapist from 2006 to 2016. Although I often experienced this work as chaotic, findings suggest that through co-creating a context-specific music therapy programme alongside group members, clinic staff and the broader community, music therapy has offered an increasingly relevant and valuable complement to the diversion programme. Continuing challenges within this work are also highlighted.

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The music matrix: A qualitative participatory action research project to develop documentation for care home music therapy services

British Journal of Music Therapy ◽

10.1177/1359457518794183 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 74-85

Author(s):

Stuart Wood ◽

Fiona Crow

Keyword(s):

Action Research ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Participatory Action Research ◽

Care Home ◽

Participatory Action ◽

Action Research Project ◽

Research Project ◽

Music Therapists ◽

Client Participation ◽

National Team

This article presents a small Participatory Action Research project involving music therapists working in a care home company, creating a documentation tool (The Music Matrix) that is fit for purpose. The project emerged out of a commonly held dissatisfaction with existing documentation among the Music Therapists in the care home company’s national team. The Music Matrix tool uses graphic notation to record observations of client participation, systematised into 10 dimensions of activity. The tool was developed in a cycle of practice and reflection between members of the music therapy team and stakeholders in the wider organisation. This was systematised in a three-stage trial process of profiling, peer review and thematic synthesis of feedback. Findings suggest that the tool was viewed to be useful in a number of aspects. First, it enabled insights for Music Therapists, in seeing patterns and recognising unacknowledged habits in their own practice. It helped show complex experience in an immediate graphic way. This was useful for reporting to stakeholders and was flexible in applying to numerous formats of practice. However, this flexibility also created a level of uncertainty for some research respondents, as the tool’s wide applicability does not have the appearance of objectivity afforded by other methods. Stakeholders saw applications beyond music therapy, particularly for non-musical care work and activities. Insights emerged regarding how Music Therapists can usefully meet the many demands that care documentation serves.

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Community-Based Referential Music Making with Limited-Resource Adolescents: A Pilot Study

Music Therapy Perspectives ◽

10.1093/mtp/miaa016 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 112-118

Author(s):

Natasha Thomas

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Limited Resource ◽

African American Adolescents ◽

Reading Level ◽

Community Music ◽

Community Group ◽

Community Based ◽

Music Making ◽

Referential Music

Abstract Black/African American adolescents from limited-resource communities face challenges and circumstances that are unique to their racialization and socioeconomic status; this merits community-engaged resources, such as community music therapy, that are equally unique in creating culturally responsive opportunities for limited-resource adolescents to engage socially with peers and experience meaningful success in a safe, supportive environment. The purpose of this study was to pilot and explore the feasibility of and behavioral processes in a community-based referential music-making intervention for limited-resource adolescents labeled as “at-risk.” The methods consisted of a concurrent nested (embedded) mixed methods design based on the principles of participatory actions research (PAR), during which qualitative data were collected during 8 focus group style music-making sessions. Quantitative data assessing self-efficacy were collected prior to first and following the 8th music-making session. The validity of quantitative results was challenged by the lowered reading level of participants and a high amount of mis-labeled (and thus unusable) data. Qualitative data suggest 3 themes, including creating community, artistic prioritization, and pride. All results were impacted by issues, such as inconsistent attendance and malfunctioning recording equipment. Nevertheless, participants expressed a collective desire to share their work with their community group. Discussion points are raised including how participants in this community music therapy-based approach were able to create and direct their own stories. The implementation of community music therapy approaches seems a valuable way to bring authentic representations of limited-resource adolescent participants into clinical practice.

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