The Role of Music Therapy for Children Undergoing Cancer Treatment in Singapore

The aim of this study was to explore the benefits of music therapy (MT) for children with cancer over the course of their treatment in an acute paediatric hospital setting in Singapore. Twenty-five children undergoing cancer treatment received MT sessions as part of a multidisciplinary team rehabilitation intervention from March 2017 to January 2020. A total of 37 individualised goals were developed by the music therapist for each child. Goals were scored via the Goal Attainment Scale at 3-month intervals up to 1 year. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were used to evaluate the findings. The rate of goal achievement was 89.2% over 180 MT sessions (M = 7.20, SD = 6.45). Children diagnosed with brain tumours had the highest frequency of music sessions (M = 9.11, SD = 7.79). Most of the goals targeted the regulation of mood and morale through music. There was a positive correlation found between goals and sessions (rs = 0.56, p = 0.004). Age of the children was not correlated with the number of sessions received (rs= −0.19, p = 0.354). MT has been found to be an accessible and effective intervention in addressing functional and emotional goals for children across all ages who are undergoing cancer treatment.

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Music Therapy with Adolescents in Medical Settings

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199639755.013.43 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

John Mondanaro ◽

Joanne Loewy

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Traumatic Injury ◽

Disease Process ◽

Detailed Knowledge ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Self Reflection ◽

Music Psychotherapy ◽

Social Belonging ◽

New Diagnosis

Adolescence is a time of change marking the transition from childhood to adulthood. When a teenager is ill and requiring hospitalization many of the constructs upon which individual identity rests such as contact with peers, and social belonging, can become compromised. Music therapy offers a way to address the personal and psychological stress that can result from hospitalization. In this chapter the authors highlight conditions in medicine that are common to teens. Music psychotherapy approaches are described that promote expression in individual and group modalities, and can also provide avenues for self-reflection related to the disease process, such as the receiving of a new diagnosis, or in cases where traumatic injury has occurred. The role of the music therapist in working with the medical team, the patient, and the patient’s family is presented with reference to the detailed knowledge and experience of the authors in providing music psychotherapy to adolescents.

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Role Limits in Music Therapy

Journal of British Music Therapy ◽

10.1177/135945758900300102 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 5-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Janet Cowan

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Spontaneous Activity ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Music Making ◽

Musical Interactions

Often through the course of work with a patient, issues arise which challenge one's role as a music therapist, and which lead one to question the limits of the experiences being offered to the patient. In this paper I describe my work with a woman who initially avoided and resisted shared music-making, and who gradually became more able to be involved in spontaneous activity. I tried to find ways of understanding the issues at the root of our relationship, in order to build on the musical interactions. From this case, I intend to illustrate the deeper questions which, I believe, are pertinent to be asked more generally about the limitations attending the role of the music therapist.

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Music Therapy for Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with Cancer

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199639755.013.45 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Philippa Reid

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Research Evidence ◽

Interdisciplinary Team ◽

Subsequent Treatment ◽

Music Therapists ◽

Medical Treatments ◽

Music Therapist

Receiving a cancer diagnosis and undergoing the subsequent treatment challenges coping and equilibrium for children and adolescents and their families. This chapter describes how music therapists work with children, adolescents, and family members in cancer care contexts. A range of musical experiences can provide adjunct support to medical treatments to support coping, reduce distress, and provide comfort. The music therapist works as a member of the interdisciplinary team to provide opportunities fornormaland fun musical experiences to support the experience of hospitalization, as well as offering comfort and support for children in pain or distress. Research evidence supports the role of the music therapist in providing effective services with children and adolescents in cancer care.

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MUSIC LISTENING IN INTERDISCIPLINARY VIEW

SOCIETY INTEGRATION EDUCATION Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference ◽

10.17770/sie2019vol4.3926 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 528

Author(s):

Mirdza Paipare

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Music Perception ◽

Music Listening ◽

Music Pedagogy ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Music Psychology ◽

Communication Development ◽

Everyday Lives

Very few researches focus on music as an activity and most often it is linked to music perception, therefore – music psychology. Similarly the theories on this question are developed. Interrelations between music therapy and music psychology, as well as the role of listening and music listening in music pedagogy, psychology and music therapy are little researched. The goal of this article is to intentionally draw attention to the significance of this very common thing in our everyday lives – listening – in communication, development of cognitive and phenomenological skills and abilities (perception, recognition, describing, explaining). These skills and abilities are necessary in the work of pedagogue and psychologist, and especially music therapist.

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‘Journey to musicking’: Resourcing people to music outside the therapy room

10.26686/wgtn.17060363 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Katie Boom

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Ecological Model ◽

Community Music ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Aotearoa New Zealand ◽

Therapy Room ◽

Neurological Conditions

This action research study investigates resourcing people to engage in musicking outside the therapy room. Both the practice and research took place within a residential hospital for people with neurological conditions, situated in Aotearoa New Zealand. Music-centred music therapy, community music therapy, resource-oriented music therapy and the ecological model of music influenced this research. Following three action cycles, the qualitative data collected throughout was thematically analysed. This analysis revealed a framework referred to as the ‘journey to musicking’, which identifies six resources people needed to engage in music: opportunity; motivation; confidence; skills; practical needs; and a problem-solving toolkit. The role of the music therapist in resourcing people in these areas is framed as the role of a tuakana, drawing on an indigenous Māori model predominantly used in education and mentoring programmes: ‘tuakana-teina’. ‘Tuakana-teina’ in this study is defined as a music therapist-participant relationship that is empowering, collaborative and inclusive of the possibility of reciprocity. The personal resources (kete) needed by the tuakana music therapist are also explored, while empowerment and sustainability are highlighted as foundational principles to resourcing people. These principles, especially empowerment, are linked to the Māori concept of restoring rangatiratanga. This research provides a rich qualitative account of practicing music therapy in an empowering, ecological way in Aotearoa New Zealand.

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From this world to beyond: A student’s reflections on the role of her violin in music therapy

10.26686/wgtn.17059961.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Cheri Ang

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

The Elderly ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Musical Background ◽

Practice Based Research ◽

Research Findings ◽

New Perspective

This practice-based research explores a student music therapist’s experiences and self-reflections on the use of her violin in supporting the elderly at a residential hospital. The objective was to find out how the violin fits in music therapy practice, where practitioners typically use the piano and guitar. Self-reflexivity was employed to increase the student’s understanding of music therapy. The two research questions were ‘why was the violin used and why not’, as well as ‘how was the violin used’. To explore these two questions in depth, a qualitative research study was undertaken, with secondary analysis of data as its methodology. The data consisted of clinical notes and reflective journals from regular practice. Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) was employed to analyse the data, involving a rigorous process of coding, involving both inductive and deductive methods of analysis along with graphic representations. The student music therapist, acting as both the clinician and researcher, acknowledged the influences of her musical background and spiritual inclinations on the data collected and its interpretation. Findings consisted of clients’ responses, advantages and disadvantages of the violin and the author’s relationship with the violin. A simple ‘How’ framework involving what was played on the violin and how it was played was also included. The author’s reflexivity guided a discussion that integrated the literature review, research findings and the author’s clinical and personal experiences. Drawing upon music therapy definitions and concepts, as well as philosophical ideas and spiritual teachings, answers were found to explain the role of the violin and to provide the author with a new perspective on issues of loss and dying, an understanding of the value of aesthetics and insights into her relationship with the violin.

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The Therapeutic Value of Recording in Music Therapy for Adult Clients in a Concurrent Disorders Inpatient Treatment Facility

Voices A World Forum for Music Therapy ◽

10.15845/voices.v19i2.2636 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 21

Author(s):

Kevin Kirkland ◽

Shannon Nesbitt

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Musical Composition ◽

Music Therapists ◽

Concurrent Disorders ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Case Examples ◽

Therapeutic Goals ◽

Therapeutic Value ◽

Fertile Ground

While recording has traditionally been viewed as a practical, adjunctive role of the music therapist, here the authors examine the skillful use of recording devices and software as fertile ground for the development of therapeutic programs with tangible benefits for adult clients in a concurrent disorders recovery setting. The integration and layering of musical composition with musical performance, digital technologies, and production, invite rich and engaging conversations about therapeutic goals, processes, and outcomes. Using methods of action research inquiry, the authors discuss how their interactions with clients through recording have yielded new insights into therapist roles and identities as well as expressions of music therapy. The case for therapy-oriented recording is outlined and a description of the authors’ research setting and data collection methods identified before a literature review on the use of recording in music therapy is provided. The authors then distinguish four types of therapeutic recording illustrated by case examples from work with clients. Their writing culminates with a discussion of challenges and benefits associated with therapeutic recording. The authors conclude that recording offers critical and rewarding yet often unrecognized opportunities for music therapists to be innovators in their field.

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Growth and identity of music therapy in the NICU: Pioneering perspectives

Music and Medicine ◽

10.47513/mmd.v13i2.802 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 84-90

Author(s):

Helen Shoemark ◽

Monika Nöcker-Ribaupierre

Keyword(s):

Special Education ◽

Early Intervention ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Premature Birth ◽

Music Therapists ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Family Centered ◽

Core Issues ◽

Surgical Unit

This duoethnographic exploration expounds on the journeys of two women who pioneered music therapy in the NICUs in their respective countries. The dialogue uses their practice wisdom and research to illuminate core issues that have served the development of music as process and intervention for infants, families and those in the context of the NICU. They conclude with recommendations for the future.Monika Nöcker-Ribaupierre (MNR): I was a musician and I worked in the theatre. The premature birth of my daughter in the 1970s, experiencing my own helplessness and that of my family and friends, all of this led my life in an unexpected new direction: to music therapy in the NICU. My overall goal was to promote both the infant’s development in connection with support of the mother’s resilience – because there is no development without bonding. Next step was to open NICUs in my country to music therapy, also to strengthen our NICU music therapists and helping to develop an international network. Throughout all these years Helen Shoemark has been my most important and valuable colleague.Helen Shoemark (HS): I was a music therapist working in special education and early intervention for 15 years before. I started the program in the NICU at the Royal Children’s Hospital in 1994, and grew the role of music therapy in the pediatric NICU/ Newborn Surgical Unit through my research. Because of my experience in family-centered early intervention, my focus in the NICU is on supporting the expressive capacities of both infant and parents. My other focus is in supporting clinicians develop programs that are ecologically situated, theoretically- informed, and pragmatically realistic. Monika Nöcker-Ribaupierre was one of my earliest mentors, and I have always been inspired by the strength of her commitment, understanding, and support for the experience of the mothers in the NICU.

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Music Therapy: Variations on a Theme

Journal of Palliative Care ◽

10.1177/082585979300900409 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 37-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Susan E. Mandel

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Terminally Ill ◽

Music Therapists ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Service Training ◽

Variations On A Theme ◽

Therapy Service

Music therapists make significant contributions to the multidisciplinary hospice team in its efforts to provide holistic palliative care to terminally ill patients and family members and to promote quality of life. The role of a hospice music therapist is described, including providing direct patient music therapy service, training the hospice team in music therapy, developing and maintaining a music therapy resource centre, and offering bereavement services. A review of patient charts Provides information about patient age, sex, diagnosis, and source and reasons for referral.

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What Is the Role of A Student Music Therapist in a Community Music Setting?

10.26686/wgtn.17013476 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Sidharth Pagad

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Community Music ◽

Social Equality ◽

Music Therapists ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Reflective Journal ◽

Group Behaviour ◽

Audio Recordings

This qualitative research project set out to explore my role as a student music therapist within a community music setting. I am a student music therapist, working with a community music company involved in a variety of community music groups and projects. I wanted to understand what I might offer the community music company by bringing a community music therapy perspective to the work. The research involved an exploration into the literature relating to Community Music Therapy as well as Community Music and required me to regularly question the reasoning and philosophy behind Community Music Work. To answer my question I engaged in secondary analysis of data generated during the first 24 weeks at this community music placement. The data included session notes, audio recordings of supervision sessions, and my reflective journal. The literature includes examples of collaboration between community music therapists and community musicians, and I sought to experience this at my placement. The hoped for collaboration did take place during the period of data collection, enabling detailed reflections of it. This exploration therefore helped me to develop as a community musician and music therapy student. The practice was broad and involved regular transitions in role, often within the same session. These included participant, accompanist, song-leader, community music therapist, and drum circle facilitator. Findings suggest that Community Music and Community Music Therapy are disciplines with many similarities in appearance and structure, but tend to diverge when looking at goals and overall objectives and foci. Social equality seems to be commonly shared value between Community Music and Community Music Therapy. The ways in which this value is acted upon is also explored. Performance and Performativity as aspects of group behaviour was found to be mentioned in the literature, and again this was mentioned in the data collected as part of the researcher’s placement.

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