This study investigated the feasibility of a new music therapy assessment tool, the Music Therapy Assessment for Resilience (MTAR), designed to evaluate psychological resilience in adults during inpatient treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) at a research facility where music therapy was a contracted service. Using a single-group correlational feasibility design evaluating concurrent validity at 2 time points, the MTAR was administered alongside the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) to 16 participants over 2 weeks. Results demonstrated strong positive correlations between the MTAR and CD-RISC at both testing intervals (r = .847, time 1 and r = .832, time 2), indicating preliminary evidence of concurrent validity. Additionally, participants reported high levels of clarity and ease in completing the MTAR (M = 4.81 on a 5-point scale), supporting its acceptability. Findings suggest that the MTAR is feasible and demonstrates early signals toward concurrent validity. This study contributes to ongoing efforts to develop clinician-created music therapy assessments that aim to capture music-based therapeutic change and offers recommendations for feasibility research in assessment development.
The purpose of this descriptive research study was twofold: (a) To identify how United States clinicians are seeking, providing, and receiving professional clinical supervision in their practice; and (b) to examine the frequency of clinical supervision in the private practice setting. Thirty-nine participants who self-identified as either a private practice business owner or private practice clinician responded to an online survey. Employees and contractors noted several benefits of clinical supervision, which included feeling valued as a music therapist, reduction in feelings of burnout, and clearer boundaries with their supervisor. Private practice business owners noted that clinical supervision led to improvements in interpersonal skills and intrapersonal skills of their employees and contractors. Participants identified affordability and accessibility as major factors that either facilitated or hindered clinical supervision.
This article details the 4-year journey of a client named Carol in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, conducted by a music therapist in training in the Nordoff-Robbins Approach. Carol is a young adult with a global developmental delay associated with Angelman syndrome. The weekly sessions were divided into three major phases: (1) The beginning of the process, in 2019, which depicts the musical potentials and challenges perceived in the first sessions and the goals set; (2) Novel experiences to stay connected, which include remote prerecorded sessions and the enlargement of the therapist team, both carried out in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) Singing-laughing, which describes musical engagement and the development of Carol's vocal expressiveness during in-person sessions in 2022. All phases are illustrated with video excerpts and musical transcriptions from sessions. Listening to Carol's musical potential, musically inviting her to play and sing, and supporting her expressiveness through melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic forms were essential for us to share meaningful musical experiences and, thus, for Carol to benefit from music therapy.
Individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have a higher prevalence of mental health disorders and general mental health needs than neurotypical individuals; however, the music therapy research on addressing these needs is limited. The purpose of this study was to collect information through a qualitative survey regarding the clinical practices and perspectives of music therapists (MT-BCs) for supporting the mental health needs of individuals with IDs. The results from the 8 participants revealed that MT-BCs are aware of the presence of mental health needs, higher risk of trauma, differences in mental health needs, and the false assumptions related to ID and mental health, but there are personal gaps in knowledge regarding mental health needs. Participants believe that their role in supporting these needs is through promoting and aiding in self-expression, fostering connection, demonstrating the use of music for generalizable skills, and addressing needs in the moment, all while staying within their scope of practice. Participants work toward emotional skills and self-expression goals utilizing various music therapy techniques and adapting them based on the needs of the service users. Participants would like more education and discussion on this topic, the addressing of mental health needs in music therapy sessions and for MT-BCs to have a greater awareness of assumptions and biases related to ID and mental health. The researchers recommend future replications of this study, feasibility, and acceptability studies to test techniques stated and for the information from this study to be used to inform music therapy undergraduate educational requirements and continuing education opportunities.
Females undergoing substance abuse treatment have unique needs, especially if they were pregnant while engaging in substance use. Similarly, their infants often experience the effects of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), going through withdrawal after birth and exhibiting difficult-to-manage behaviors. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to review the diverse needs of mothers who are undergoing substance abuse treatment and their infants who have NAS and (2) to provide an overview of evidence-based empirical research regarding the use of music therapy as a nonpharmacological treatment to address their diverse needs, particularly as a dyad. A review of relevant empirical music therapy research literature indicates that current techniques and protocols for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and premature infants receiving care in the neonatal intensive care unit might be effective in treating mothers with SUD and infants with NAS. Music therapists using these protocols can address mothers' mental health needs, infants' NAS needs, and appropriate mother-infant interactions and bonding through co-treatment.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease and its prevalence is increasing. There is no cure, so symptom treatment is the only method to decrease the disease burden. One promising intervention shown to improve both motor and nonmotor symptoms in PD is therapeutic singing (TS). Previous researchers have examined perceptions of singing groups for persons with PD and their caregivers, reporting overall positive experiences and outcomes. However, no study has sought to understand the perspectives of the leaders of the singing groups. This study aimed to fill that gap by exploring the perceptions and experiences of participants in singing groups (n = 31), for their caregivers (n = 8), and for those leading the groups (n = 10). Specifically, we sought to understand how singing groups impacted PD symptoms, how the groups might have benefited caregivers and leaders, and what aspects of singing groups encouraged sustained participation. Using a descriptive phenomenological methodology, data were organized using content analyses to make meaning from the interview transcripts, and the resulting themes are meant to describe the essence of the participants' lived experiences. Three main themes emerged from the data: maintaining connection during the pandemic, peer support, and proactive PD management. These findings indicate that even during a global pandemic, all three participant groups reported positive outcomes driven by strong peer connections and the ability to either experience or observe effective PD management. These findings reinforce the value of TS as a treatment modality for PD, as participants, caregivers, and group leaders alike shared similar perceptions of its benefits. By fostering peer support and empowering proactive symptom management, singing groups may serve as a valuable community-based intervention for individuals living with PD.
Music therapists working in pediatric hospital settings share common professional challenges relating to role ambiguity, workload burden, and advocacy. A key contributing factor is the problem of articulating the role of music therapists in clinical care along the different stages of a patient's hospital and health journey. This may result in delayed or inappropriate referrals, subsequently impacting timeliness and effectiveness of music therapy care delivery to those that may derive the most benefit. A psychosocially-oriented model of care framework offers an approach to conceptualizing pediatric music therapy service provision by clarifying distinctions between music therapy supports to address broad-ranging needs.
Music therapy has a growing presence in medical settings, however there is little research available exploring hospital staff's perceptions of services. This study aimed to address the following questions: (1) What is staff's awareness of music therapy as a profession and as a service at the participating hospital?, (2) What is the perceived clinical value music therapy brings to the organization?, (3) Were staff perspectives changed after a year of targeted advocacy and programming, referred to as "Decade of Song?" Researchers sought to address this gap by conducting a pre-post survey evaluating the staff perceptions of music therapy at a large pediatric institution after a year of targeted advocacy. The surveys, referred to as MTS1 and MTS2 throughout the paper, were conducted utilizing an online platform. MTS1 was administered before the implementation of the "Decade of Song" initiative; MTS2 was administered after the completion of the initiative. The research yielded over 657 unique responses to questions regarding staff understanding of who benefits from music therapy, experience with music therapy at the participating institution, and the most meaningful interactions staff have observed of music therapy. Qualitative and quantitative data, including descriptive statistics and evaluation via a sentiment analysis algorithm made for social media data, indicating an overall positive perception of music therapy. This mixed-methods manuscript yielded overall positive regard of music therapy from the vantage point of colleagues working alongside members in the profession. Researchers offer suggestions and continued opportunities to advocate and educate hospital staff.
Improvisation has long been a central approach in music therapy practice. Though improvisation is used to date in various settings of music therapy, there is still a lack of a comprehensive theory that connects all the essential components at play when improvisation is applied: i.e., the context, the client, the music therapist, the music, the relationship, the therapeutic process and the therapy's goals and objectives. In this paper, we wish to propose a novel outlook, by introducing the Tight-Loose (T-L) framework, a prominent theory in the social sciences originally intended to discern cultural differences between societies that rigidly observe social norms, and those that are more flexible about them. By integrating the T-L framework with music therapy improvisational theories and psychoanalytic perspectives, we suggest a developmental theory consisting of four T-L stages, each one characterized by different improvisational techniques, diverse levels of clients' engagement, and distinct levels of music therapists' musical differentiation, therefore attending to disparate therapy goals and yielding different music therapist-client relationships. Applications and recommendations for music music therapists are discussed.
Functional music skills have been repeatedly identified as an area of concern in preinternship music therapy students. The responsibility for defining and evaluating internship readiness in this area is placed on individual university programs. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine music therapy educator perceptions of the functional music skills listed in the current American Music Therapy Association Professional Competencies in terms of clinical relevance, educator self-proficiency, student proficiency, and preinternship student readiness. Through an online survey, music therapy educators (N = 26) were asked to rate 15 functional music skills on a 5-point Likert-type scale for self-competence, clinical importance, and most recent preinternship student competence. Three open-ended questions about functional skill assessment and internship readiness were also included. Results indicated that voice skills were considered most important and piano skills least important. Importance was significantly correlated with self-competence. Open-ended responses identified themes and concerns consistent with existing literature.
Known for its history of balanced diets, exercise, healthy social practices, and high population of elders and centenarians, Nicoya, Costa Rica, is one of our world's five Blue Zones and is currently the only designated Blue Zone in Latin America. Since the Blue Zones were discovered by National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner in 2007, numerous works have been published about these five zones to promote the secrets to physical longevity and living longer lives. But if we extend this research to the proven connections between music and aging, it is possible to see that diet and exercise are not the only contributing factors. Through a compilation of field notes, collaborative semi-structured interviews, and observations of elders at their homes and local community centers, this sound ethnography of Nicoya, Costa Rica, demonstrates that Nicoyans deeply value the functions of music and sound in their communities. Such engagement practices include playing musical instruments, dancing, songwriting, as well as writing and/or reciting poetry. This article also discusses how Nicoyans use sound as a sensorial practice in connection with everyday tasks such as cooking and land cultivation. While this ethnography is specifically dedicated to the Nicoyan communities, this study has the potential to add information to what constitutes a region as a Blue Zone, and encourage further inquiry about the relationships between human longevity and involvement with music and sound.
This position paper critically examines the integration of music theory instruction within the music therapy curriculum, questioning the alignment between what is traditionally taught and the practical needs of music therapy professionals. We begin our investigation by identifying the core music theory competencies outlined by NASM, AMTA, and CBMT and synthesize these into four broadly defined skill sets: aural skills; analysis; composition and improvisation; and literature, style, and genre, before mapping them onto the methods of music therapy. Through these steps, we develop a comprehensive framework that explicitly links music theory content to the essential skills required for clinical practice. We conclude by expressing our support for meaningful curricular reform and emphasize the urgent need for fostering effective communication among faculty to ensure alignment and consistency in teaching objectives. Additionally, we advocate for the integration and reinforcement of music theory concepts across the curriculum, enabling students to see their relevance in diverse contexts. It is our hope that this framework may serve to highlight the gaps in traditional theory instruction, create common ground to encourage constructive dialogue among faculty, and provide a roadmap for creating a more relevant, responsive, and impactful approach to music theory education.
Support workers often provide valuable assistance to music therapists in their work with people with disabilities, enabling access and participation during sessions. How music therapists interact and collaborate with support workers can be a key to the optimal provision of music therapy services. In Australia, the National Disability Insurance Scheme has provided people with disabilities increased access and funding for support workers. However, this burgeoning workforce has no set standards of training and experience; thus, it is important to explore how best to collaborate with support workers who are variously trained and resourced. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of six support workers who had assisted in a music therapy group for people with intellectual disabilities for more than 1 year. The findings revealed key aspects of this experience: that support workers value information and guidance; that there is a reciprocal impact of the music therapy session on the support worker, and by the support worker on the music therapy session; that support workers can experience a sense of belonging and inclusion; and that support workers have and develop a range of skills sets through long-term involvement in group music therapy in the community. With these findings in mind, enhanced connections and collaborations may occur between support workers and all participants in group music therapy.
College-aged students face mental health challenges while separated from their usual support network. Access to counseling and psychiatric services may often be challenging to obtain, and music therapy is under-utilized in this setting. Previous researchers have suggested the use of music therapy designed music listening experiences to help reduce stress and anxiety. The aim of this study was to understand the role of music in students' lives, particularly in terms of mood management, their intentional use of music and perception of music's effectiveness as a tool for wellness. First and second year undergraduate students living in campus housing were invited to participate in this online survey. Most students were not music majors. They answered questions exploring students' frequency of music use, their intentional music usage, and the ways in which music impacted them. In total, 116 students (N = 800) responded to the questionnaire. Results indicated that many college students use music to influence mood, express personal identity, and use music as a diversion. The results indicated that college students often use music intentionally, accessing music streaming platforms individually more than in groups, and listen to specific artists or genres to match or influence their moods. Other students use music to increase their attention and to identify with their preferred music. Suggestions for music therapy clinical practice are provided for each category of results. With education, college students may better perceive how they use music intentionally and become more adept at using music for mood regulation, attention, and self-discovery.
This exploratory sequential mixed methods study represents an initial attempt to identify factors music therapists consider when making clinical decisions during sessions with a parent-child dyad. Participants in the qualitative phase were music therapists (N = 3) who were involved in the development of the original Music Together Within Therapy (MTWT) program. Participants in the quantitative phase included music therapists (N = 20) who use MTWT in their clinical practice. A constructivist grounded theory analysis of the interview data resulted in three key findings: (1) a conceptual model of Four Values expressed by the respondents that informed the clinicians' decisions, (2) a Layered Approach to Music in therapy with parent-child dyads based on these values, and (3) Nine Belief Statements regarding clinical decision-making in early childhood music therapy. The Nine Belief Statements regarding clinical decision-making in early childhood music therapy were integrated into a survey of music therapists (N = 20) who also used MTWT. A high degree of endorsement of the beliefs about clinical decision-making was found, consistent with Sears' (Music-the therapeutic edge: Readings from William W. Sears. Barcelona Publishers, 2007) Processes of Music Therapy and Family Systems theory. The findings represent an emerging framework for understanding clinical decision-making in MTWT sessions with parent-child dyads. Future research should investigate the transferability of this emerging framework to early childhood music therapy sessions beyond the MTWT context.
Autistic individuals may experience sensory dysregulation, which can negatively impact the development of skills and quality of life. Currently, there is scant research exploring the effects of music therapy with autistic people experiencing sensory dysregulation. The researchers explored the feasibility of a multisensory protocol (effects on recruitment time, attrition rate, and observational measures) and acceptability from participants and their caregivers. A within-group, alternating-treatment design included three treatment and three treatment as usual (TAU) sessions. Five autistic children participated and completed all six sessions. TAU and treatment sessions included experiences with the same preselected songs, but the treatment sessions included presenting motor planning tasks and sensory supports. Caregivers reported that the music therapy sessions were conveniently scheduled and felt satisfied with music therapy services. Implementation issues included extraneous events (participants arriving late, using the bathroom, and having family schedule changes), protocol changes (different uses of sensory supports and different drums), and technological issues. Future research should address the extraneous variables identified in this study.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) serves as a potentially life-saving treatment option for various hematological malignancies. Although survival rates for allo-SCT recipients have improved over the last decades, survivors often experience persistent adverse physical and psychological symptoms, including nausea, fatigue, depression, and anxiety throughout their treatment and recovery. Additionally, the pharmacological interventions used to support the allo-SCT process (e.g., immunosuppressants, anti-infectives) come with limitations and adverse effects that may have a negative impact on allo-SCT recipients' well-being. Both mindfulness and music therapy have been found to improve symptoms in cancer patients when used separately, although less is known about their combinatorial effects in a hybrid e-Health delivery format in the context of allo-SCT. The current paper introduces a novel integrative intervention, hybrid eHealth Mindfulness-Based Music Therapy (eMBMT), designed to address the physical and psychosocial symptom distress in adults undergoing allo-SCT. We describe the content of the eMBMT program, which is currently being delivered in a pilot research phase to patients with allo-SCT as part of a larger randomized controlled trial. Drawing on evidence-based music therapy and mindfulness practices, the program delivers eight one-hour individual eMBMT sessions, including audio and text materials guided by a board-certified music therapist, all tailored to adults receiving an allo-SCT.
Trauma-informed care is a treatment framework that addresses the pervasiveness of trauma and minimizes harm in therapy spaces and sessions. While many music therapists aspire to utilize this framework in their practice, most seem to conflate the trauma-informed framework with trauma-focused techniques. In this survey study, music therapists were asked about their experiences in learning about trauma or the trauma-informed care framework, how they viewed or valued the framework, and how relevant they felt it was to their clinical practice. Survey results showed that while respondents felt that the trauma-informed care framework was valuable and relevant to their music therapy clinical work, they also expressed doubt about their understanding of the framework and their ability to incorporate the framework into their clinical practice. Participant comments were analyzed using an inductive content analysis; results showed respondents had questions and concerns about how the framework fits into the bachelors-level music therapy curriculum and might be adapted and implemented into a variety of treatment settings. Suggestions for meaningfully incorporating trauma-informed care frameworks into the bachelor-level music therapy curriculum and ideas for future research are also discussed.
University students’ perspectives of their facilitation of an inclusive social skills music camp were the primary focus of this investigation. Across 2 years of data, five future music therapists and five future speech-language pathologists co-led a week-long camp for a total of 31 children with and without autism. The camp was held once a year. Social skill goals were addressed using a combination of therapy techniques from both fields. All university students completed an individual questionnaire and participated in a group interview about their experiences. Across both cohorts of university students, themes from the questionnaire included strengths and benefits of the camp as well as challenges encountered during the experience. Themes from the group interviews for both cohorts included the benefits of collaboration, challenges during collaboration, and comments about the camp and campers. Students also commented on camp logistics and future adaptations for the camp. Findings are discussed in light of programmatic changes in the content and organizational structure of the camp. Future directions and recommendations for colleagues interested in pursuing similar interprofessional educational and practice experiences for their students are addressed.
