Music therapists are often members of teams within multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary frameworks, and occasionally, also form discipline-specific teams. Whilst research literature on collaboration between music therapists and other professions is growing, there is a lack of understanding around the varied experiences of music therapists in transdisciplinary teams. It is vital that music therapists are aware of the challenges and benefits of collaborative practice to promote professional growth and develop practice alongside colleagues. This study is set at a transdisciplinary, specialist school for students with autism. To explore the lived experience of the music therapy team and the factors informing their practice, a qualitative, phenomenological approach was taken, with data collected through semi-structured interviews. Results revealed three professional issues for music therapists in transdisciplinary teams: 1) supporting students in non-music therapy programs, 2) building collaborative and trusting relationships with support staff, and 3) the benefits and challenges of working in both group and individual programs. Implications for transdisciplinary team leaders were: 1) the preferred styles of professional learning, 2) the importance of peer support in building resilience, and 3) the value of diversity and creativity in the collaborative team space. Viewing these themes through a systems theory lens revealed interactive, yearly practice cycles, highlighting the professional responsibilities of each group necessary to ensuring an innovative, collaborative and supportive team culture. The findings of this study begin to illuminate the experience of music therapy teaming and learning, and how music therapists may make positive contributions within a transdisciplinary school setting.
The use of real-time video conferencing platforms in providing health and therapeutic services is increasing, bringing potential access, financial, and time advantages. Music therapy services are beginning to enter this space and are exploring the efficacy of interventions delivered through these platforms. Due to an opportunity to undertake a collaborative teleintervention project with children with hearing loss and their families, a need was identified to consider how this technology could be used in group settings. This led to the development of the Connected Music Therapy Teleintervention Approach (CoMTTA) which incorporates the following four areas: 1) delivery models; 2) session plan framework; 3) technology practice features and 4) additional considerations. In this paper, the features of CoMTTA are detailed and explored through the description of implemented delivery models, the author practitioners’ observations, and evaluative feedback received from participating families and collaborating service provider staff. Benefits highlighted by this initial implementation of CoMTTA include accessibility to services not available to families in their location, reduced isolation experienced by families in rural and remote areas, and an observed high level of parent/carer-child interaction and parental skill development. Challenges range from technological issues encountered by service providers and families, through to potential obstacles in the development of the therapeutic relationship caused by communication difficulties, further impeded by the hearing difficulties experienced by the children. It is recommended that further practitioner research be undertaken within this field, particularly focused toward group work in order to develop this approach.
A review of the literature reveals studies that have examined the benefits of active participation in group singing for health and wellbeing in people both with and without Parkinson's disease. Few studies have investigated how using song might impact positively on the phonatory and respiratory muscle control systems affecting voice loudness, quality and prosody in people with PD and even fewer describe the nature of the singing, nature of the songs or how the songs were delivered. The thoughts contained in this paper are those of the first author, a musician of many years, who is also a senior speech-language therapist. The author has led a community based singing group, the Brainwave Singers (BWS), in New Zealand for a number of years using Voice and Choral Singing Therapy (VCST) as a voice intervention for people with Parkinson's disease (PD). This article describes the rationale for singing and the workings of that singing group and explores how song choices might develop parameters of voice amplitude, voice quality and wellbeing.
In plain language This research study investigates how different stakeholders perceived access to music therapy under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the trial sites between 2013 and 2015. Nine people who had the lived experience of the matter such as NDIS planners, Registered Music Therapists (RMTs) and a parent of a boy with a disability were individually interviewed. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis reveals that everyone believed that music therapy was not fully understood or received well by everyone, and RMTs need to take more active roles in educating and promoting music therapy to staff in the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), allied health professionals, as well as parents of people with disabilities. Abstract The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a new national funding system for people with disabilities in Australia, which has been tested in some trial sites since 2013 and is now instigated across the Nation. Whilst music therapy and other music services are included on the list of recognised providers, inclusion of these services within individual case plans has been questioned at times by those with authority within NDIS trial sites. This research project aimed to build a collaborative relationship between the University of Melbourne, Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA), and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to better understand the needs and capacity for contribution of each organisation involved in the access of people to music therapy. To this end, interviews were conducted with three NDIA employees, five Registered Music Therapists (RMTs) who had experiences providing music therapy services as NDIS providers, and one parent of an eight-year old participant in the scheme who had accessed music therapy. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to identify gaps in knowledge and awareness between the different stakeholders. Fourteen emergent themes and three final themes revealed different perspectives on the matter, but all agreed that it is a significant time to promote music therapy and educate the NDIS planners, allied health professionals, the participants of the scheme and their families.
Music therapy is ideally positioned to meet the age appropriate and stigma-free approach of youth mental health services, yet programmes are distinctly lacking. Music therapists report challenges in establishing and maintaining programmes that rely on referrals from interdisciplinary teams, and clinicians' perceptions of music therapy may be key to understanding these barriers. The aim of this study was to explore how clinicians' perceptions of music therapy in a youth mental health service may impact referrals, and whether specific strategies for promoting music therapy could be identified. A survey was distributed to clinicians at a youth mental health service with an established music therapy programme, and data were analysed using inductive methods informed by grounded theory. Findings illustrate how strengths-based views of music therapy and a willingness to discuss music in relation to mental health with young people was linked to higher rates of referral to the music therapy service. Clinicians acted as gate keepers by introducing or failing to raise discussion of music and music therapy options in young people's care. Promoting a strength-based view of music therapy that aligns with recovery approaches in mental health care may support the implementation of music therapy programmes. Highlighting clinicians' role as gatekeepers and supporting their capacity to engage young people in initial discussions of music may increase referrals, raise awareness about the role of music in young people's mental health and facilitate key engagement processes.
This paper is a reflective piece on group music therapy with adults with brain injury. The author draws on her experience of facilitating an open group music therapy programme at a long-term care facility for people with moderate to severe neurological conditions. Particular attention is given to the meaningfulness of improvised musical experiences in the group therapeutic process, as well as the challenges of remaining attentive in a space where, at times, nothing appears to be happening. The paper also explores the positive impact of music therapy on non-group members, e.g. volunteers, and its implications beyond the therapy space.
For decades music therapy has increasingly shown benefits in addressing the complex needs of people undergoing neurorehabilitation. To the best of our knowledge, no study has yet examined the real-world situation of music therapy services in the extensive field of neurorehabilitation. This study aimed to explore the scope and prevalence of the populations served, goals formulated, as well as approaches and interventions being used in music therapy services in neurorehabilitation. A 25-item online survey was distributed using snowball sampling method. The participants were credentialed professional music therapists around the world with experience working in neurorehabilitation. Outcomes indicated an extensive scope of music therapy services currently being provided in neurorehabilitation. The most prevalent clinical population served by survey participants was acquired brain injury. Attention was the most frequently addressed clinical goal. The majority of the participants applied a Neurologic Music Therapy approach and frequently used singing-based interventions when working in neurorehabilitation. This study suggests that music therapy services in neurorehabilitation were extensive in both populations served and goals addressed. Future research should focus on the most prevalent music therapy goals and interventions currently offered in clinical practice.
Review(s) of: Music therapy for multisensory and body awareness in children and adults with severe to profound multiple disabilities: The musense manual, by Adler, R. S., and Samsonova-Jellison, O. V. (2017), London, England, Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
The expansion of technology use in higher education creates new opportunities to access music therapy training for people living in the vast country of Australia. The emergence of the blended learning (BL) study modality (an integration of online digital media and intensive face-to-face teaching) at the University of Melbourne offers the Master of Music Therapy course to students living in rural and interstate locations. While BL study has existed in healthcare training and education for several years, there is a scarcity of literature exploring the benefits and challenges of this mode of training for music therapy. This study aimed to identify and examine the impact of the BL program on professional identity formation of new music therapy graduates. A comparative study design exploring differences between the experiences of BL and traditional on-campus (OC) alumni was conducted. Forty-two music therapy graduates from the University of Melbourne completed a survey examining the impact of their study experiences on early professional identity formation. Survey results indicate no statistically significant differences between BL and OC graduates in the formation of early professional identity. Recommendations for researchers and educators are provided regarding areas of focus in professional identity formation in the BL mode for music therapy students.
This paper describes the specific songwriting techniques a music therapy student used in her group and individual music therapy sessions, at an educational facility for adolescents who had various mental health difficulties. It is based on research findings generated from secondary analysis of data (Heaton, 2004). Each music therapy process began with an exploration of how the adolescents would prefer to approach their songwriting, and thereafter involved the integration of methods and techniques specifically tailored to meet their needs. Facilitation of both individual and group sessions involved listening to students' songwriting ideas and supporting them to choose specific tools to further their musicality and creativity. The young people's confidence increased when the student shared her own ideas and examples of her songwriting work, and when they were able to produce products that were meaningful to themselves and to others.
This case study describes the processes involved in the development of a relationship between a student music therapist and John, a 69-year-old man who lives in the hospital wing of a home for the elderly. As a result of a cerebrovascular accident (also known as stroke), John's physical and verbal abilities were severely limited and he had become very isolated and withdrawn. Over the course of the student music therapist's placement, John was engaged in eleven 20-40 minute music therapy sessions that encouraged communication and improvement in overall wellbeing. Both the student music therapist and the facility staff noted improvements in John's general wellbeing and socialisation, and made links between these and music therapy.
