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The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how undergraduate music therapy students perceive, describe, and make meaning from their pre-internship clinical experiences. Using a basic qualitative research approach and marrying arts-based methods with reflexive thematic analysis methods, the following research questions guided my research-- How do pre-internship undergraduate music therapy students make meaning from their pre-internship clinical experiences? How do pre-internship undergraduate music therapy students perceive and describe themselves and their pre-professional identity? How do pre-internship undergraduate music therapy students perceive and experience working with clients in a real-world setting? How do pre-internship undergraduate music therapy students perceive and understand the practice and profession of music therapy from their pre-internship clinical experiences? I collected and analyzed data from pre-internship undergraduate music therapy students through two sequential phases--a virtual songwriting phase and a subsequent virtual interview phase. I analyzed five original songs with accompanying verbal reflections and in-depth interviews using reflexive thematic analysis (TA) (Braun & Clarke, 2022). Further, I used two types of music analysis--the Synchronous Lyric and Music Analysis (SLMA) method I developed for this study and a modified version of Grocke's (2007) Structural Model of Music Analysis. I present key research findings and implications relevant to music therapy program directors, educators, and clinical supervisors. Finally, I provide guidance and considerations for implementing the SLMA method and discuss recommendations for future research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Ableism is the discrimination against disabled people and favoring of nondisabled people. Ableism can pervade societal expectations, medical systems, educational systems, and culture. Within higher education, ableism can prevent disabled students from succeeding in programs with unique requirements, like music therapy. College music therapy programs combine aspects of music, psychology, and clinical training. While music therapy students frequently will work with disabled clients, there is a lack of consideration for disabled music therapy students and disabled music therapists. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine ableism in music therapy education and training. Participants completed a creative writing response about their story as a disabled music therapy student or music therapy educator. Student participants attended virtual focus groups, and music therapy educators had virtual individual interviews. Some participants answered questions by email. Through thematic analysis, the essence of ableism in music therapy in education and training was revealed. This included experiences with interpersonal, internalized, institutional, and structural ableism. Inherent ableism in music therapy was also discussed. A similarity among the educators was referring to their anti-ableism efforts as a work in progress, with some disabled educators sharing their lived experience with disability. Disabled music therapy students and music therapy educators discussed specific aspects of music therapy education they perceived as ableist, as well as ableist microaggressions they experienced or witnessed. Suggestions for future systemic changes in music therapy education and training are considered. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study explored how best to implement Music Therapy (MT) in any hospital setting when working with autistic children, teenagers, and adults. Baldrige's theory and concepts were used as a benchmark to facilitate all findings through the research conducted. Multiple factors affect the workforce and the existing staff at a large medical facility in the Western United States. The methodology employed included interviews with two behavioral health leaders using structured questions. This was an ideal research setting given that over fifty providers, including doctors, psychiatrists, and therapists, who work daily with the ASD population. Key findings included MT treatments at facilities in the United States that have proven effective and positive with families. Extended key findings also included the fact that these treatments can be facilitated not just in session in a medical facility but also duplicated at home and school. The conclusions validated that MT is needed to increase patient satisfaction, facilities, and beneficial social service. In addition, medical facilities can outsource or implement these services within their organization and bill insurance for reimbursement. The population's demographics within one hundred miles of this hospital show that hundreds of ASD children, teens, and adults can participate and benefit significantly from these new services, positively impacting social change. This newly added service would also increase the number of patients, thus increasing the bottom-line profits of this facility. Positive social changes will result when these new services are implemented and brought in-house. Parents will be the most significant contributors in telling all their friends and families about the outstanding results that MT has made in their child's life. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to explore how music therapy faculty navigate the evaluation of undergraduate practica students by reviewing various processes of evaluation along with faculty members' self-reported experiences of evaluating practica students. I addressed the research questions through descriptive phenomenological methodology, and collected data via semi-structured interviews with nine music therapy faculty members. In an effort to include diverse perspectives, I recruited participants who represented six of the seven American Music Therapy Association geographic regions, a wide range of years of supervisory experience, and a variety of academic and administrative roles within programs. Interview transcripts were carefully reviewed to summarize and describe evaluation processes. I employed thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021) to generate findings regarding participants' lived experiences of the practica evaluation process. At the conclusion of analysis, I generated four themes: evaluators experience various tensions related to the evaluation process, evaluators experience moments of satisfaction related to evaluation, evaluators have a propensity for evolving evaluation processes, and evaluators strive to "do right" by students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Little music therapy research has been published on therapeutic presence (TP). This study explored the inclusion of TP in music therapy education. Participants were eight credentialed music therapists who identified as music therapy educators and/or clinical supervisors. They attended one of two focus groups and were asked to submit a 1-minute excerpt of themselves improvising a reflection of their focus group's discussion. Focus group data revealed four themes: (1) Defining TP; (2) Education and Supervision Responsibilities; (3) TP is Taught Through Experiential Learning; and (4) Learning TP is a Developmental Process. Participants defined TP as simultaneously incorporating both states of being and action. For them, TP was primarily taught in clinical training, including supervision, though is also taught in academic courses through experiential teaching methods. Improvisation data resulted in an original composition, "Therapeutic Presence: Improvisation Collage," which includes excerpts from all six improvisation recordings. Its elements of tempo, key, dynamics, and instrumentation also reflect the commonalities in the elements among the six improvisations. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Given the nationwide increase in the diagnosis of autism, particularly in the pediatric population, there is obvious value in examining the effectiveness of intervention methods. This research sought to examine the effectiveness of a music-infused approach combined with Applied Behavioral Analysis methodology. The exploratory mixed method design pilot study examined and comprehended the narratives of special education early childhood teachers assigned and trained to deliver a music-infused intervention program within a natural self-contained Applied Behavioral Analysis program, five days a week, 20 minutes a day, for a duration of 6 weeks to a population of ten preschool students, ages 3-5, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Two self-contained classes were assigned as the treatment groups and one preschool self-contained classroom served as the control group. Emphasis was placed on the perceptions of the pre and post semi-structured interviews of the special education early childhood teachers. Evidence was examined through a quantitative source to build a coherent justification for the coded themes established adding to the validity of this study. Interview perception questions for the special education early teachers focused on the following areas: (1) contribution of music, if at all, to communication and social learning in a self-contained class with preschool children diagnosed with autism, (2) do music activities infused with ABA strategies improve social and or communication skills, and (3) when instructed with music-infused ABA lessons do preschool children diagnosed with autism communicate or socialize more with their peers. Based on the findings of the study, music-infused ABA strategies interventions in self-contained classrooms is effective for improving social group building skills and communication skills, supporting the individual discrete trials of Applied Behavioral Analysis instruction. The study showed that when musical stimuli (beanbags and instruments) were present, preschoolers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder were able to express music in the following ways: imitation, using their voice, improvising with a musical instrument, and dancing. The special education early childhood teachers reported that music-infused activities in the ABA self-contained classroom is effective in encouraging improved joint attention, strengthening cognitive abilities, building motor skills, and developing emotions and self-regulations. The widely held perception of the teachers who were interviewed commented that it is appropriate to use music infused with ABA strategies in the self-contained preschool programs as it was an effective intervention for 6 weeks showing some improvement in social and communication skills in a more naturalistic approach to learning similar to interactive music making in general education preschool classrooms. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Currently there are 85 schools that offer a bachelor's degree in Music Therapy and 243 full-time faculty in the United States (American Music Therapy Association, 2022). To be eligible to teach as a full time, undergraduate, music therapy faculty, the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) requires at least a master's degree and three years of clinical experience. However, education in pedagogical techniques is not currently required. In the broader field of higher education, a vast amount of literature is published about effective teaching methods including student-centered learning and appreciative approaches. Music therapy pedagogues have identified general teaching methods and approaches and instructors may be applying effective teaching approaches. However, there is minimal evidence for specific techniques how these approaches and techniques are being implemented. Therefore, this dissertation is a qualitative case study that investigated effective teaching practices of undergraduate music therapy faculty and how those practices were learned. Literature pertaining to faculty teaching practices and learning these practices in higher education, in addition to appreciative approaches, support the findings from this study. Through data collection from interviews, observations, and artifacts, the findings indicated that effective teaching practices in music therapy were overall student-centered, and that faculty currently teach the way they were taught, through observation and experience. One significant discovery was that all faculty taught within an appreciative framework. Based on the findings, implications are discussed to address the future of music therapy education and clinical training for students as well as how educators are taught. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how music therapists perceive the implementation of music therapy practices to build self-motivation, social learning, and regulatory behaviors of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) attending a Title 1 school in the Southern United States. Albert Bandura's social learning theory was the foundation of this study. Three research questions formed the foundation for this study: (1) how do music therapists perceive the implementation of music therapy practices to build self-motivation of students with ASD attending a Title 1 school in the Southern United States; (2) how do music therapists perceive the implementation of music therapy practices to build social learning of students with ASD attending a Title 1 school in the Southern United States; and (3) how do music therapists perceive the implementation of music therapy practices to build regulatory behaviors of students with ASD attending a Title 1 school in the Southern United States. The researcher used one-on-one interviews and a focus group to collect data for the sample population of 15 music therapists. The data analysis consisted of the researcher transcribing the data, exporting the information to Trint for transcription, then converting the transcription to an rtf file for uploading to the f4analyse computer program and using the Colaizzi Method for analyzing the data. The results revealed seven themes to capture the views and feelings of the participants. The researcher concluded with significant findings to support the problem statement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Current research shows the effects of music are varied. Research also suggests that music therapy for students with disabilities is varied. This study investigated the effects of the music therapy technique of listening that was applied to classrooms for students who display severe behavior. This music therapy intervention was administered by the classroom special education teachers for 30 minutes during academic class time. The data were also collected by the teachers working in the classroom. Data were collected using teacher completed behavior rubrics which rated the level of student behavior before and during the intervention phase. Teachers collected data for each student at a set time, observing the student for two minutes during music therapy. Results indicated there were statistically significant differences in the levels of intensity, duration, and frequency of certain behaviors. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Music therapy degree programs originated in the 1940s and while programs have come and gone, not much was known about the profession's trends. The current education policy was adopted in 2000, two years after the National Association for Music Therapy and the American Association for Music Therapy unified to form one governing organization called the American Music Therapy Association. In the decades since the first degree program was started, research focused primarily around entry-level competencies and curriculum issues. While the profession encountered meaningful growth in degree programs and enrollment, concerns were expressed regarding a possible shortage of doctorally prepared faculty. Full-time faculty openings are increasing along with a growing number of programs. Enrollment in undergraduate and master's degree programs are also increasing. Hence, it is imperative that program trends and demand for qualified educators be examined. However, forecasting growth in programs, enrollment, and the need for faculty have not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive analysis of current degree programs and full-time faculty, and to forecast future development of degree programs, enrollment, and the need for qualified faculty for the coming decade. The Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model was used as the forecasting method and the models predict that music therapy degree programs will grow a modest 6% compared to the prior decade's 17% growth. Music therapy enrollment at NASM accredited schools, will grow more rapidly at 34%, however it is still less than the 65% growth experienced from 2000 to 2018. Demand for new full-time faculty was estimated based on retirement trends and enrollment projections. The need for new faculty will expand by 80 full-time positions through 2030. Limitations of the study, the culture of higher education and its impact on future degree program development and faculty recruitment, as well as policy considerations are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Nurses experience academic, clinical, and personal stressors and often do not combat these stressors with effective coping strategies. Increased exposure to long-term and uncontrollable stress coupled with a lack of self-care techniques produce negative effects on nurses' health, academic achievement, and professional performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a therapeutic harp music intervention on junior nursing students' perceived level of stress. An initial focus group was held in March 2019 and served as a forum for nursing students to share their opinions and experiences related to the stressors of nursing school, self-care practices, and perceptions of therapeutic music interventions. A quasi-experiment and repeated measures ANOVA design was utilized for this study. Junior nursing students were recruited in March 2019 to participate in a series of four therapeutic interventions that took place in April 2019. Each 15-minute session was conducted weekly over four consecutive weeks during a regularly scheduled class time. Students completed the 10-Item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) prior to the first session, prior to the third session, and immediately following the fourth session. Students provided feedback on their feelings prior to and following each of the four sessions and opinions of the effectiveness of the intervention. Student responses reflected an overwhelming positive response to the intervention as students self-reported lower levels of stress and anxiety as a result of the sessions. The data collected from the PSS-10 yielded significant results for the main effect (p = 0.001) as well as each of the three time pointes: pre-intervention to mid-intervention (p = 0.004), mid-intervention to post-interventions (p = 0.003), and pre-intervention to post-intervention (p = 0.002). [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Human beings have always enjoyed a special relationship with the organisation of audible sound we call music. Through the passage of time, the roles and functions of music have represented manifold expressions to people, and in the present day music is ubiquitous and readily available to all who seek it. Recent advances in digital music technology and portable/personal music-playing devices have resulted in background music being listened to by more people than ever before. The nature of human inquisitiveness extends to our need to understand our emotional responses to music: Why does it move us so? How does it inspire, motivate, console and relax us? Is music an unnecessary albeit enjoyable adjunct to human existence or are there intangible but real effects imparted on the human condition? And pertinent to this study, what is the relationship between the presence or absence of music and human task performance? The body of academic research into the physiological, psychological and cognitive effects of background music (BM) on human beings is growing rapidly. Advances in neuroscientific brain imaging techniques and the emergence of relatively new fields such as music therapy, music medicine and music psychology--as well as the highly sophisticated commercial retail marketing sector have been at the forefront of research into the effects of BM on human behaviour and response. In comparison, the education sector has undertaken fewer investigations into the use and effects of BM in educational settings and those that do exist tend to focus on whether BM can lift performance or change the behaviour of school students in the classroom. The purpose of this essay is to review the growing body of research into the effects of BM listening on human mood and behaviour in a multi-disciplinary context. Can the use of BM enhance a learning environment? Yes. But this will be dependent on its judicious use and facilitation, and that means educators will need to be equipped with fundamental knowledge of music psychology. (Contains 7 figures.) [Submitted for the degree of Masters of Educational Studies, University of Adelaide.]

This paper reviews the effectiveness of music therapy in treating children with psychiatric and developmental problems. The clinical utility of music therapy is first evaluated by examining the foundational effects of music on affect and behavior. Next, the two broad approaches to music therapy, active and passive music therapy, are discussed. This discussion is followed by a critical review of music therapy as applied to specific problems, including self-esteem problems, psychosis, developmental delays, expressive and receptive language deficits, social skills deficits, and autism. Early intervention music therapy programs, music therapy for children who are gifted, and psychiatric music therapy problems are also assessed. Finally, the utility of music therapy programs is considered. Findings from the review indicate there is evidence that music therapy is an effective treatment for a variety of problems. Additionally, at least one study suggested that music therapy is an equally viable treatment to verbal therapy. The studies also provide support for developmental and physiological theories of music therapy. Unfortunately, the review also found that music therapy research is fraught with methodological problems that weaken possible arguments for using this approach over other techniques. Additional research into the effectiveness of music therapy is urged. (Contains 116 references.) (CR)

This action research project investigated the effects of music on the behavior and performance of students (ages 3-21) with multiple disabilities, mental retardation, or severe mental retardation in four self-contained special education classrooms. The teacher researchers involved in the study made no assumptions with regard to the outcomes. It was hoped that music would provide a variety of positive outcomes on students' learning and attitudes, a calming effect on students with mercurial behaviors, an energizing effect on students with low affect, a reduction of disruptive self-stimulatory behavior, and an increased ability to focus on a task. The intervention involved playing the music to alter the climate of the classroom. Music was an additional component to regular classroom procedures. Data collection included anecdotal records, direct teacher observation, and student interviews. In all four classrooms, music proved itself to be a powerful tool in altering student behavior. A reduction was observed in volume of the participants' voices. Out of seat behavior decreased. In a single case, there was a light reduction in self-stimulatory behavior. The teachers involved in the study will continue to use classical, 60 beat per minute selections during various activities. (Contains 37 references.) (Author/CR)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or autism, refers to a group of neurological disorders. At the most recent estimate, the Center for Disease Control estimated that 1 child in 68 has an autism diagnosis. Though research has shown music to be an effective intervention in therapy settings for students with ASD, little research has been done with respect to inclusion in instrumental classroom settings. The present study sought to examine string teachers' perceptions of inclusion of students with ASD in classroom settings. Fifty-one classroom string and orchestra teachers served as participants for this study. This study was conducted in two phases. Phase I consisted of a survey where teachers were asked to respond to statements using a 5-point Likert-type scale. Phase II consisted of e-mail based interviews of small portion (n = 11) self-selected participants. Results of this study revealed that many string teachers responded with overall positive perceptions of inclusion of students with ASD. Results also revealed that there appeared to be no significant relationship between years of experience and perceptions of successful inclusion, and no significant relationship between level of education and perceptions of successful inclusion. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of undergraduate academic and clinical training programs for music therapy in addressing the subject of personal growth, as it relates to the development of critical self-awareness and self-care strategies. The study further attempted to identify which self-care strategies are being used by practicing music therapy clinicians and how a practice of self-care impacts their work with distressed and/or traumatized individuals. An electronic survey sent to all board-certified music therapists (MT-BCs) (N = 6369) generated a demographic profile of music therapy practitioners who identified their clientele as distressed and/or traumatized. The survey doubled as a means to identify a sample population for participation in face-to-face interviews. These interviews disclosed the clinicians' perception of the effectiveness of their educational programs in preparing them to work with trauma-informed populations. An arts-based response further provided qualitative information corroborating the interviews. An open-ended survey questionnaire sent to academic directors of AMTA approved program directors (N = 79), investigated whether curricula related to self-care was included. The results revealed that 63.83% of MT-BCs (bachelor, masters, and doctorate levels) identified their clientele as distressed and/or traumatized. Specifically, 45.03% were bachelor-level clinicians. Results of the survey questionnaire to academic program directors (n = 16; 20.25% responding) indicated that 50% did not include a dedicated unit on self-care in their curricula. Interviews with clinicians exposed that 37.5% graduated from either graduate or undergraduate programs where the topic of self-care was not addressed. A thematic analysis of interview data and mandala arts-based responses, generated five primary and secondary themes; the analysis further identified indicators of vicarious traumatization related to the work experience. A plethora of self-care strategies and practices were communicated throughout the interview and creative response. The results of the survey suggest that more emphasis related to self-care in music therapy academic and clinical training programs would serve to provide graduates with increased knowledge and resources regarding self-care, thereby enabling clinicians to mitigate or circumvent the potential professional risks associated with treating a distressed and/or traumatized clientele. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Students with special needs are required by law to have an individualized education plan based on their unique educational needs. Special education teachers understand these needs and provide students with instructional strategies that allow them to succeed. Music has often been used to provide students with disabilities alternative ways to learn new content; however, the use of music integration therapy in the special education setting as well as its impact on the engagement behaviors on students with special needs is not widely documented in current educational research. A collective case study was used to explore how special education teachers use music integration therapy as an instructional tool for students with special needs. Four special education teachers in a large school district in a western state who have used music therapy in their interactions with students with special needs participated in the study. Each had different motivations for their use of music therapy in the classroom. The data gathered from interviews and observations revealed that each educator viewed progress for students on an individualized basis. The implications of the results of the study and their relationship to the literature are discussed. In addition, recommendations for future research are presented. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Alternative education students face many interacting challenges that put them at significant risk of dropping out of school (Carver & Lewis, 2010), as well as deleterious health and psychological outcomes, and intergenerational cycles of sociopolitical disadvantage (Laird, Kienzel, Debell & Chapman, 2007). Despite the persistent national epidemic of school dropout, few studies have investigated treatments for alternative education students, often characterized as "difficult to reach" given the chronic substance abuse, low motivation, and poor attendance typical of this population (Rumberger & Lim, 2008). This study investigated the effectiveness of a novel music therapy intervention, Recorded Music Expressive Arts (RMEA), with alternative education students. The purpose of RMEA in this context was to engage students in a potentially motivating, culturally relevant treatment that satisfies identified provisions to ameliorate dropout (Kim & Taylor, 2008). RMEA employs narrative therapy concepts as a framework for treatment, and integrates songwriting, music production, and recording into psychotherapy. Through the song-creation process, participants were encouraged to "tell their story" to re-author problem-saturated personal narratives and discover more self-affirming ways of being (White & Epston, 1990). Participants were 10 adolescent boys, age 14-18, attending an alternative education school in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ten 60-minute individual RMEA sessions were delivered twice weekly over 7-19 weeks. Pre/post data was analyzed using Vargha-Delaney's A. Large effect sizes were found for (a) coping (problem focused engagement, cognitive restructuring, problem solving, and emotional expression); (b) substance misuse (decreased marijuana use) and co-occurring psychological disturbances (decreased school and behavior problems); (c) increased contemplation and action readiness to respond to intervention; (d) behavior (decreased internalizing, behavior, learning problems, and suspension rates); and (e) attendance (increased attendance for RMEA sessions and days on which RMEA was delivered). Overall, the results indicate that RMEA is a viable and effective treatment for alternative education high school students. Analysis of participant interviews and song content further support results, as well as RMEAs proposed therapeutic mechanisms of action, including narrative therapy concepts. Findings highlight the need for replication studies with larger sample sizes, inclusion of adolescent girls, and other alternative education school settings. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Research indicates the characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder include challenges with receptive and expressive language, which can negatively impact social-emotional development and physical regulation. The needs of children with autism are expected to greatly impact the current medical and educational resources, thus effective intervention for language development is considered crucial. A recently implemented intervention is music therapy. Effective intervention strategies for families and special education staff are constantly being sought after. This qualitative study sought to determine, (a) how does music therapy affect the receptive and expressive language skills in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder aged 3-8 years? (b) what components of music therapy do parents and music therapists profess to make the most impact on language acquisition development in their child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, aged 3--8? Participants included ten family units in southern California and six music therapists in the states of California, Oregon, Idaho and Washington. The participants were asked to provide information pertaining to the language ability of their child/client before and after participating in music therapy. Results showed an increase in word utterance, progress toward special education goals, emotional wellbeing, expressive communication in the home and community, and an increase in social skills. The language ability of the children before and after participating in music therapy sessions ranged from a nonverbal state to singing songs, from using gestures to speaking three to four word phrases, from using language without pragmatics to making friends, and from uttering one to two word phrases to regulating their emotions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This report discusses the findings of a study that tested the effectiveness of a program that used music to increase the articulation skills of three females and seven males (ages 12-21) with profound mental retardation. Level one of the treatment began with the teacher humming the target word while tapping the rhythm on the hand drum or strumming it on the guitar. Next, both student and teacher hummed and tapped. Finally, the student hummed as the teacher and student tapped rhythms. As soon as the student became comfortable and cooperative with this system, both moved on to level two. At level two, the actual word was added to the other actions. It was proposed that the student progress from listening to unison performance and then to the independent vocalizing of the subject. All students progressed to unison performance and some to independent vocalizing. The 30-minute treatments were given as part of the regular music sessions held twice a week. The program resulted in the improvement of articulation skills and an overall increase in self-confidence. Appendices include a Speech Research Survey, an Articulation Data Sheet, Compilations of Raw Data, and a parent permission form. (Contains 27 references.) (CR)

Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders are challenged with memory and language deficits that impact their skills acquisition (Martin, Klusek, Estigarriba, & Roberts, 2009; Turner & Alborz, 2003). The value of music when applied as an antecedent and a reinforcer has long been established to address such memory and language deficits (Brownell, 2002; Kern & Aldridge, 2006; Kouri & Winn, 2006; Lim & Draper, 2011; Register, Darrow, Standley, & Swedberg, 2007; Schwartzberg & Silverman, 2012, 2013; Sena-Moore, Peterson, O'Shea, McIntosh, & Thaut, 2008; Simpson & Keen, 2010; Thaut, Peterson, Sena-Moore, & McIntosh, 2008). Related to this literature, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of live music when applied as the discriminative stimulus and reinforcer on the skills acquisition of learners with neurodevelopmental disorders. Effects were compared across four conditions: (a) verbal delivery of both a discriminative stimulus and reinforcer (S[superscript D][subscript V] :R[subscript V]), (b) verbal delivery of a discriminative stimulus and live music delivery of a reinforcer (S[superscript D][subscript V]:R[subscript M]), (c) live music delivery of a discriminative stimulus and verbal delivery of a reinforcer (S[superscript D][subscript M]:R[subscript V]), and (d) live music delivery of both a discriminative stimulus and reinforcer (S[superscript D][subscript M]:R[subscript M]). The initial question investigated whether there were any differences between means across the four conditions. The results of a two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance determined the four conditions did indeed vary from one another as evidenced by the large effect size for condition and time. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted to determine if differences across conditions were present. These results indicated that all four conditions yielded improved outcomes across time or sessions. Upon comparison of pairs of conditions, the most effective conditions was deemed the combined form of live music as both the discriminative stimulus/ antecedent and the reinforcer/feedback (S[superscript D][subscript M]:R[subscript M]). The verbal SD and live music R (S[superscript D][subscript V]:R[subscript M]) condition was next best, followed by live music SD and verbal R (S[superscript D][subscript M]:R[subscript V]) and verbal S D and verbal R (S[superscript D][subscript V]:R[subscript V]). Further research that isolates the music variables is recommended. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This auto-ethnographical inquiry used vignettes and interviews to examine the therapeutic use of music and other forms of organized sound in the learning environment of individuals with Central Auditory Processing Disorders. It is an investigation of the traditions of healing with sound vibrations, from its earliest cultural roots in shamanism and ritual healing ceremony through its present evolutionary form of what is currently referred to as music and auditory integration therapy. The matter-altering power of sound-wave vibrations are invited to support traditional teaching methodologies in the learning environment of children with ADHD, ASD, and other learning differences as well as neuro-typical children who have difficulty attending due to issues caused by a disruptive, distorted, or inappropriate processing of sounds. This qualitative research proposes that sound vibrations and music-based listening can be directed with given intention. Timbre, pitch, and volume can target specific areas of the body to bring about changes in problematic behavior, language acquisition, as well as improved productivity, learning, and development. Teachers, clinicians, administrators, parents, and care providers of differently abled and exceptional students were interviewed in order to determine their relationship to sound and how that response to the soundscape affects their practices. In their own voice, these interviewees tell a story of the use of music in response to a complex, often overpopulated soundscape. The criteria for selecting these individuals was that they had at least a 5-year relationship with children diagnosed as having special needs, and a longstanding relationship with a school system. Leaning heavily on the current scientific research in auditory integration therapy and the researcher's experiences in the field of music and special education, this dissertation seeks to move the therapeutic use of sound from the fringes of alternative treatments to a place in special education that is accessible to most anyone. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Four music therapy educators participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews as part of a qualitative study. The purpose of this study was to explore the phenomena of feminist pedagogy as experienced by music therapy educators using phenomenological inquiry. The study examined the following research questions: (a) do music therapy educators use feminist music therapy pedagogy in teaching music therapy, (b) if so, how do they use feminist music therapy pedagogy, (c) what is their experience in using feminist music therapy pedagogy, and (d) how do feminist music therapy educators define their use of feminist pedagogy in undergraduate and graduate music therapy education. Each interview lasted from 1 1/2-3 hours. Data were analyzed according to Giorgi's (1975) phenomenological method and feminist theory. The researcher used member checking, inter-rater reliability, and triangulation of data (interviews, analytic memos, and music lyrics) to address issues of trustworthiness and dependability. Five categories were identified from the meaning units: (a) philosophical framework, (b) goals, (c) teaching methods, (d) institutional and social issues, and (e) backlash and response. A composite summary, discussion of the implications of the findings, consistency and inconsistency with the literature, limitations, revisiting of assumptions, personal reflections, guidelines for using FMTP, and areas for future research are included. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purposes of this study were to research the current inclusive practices in primary school music education in the Republic of Korea (ROK), identify issues that hamper optimal inclusion, and develop instructional strategies and recommendations to assist general educators in the accommodation of students with disabilities in their music classes. Analyses of public documents from the government of the ROK reveal that since the enactment of the Special Education Promotion Law (1977), there has been an increase in the number of students with disabilities educated inclusively. The current curricular requirements of the universities of education regarding general educators' music instruction and special education are limited. Furthermore, the government-mandated "Seventh Music Curriculum" (used in every ROK primary school) indicated no accommodation for use with students who have disabilities. Consequently, primary school general educators, while often expected to provide inclusive music instruction, have little preparation or resources available to assist them in making appropriate instructional modifications. Because of the limited pedagogical or research information available within the ROK, additional information regarding the accommodation of students with disabilities was obtained from special education and music education resources in the United States. These resources provided the basis for pedagogical strategies developed for adapted lesson plans for grades three through six. As these findings suggest, initiatives such as improved pre-service and in-service training are needed to prepare general educators in effective instructional methods and accommodations for inclusive music education. In-service training for such teachers could possibly be provided by music therapists if the therapists are fully conversant with the instructional difficulties faced by the teachers. The current development of the Eighth Curriculum by the South Korean government provides an excellent opportunity to include information on students with disabilities within the teacher's manuals. Additional resource materials for the teachers would also be beneficial. Future studies are needed regarding teacher competencies, pre-service preparation, in-service training, and needs assessment regarding inclusive music education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

A pilot program was developed and implemented to improve the music performance of middle school choral students. A target group of 27 low performing students in grade seven and eight participated in the program. The program utilized four strategies for improving performance skills. Lectures were given by inspirational leaders. Small groups were formed to allow for peer interaction. Small groups created and performed skits dealing with musical expression of emotions. A reward system was developed that included peer recognition. Instruments of measurement of improvement in target group musical performance skills included the Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Scale, writer-created choral music questionnaire, and teacher records. The target group showed increases in grade point averages and improvement in perceptions of self-concept. The target group also showed more positive attitudes toward music classes. Appendices include evidence of grade reports, testing and questionnaire results. (Author)

Music activities for the elderly can stimulate creativity and help develop independence, self-confidence, and a sense of accomplishment. This study includes: (1) an attempt to learn the uses of music by and for older adults through an exploration of programs and activities that either have been or currently are being implemented; (2) an examination of the need to develop more music programs that could be incorporated into the daily life styles of the elderly; and (3) an examination of the effect of these programs on the educational needs of future music teachers. This thesis attempts to dispel myths associated with older adult learning ability, memory, and self-concept and summarizes the importance of lifelong education. Formal and informal music programs, the role and activities of retired music educators, and the continuing creativeness of specific elderly performers are examined in order to develop an understanding of older adult musical abilities. Model music programs are developed and each program's format contains a description of objectives, materials, activities, and teaching methods. Rationale and procedures for program evaluation and guidelines for music educators are described. Currently available resources are listed in an appendix, and a bibliography identifies 166 sources. (JHP)

The effects of musical accompaniment on two different visual information processing activities were examined in individuals of differing selected personality types. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator Form G was administered to classes of University students. From the results, four subgroups, the sensing-thinking, sensing-feeling, intuitive-feeling, and the intuitive-thinking were selected with 16 subjects each. Two different visual information processing experiments were conducted. Each experiment contained two parallel portions which were alternately presented with musical accompaniment and without musical accompaniment. Experiment 1 consisted of the two parts of the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) by H. A. Witkin. Experiment 2 consisted of two parallel visual recognition tasks. Results of the two-way analysis of variance in Experiment 1 and Experiment 2 indicated no significant differences between the musical accompaniment treatments or among differing personality types in the number of items correct. However, a significant difference did exist in Experiment 1 in the number of referrals between the musical accompaniment treatments. Significantly less referrals to the figure to be traced in the GEFT were made with musical accompaniment than with no musical accompaniment. There were no significant differences among personality types in the number of referrals. (Author)

The purpose of this practicum was to train 20 elementary teachers to do therapeutic music activities designed specifically to promote social skills in elementary school children. A five- part seminar series was presented over a 10-month period. The goals of the practicum were (1) to improve the teachers' knowledge of intervention techniques and music therapy; (2) to expand the teachers' ability level to include the application of music activities for teaching, remediating, and practicing social skills; and (3) to promote teachers' awareness of the emotional impact of these highly sophisticated yet simple activities. Central to reaching these goals was the necessity of making teachers competent, comfortable, and confident in providing their students with structured opportunities to learn and practice pro-social/affective skills. The instructional strategy guiding the seminars was primarily experiential, that is, learning through doing. Evaluation data suggested that the practicum was successful. (RH)

This study investigates the lived experience of learning to improvise for music and music therapy students on postgraduate courses in UK Higher Education. Findings demonstrate that learning is complex: engendering changes to identity, increased emotional regulation, intense relationships, and creating flow experiences (Csikszentmihalyi, 1988). It is a qualitative phenomenological, reflexive, arts-based study, drawing on performative social science (Etherington, 2004; Jones, 2021). Ten participants took part in individual semi-structured interviews combined with improvisations. The verbal interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (Smith, et al., 2009), and the music employed an adapted method of Ferarra's (1984) phenomenological music analysis. In response to the music, the researcher hand drew graphic scores. This enabled a member checking process, in which the scores were given back to the participants together with transcriptions of the verbal data (Giorgi, 1975; Colaizzi, 1978). Drawing the scores created an unanticipated embodied researcher reflexivity, enabling a deep focus on the music data. The findings produced five themes: identity, emotions, relationships, flow, and learning. It was found that learning to improvise can influence changes to identity, including relationship to instruments and performance of gender. In addition, findings showed that learning takes place within specific musical communities, involving close relationships, and can broaden individual emotional expression. It was also found that special experiences and flow are an important aspect in development of learning, sometimes accompanied by spiritual narratives. Finally, the study suggests that there are many different ways of learning, which can begin in early childhood and continue on into adulthood, examples include: the development of musical memorisation, responding to dancers moving, and learning unfamiliar instruments. This study demonstrates that learning to improvise is nuanced and multi-faceted and can strongly influence the development of the self.

This study aimed to explore the intersectionality between music education and music therapy. It initiated with my lived experiences as a musician, SEN educator, musician and a researcher during which it was identified that music therapy as an intervention is only available to a very limited number of students. Given the challenges faced by music education today and its precarious position within the curriculum, it is important to substantiate its relevancy and the numerous benefits it can bring for students. Adolescents, ages 11-17, were chosen as the age group for this study as this group seems experience most academic transitions. Additionally, music plays a pivotal role for teenagers in terms of socialisation, managing mood and emotions, and contributing to their identity development. Assuming a social constructivist viewpoint and utilising mixed methods, I created an inclusive music conceptual framework to address and meet educational, social, emotional needs and personal wellbeing of young adults. The philosophical basis for this study involved two theories: John Dewey's democracy and education, and Christopher Small's concept of musicking. With the amalgamation of the two theories, I formulated the concepts of musical inclusion and musical democracy. Community music therapy, one of the many branches of music therapy, was identified as a way to bridge music education and music therapy to promote musical inclusion and democracy in classroom music-making. In the process, I also made the case for a potential new field and a practice: 'music therapy through music education'.

In music therapy practice, humour is closely linked to playfulness and play and is largely taken for granted by music therapists. Despite music therapists' anecdotal interest, to date there has been little in-depth focus on humour in music therapy work. The two main studies written in the English language address the use of humour and its musical form and are positioned from music therapists' perspectives. Thus, a need was identified for including the views of persons attending music therapy, along with more comprehensive study of relational experiences and therapeutic consequences of humour. A pilot phase of this study showed humour as relationally significant and invited the development of novel methods with which to investigate it. Subsequently, a phenomenologically informed reflexive-relational methodology was used to better understand 1. How humour enables contact in music therapy with persons living with dementia and 2. How music therapists perceive, embody and experience humour in music therapy. Interpretative methods of "interview-encounters" with persons living with dementia and their music therapists, and focus groups with music therapists, were used to gather data and arts-based reflexive methods of sense-making offered imaginal understanding of relational experiences of humour. Familiar verbal, non-verbal and embodied forms of humour, or "in-jokes", were found to act as catalysts for intrapersonal and interpersonal contact between music therapists and persons living with dementia. These moments appeared to heighten experiences of presence in relation to self and other. In addition, contact through humour enabled a relational equality that was meaningful as well as individually agential. From music therapists' perspectives, a tension was found between humour and a sense of professional identity and role in practice. This appeared to lead to anxiety when using or engaging with humour and meant that a sense of relational risk was embodied in performing humour in practice. The music therapists involved in the study had absorbed this sense of risk bodily through experiences of improvising with others whilst training. Important questions were therefore raised around the "tool-ness" of humour which also surfaced implicit power dynamics in music therapy relationships. Framing a sense of humour as a developmentally vital relational experience, this study suggests that a more sophisticated understanding of humour in music therapy is needed. This has broad implications for considering music therapy processes, pedagogy and practice.

Embedding arts therapies (i.e. music, drama, dance movement and art therapy) within the educational system may contribute to address children’s emerging needs and result in a positive impact on their wellbeing, bridging the gap between health and education. However, research in this area remains limited in scope and size, with evidence of effectiveness not yet firmly established. Furthermore, children’s perspectives are not taken to heart, relying heavily on either the views of therapists, teachers, or parents. This study attempted to fill this gap through a two-staged design. The first stage consisted of a systematic review that aimed to identify, appraise and synthesise the evidence relating to child-reported outcomes of arts therapies. This review included seven studies and 358 participants. The findings informed the development of the second stage; a pilot cross-over randomised controlled study investigating the process and outcomes of an arts therapies intervention delivered to 62 children with mild emotional and behavioural difficulties. The most important outcomes identified were: emotional regulation; self-confidence; positive appraisal of health and perceived quality of life; positive relationships; and reduced stress. Links were made with positive psychology as well as self-determination and self-actualisation theories. Furthermore, the pilot study shed light into the practicalities of conducting a randomized controlled study in educational settings, as well as the power size needed to reach statistical significance. Although results did not reach the accepted level of statistical significance for all outcome measures, there were improvements in children’s quality of life and wellbeing which sustained at 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up. There were also significant changes in duration of sleep as determined through acti-watchers, and in emotional and behavioural difficulties as reported by teachers. This project highlights areas for improvement in future research and practice based on evidence that is grounded on children’s perspectives. It is expected that the implementation of these suggestions will benefit children’s health and wellbeing, and the wider inclusion of arts therapies in national and international health-related guidelines.

Executive function (EF) is an umbrella term for a group of related yet distinguishable cognitive functions responsible for flexibly controlling and directing attention and behaviour. EF is important in the top-down control of decision-making and the ability to direct attention towards the fulfilment of long-term goals. EF, particularly in emotive contexts, is still developing during adolescence. EF may also be affected negatively by various threats to optimal EF development, including depression and HIV infection. Immature or suboptimal EF may predispose to risk-taking behaviour, including risky sexual behaviour and substance use, which in turn increases the risk of HIV transmission and poorer health and socioeconomic outcomes. I have three major hypotheses which are explored in this thesis. Firstly, I hypothesise that there is a relationship between HIV and poorer EF in adolescents. Secondly, I hypothesise that poorer EF is associated with increased risky sexual behaviour and substance use in adolescents, and lower adherence to treatment in HIV-positive adolescents. Thirdly, I propose that musical training, particularly group drumming, is a feasible and acceptable intervention to enhance EF and mood in HIV-positive adolescents. The thesis begins with an introduction to the relevant concepts and background literature (Chapter 1) before presenting a systematic review and meta-analyses of EF in HIV-affected children and adolescents globally (Chapter 2). It then shifts to the region of interest, rural South Africa, and presents the validation of a tablet-based EF assessment tool (Chapter 3) followed by a cross-sectional study assessing the relationship between EF and risk-taking behavioural outcomes, including behaviourally acquired HIV, in late adolescent females (Chapter 4). Finally, musical training is explored as a potential intervention to improve EF. A literature review on musical training and EF, and the potential socio-emotional effects of group drumming (Chapter 5) provides the background to a feasibility trial assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a group drumming intervention aiming to improve EF in HIV-positive adolescents in rural South Africa (Chapter 6). The thesis concludes with a general discussion chapter which integrates the findings and considers potential future directions (Chapter 7). Study 1 found evidence for EF deficits in perinatally acquired HIV; evidence was limited for behaviourally acquired HIV. Study 2 found that the OCS-EF is a valid and feasible tool for measuring EF reliably amongst adolescents in rural South Africa. Study 3 found that EF is only weakly associated with certain risky behavioural outcomes, and that adolescents with behaviourally acquired HIV may only have limited EF deficits relating to verbal working memory. Study 4 found that a group drumming programme is a feasible and acceptable intervention amongst HIV-positive adolescents in rural South Africa, with promising effects on psychosocial wellbeing, including mood, but no effects on EF.

This thesis looks at the requirements analysis, design, development and evaluation of an application, CymaSense, as a means of improving the communicative behaviours of autistic participants through therapeutic music sessions, via the addition of a visual modality. Autism spectrum condition (ASC) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that can affect people in a number of ways, commonly through difficulties in communication. Interactive audio-visual feedback can be an effective way to enhance music therapy for people on the autism spectrum. A multi-sensory approach encourages musical engagement within clients, increasing levels of communication and social interaction beyond the sessions. Cymatics describes a resultant visualised geometry of vibration through a variety of mediums, typically through salt on a brass plate or via water. The research reported in this thesis focuses on how an interactive audio-visual application, based on Cymatics, might improve communication for people on the autism spectrum. A requirements analysis was conducted through interviews with four therapeutic music practitioners, aimed at identifying working practices with autistic clients. CymaSense was designed for autistic users in exploring effective audio-visual feedback, and to develop meaningful cross-modal mappings of musical practitioner-client communication. CymaSense mappings were tested by 17 high functioning autistic participants, and by 30 neurotypical participants. The application was then trialled as a multimodal intervention for eight participants with autism, over a 12-week series of therapeutic music sessions. The study captured the experiences of the users and identified behavioural changes as a result, including information on how CymaSense could be developed further. This dissertation contributes evidence that multimodal applications can be used within therapeutic music sessions as a tool to increase communicative behaviours for autistic participants.

The increasing number of people being diagnosed with dementia presents a need to find more evidence-based therapies that help maintain health and wellbeing post diagnosis. Music therapy (MT) and dance movement therapy (DMT) are two forms of arts therapies that share a non-verbal, holistic approach and offer a non-pharmaceutical treatment option. However, evidence for their effectiveness remains inconclusive with uncertainty regarding therapeutic components. The first stage of this PhD involved collating quantitative and qualitative evidence for MT and DMT in a systematic review of primary sourced literature. Findings of this review indicate that both MT and DMT work to meet psychosocial needs and celebrate personhood. There was no consensus on health outcomes though there was some high quality quantitative evidence for reducing symptoms of depression and agitation. Qualitative findings focused on the importance of embodied communication and identified therapeutic components across studies including regulating arousal, increasing bodily awareness and improvisation. The evidence available focused on participants in nursing homes, revealing a lack of community-based studies, and an absence of arts-based methodologies. Building on these findings, an evidence-based treatment manual was developed for a collaborative MT and DMT group to take place in the community. This phase adopted a case study design. Qualitative findings focused on significant moments of connection between thoughts, feelings and physical sensations and generated three main themes in the therapeutic process: making connections, acknowledging grief and loss, and growth and empowerment, while quantitative findings suggested a reduction in depressive symptoms. The study contributed original knowledge to arts therapies research in gathering relevant evidence associated with the process and outcomes of two of the arts therapies, namely MT and DMT. It also enabled the development of a research-based treatment manual and proposed an interdisciplinary collaborative model of practice, an exploration of new arts-based data collection tools, and testing the intervention in a community setting.

Background: The information exchange between healthcare practitioners in South Korea and the UK has so far been limited and cross-cultural comparisons of Relaxation techniques (RTs) and Mindfulness meditation (MM) and Relaxation music (RM) within the healthcare context of Korea and the UK have previously been unexplored. This has been the inspiration for this qualitative case study focussing on understanding and use of RTs/MM and RM within the respective healthcare contexts. Methods: Data were collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews with six Korean and six UK healthcare practitioners in three professional areas: medical practice, meditation, and music therapy. The interviews were transcribed and a thematic analysis was undertaken. The topics explored include: a) the value and use of RTs/MM and RM; b) approaches and methods; c) practitioners’ concerns; d) responses of interventions; e) cultural similarities and differences; and f) the integration of RTs/MM and RM within healthcare. Underlying cultural factors have been considered, including education systems and approaches, practitioner-client relationships and religious influences alongside the background of cultural change and changing perspectives within healthcare in the UK and Korea. Findings: A great variety of approaches to RTs/MM and RM were discussed among the sample group. Across a wide client spectrum common therapeutic purposes included stress reduction, emotional support and regulation, rehabilitation, personal transformation and spiritual development. The participants were both discerning and creative in terms of mind-body interventions they use. Practitioners’ training, personal experience and insights gained through practice inform their professional work and they were keen to share knowledge among colleagues. Nevertheless, practitioners’ level of competency and abilities with respect to the use of RTs/MM and RM were a common concern; training opportunities exist to varying degrees in both countries, however, and growth in the use of mind-body interventions is a significant trend. Nation-specific and cultural factors can affect the use of interventions, settings and client group. Similarities (focus on individual and subjective factors, client acceptance and practical concerns) and differences (related to historical background, educational culture, prevailing religious outlooks and the respective health services) were found between Korea and the UK. Conclusion: The value of cross-cultural and multidisciplinary research and integrated health is increasingly recognised and the use of RTs/MM and RM as mind-body interventions considered to be useful integrated treatment within healthcare context. This study shows the difference in range of RTs/MM and RM resources and the approaches in integrating practice and these may lead to cross-fertilisation within therapeutic practice. The value of knowledge sharing and integrated medicine is increasingly recognised across the globe and this study opens up a number of themes that might be taken up again and built on by future researchers. More generally, the study contributes to cross-cultural qualitative research between Korea and UK and integrating theory and practice with respect to RTs/MM and RM.

This qualitative study aims to explore the parents’ or other family members’ experiences in participating in music therapy sessions with their children with special needs. This aim leads to three research questions which were; 1) Can music therapy help to achieve aims set out for individual children with special needs and their parents or other family members 2) What are the functions of music therapy in nurturing communication between the parents or other family members and their children? and 3) How can the music therapist develop ways in which parents or other family members can use music to help their children? Six children who are attending the Special Education Centre, region 9 in Thailand, aged four to twelve years old with their family members who are their primary carers, participated in 24 music therapy sessions. Each session was videoed and the video recordings were discussed every two weeks with the carers. The carers were interviewed three times by the research assistants. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employ to evaluate data collected from interviews. Furthermore, there were two home visits, one after a month when the 24th session was finished and another visit was two months after the 24th session was finished. From the interview analysis, there are 28 themes under five categories namely: 1) The carers’ expectations of the music therapy 2) The carers’ experience of seeing their children in the music therapy sessions 3) The carers’ experiences of seeing themselves in the sessions 4) The carers’ experiences of reviewing the video recordings from the music therapy sessions and 5) The carers’ experiences of using music at home. It can be summarised that music therapy made a positive impact on the children and their carers. The finding highlighted how the music therapy enhanced the social and communication skills of the children. Moreover, involving the carers in the sessions enabled the carers to have positive experiences with their children and these experiences led the carers to see and interact with their children differently. The findings suggest the ways to work with the carers in a therapeutic process and how to encourage the carers to use music at home with their children.

The objectives of this thesis were to explore the effects of receptive individualised live and recorded-music on interactions within participating dyads consisting of a person with dementia who was in their final phase of life (resident), and a person with whom he or she shared a close connection (carer), as well as on each individual participant. A 'Receptive' music intervention is one where participants are not required to do anything but listen. METHODS The conceptual frameworks of realist evaluation, ethnography, symbolic interactionism, and dramaturgical actionism influenced the design of this study. There were two phases: during phase-1, fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with 'key-consultants', who were specialists in topics related to this thesis, to inform the design of 'phase-2'. During 'phase-2', musical interventions were conducted at five non-NHS care homes in Scotland over a period of nine-months. Each intervention consisted of either individualised live-music (3 sessions) or the same or similar music pre-recorded (three sessions); all music was played by the researcher on the solo cello. Interventions took place in residents' private bedrooms, and lasted between fifteen and seventy-minutes. The order of live and recorded-music interventions was switched for approximately half the dyads. Each intervention was video-recorded for later observation. Semi-structured interviews and Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) were administered with each participating carer before and after the conclusion of their series of interventions, to compare their expectations with their actual experiences and to better understand their experience. Whenever possible, key-staff and managers were also interviewed to learn what their perceptions of this study had been: its effects on them and on participants. ANALYSIS required repeated visits to the raw data: beginning with thickly-describing all video-footage; then thematically coding all thick-descriptions and transcribed audio-interviews; and lastly revisiting all video-footage via a self-modified version of an evaluative observation instrument; 'Person Interaction Environment Care Experience in Dementia' (PIECE-dem). FINDINGS support prior research regarding the beneficial effects of individualised receptive music on listeners who have dementia. This study suggests that both live and recorded-music promote wellbeing, and enhance dyad interaction in the moment of listening. These findings demonstrate the potential for receptive music to create an embodied sense of 'haven' for people with dementia who are nearing the end of life and for those sharing the experience with them: by capturing and holding their attention, and transporting them either back in time, or entirely out of time into a state of 'flow', or into an 'intense musical experience'.

Background: Acute inpatient stays are decreasing. Evidence for music therapy in mental healthcare exists but practice varies. Short admissions and therapy frequency (usually weekly), limit access, yet acceptability of increased frequency to patients is unknown. Research to model processes and outcomes of intensive provision may identify how best to provide for acute contexts informing clinical practice and future research. Methods: 114 patients admitted to hospital with acute mental health problems were recruited. Patients attended group music therapy 1-3 times per week during admission. Repeated measures assessing patient experiences, session appraisal, motivation and commitment were completed. Questionnaire thematic analysis identified important processes which were coded from session recordings. Multilevel modelling was used to examine associations between music therapy components, session appraisal, motivation, commitment and subsequent attendance. End of therapy interviews with 16 patients explored changes experienced and views on therapy frequency. Results: Attendance was 3 times greater for patients with 3 sessions per week. The majority found increased frequency acceptable and beneficial. Processes of engagement, emotional expression and social connection suggested active music-making, synchrony and singing to be important for group cohesion. Singing was significantly associated with appraisal and motivation. Musical initiation by group members was associated with motivation and commitment. All three outcomes were associated with each other, with session appraisal and increased frequency independently associated with subsequent attendance. Patient attributions for change included creativity, experiential learning and therapist directed reflective discussions. Conclusion: Intensive group music therapy is acceptable to the majority of patients, perceived as beneficial and increases access. Intensive provision is associated with greater engagement and positive experiences, which in turn, are associated with group commitment. Patient experiences can inform practice. Further research should examine effectiveness of intensive provision. Therapists should continue to prioritise engagement through active music-making and singing, and services consider implementation of intensive provision.

This study investigates the use of Indonesian gamelan with participants who have special needs or with special populations, and considers what the playing of gamelan music has to offer music therapy practice. The gamelan is an ensemble of instruments on which the traditional music of Indonesia is played, consisting of mainly tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments tuned to four, five or seven tone scales. Gamelan are being increasingly used for music activities with participants who have special needs, such as learning disabilities, mental health problems or sensory impairments, and with special populations, such as prisoners. Whilst aims are broadly educational, therapeutic benefits are also being noted. There is little research into the effectiveness of this use of gamelan; the therapeutic benefits have not been researched within the context of music therapy. As an experienced music therapist and gamelan musician, I considered that investigating the potential for using gamelan within music therapy would produce new knowledge that could extend the practice of music therapy. Various qualitative methods within a naturalistic paradigm were used to investigate current and past practice of gamelan playing with special needs groups and to identify the therapeutic benefits. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with gamelan tutors working in this area and a music therapy project using gamelan with a group of children who had learning difficulties was undertaken by the author. Using a thematic approach to the analysis of data, the key features of gamelan playing which have relevance for music therapy practice were identified. Gamelan playing was found to have a range of therapeutic benefits which can be used intentionally by a music therapist to address therapeutic aims. It was found firstly that the playing of traditional gamelan music can be used for specific therapeutic purposes and secondly, that the music and instruments can be adapted and used within various music therapy approaches and for participants with a range of disabilities. A set of guiding principles are also proposed for the use of this new music therapy practice.

This thesis begins the conversation regarding ethical treatment of patients undergoing an acute mental crisis. A survey instrument was used to gain perspectives of board certified music therapists regarding acute patient care. Most music therapists stated they have treated patients undergoing an acute mental crisis. This survey found commonalities in music therapist educational experiences and differences in how music therapists perceive the future needs of music therapy.

In a world in which loud and energetic distractions prevail, even pervading the modern Christian worship service, there is little research published concerning the issue of keeping the attention of the congregation member from beginning to end of the weekly church gathering in a manner that is calming, productive, and promotes the overall health of the individual. Included in this research project is a presentation of current issues in modern worship that necessitate change, the benefits of music itself, an overview of the types of music therapy, and an implementation of music therapy techniques into the worship service. This is structured according to the ancient practice of Lectio Divina to best engage the individual intellectually, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Despite the fact that music is commonly described as free therapy with easily accessible content in the modern age of streaming, most people do not realize that music they already listen to contains many legitimate, psychologically tested therapy. This creative artistic research study examines the role that music therapy processes and techniques play in affecting the form, songwriting and creative processes of the modern music industry. These foundational aspects of songs elicit neurological responses, the emotional effect of which is discussed and incorporated through creative research and implementation through a creative artifact. This study explores songwriting techniques found in various music therapy approaches like group-write, improvisation, and chord progression analyses. Each of these techniques uniquely impact songs and how they shape the music industry and creative connection with audiences. Songwriting styles and modern industry trends are discussed, as well as their popularity and impact on audiences over the last several years. The project culminates in a creative artifact of a six-song album in singer-songwriter-demo-style utilizing various aspects of the music therapy processes analyzed in this study as well as popular music styles that have proven popular and impactful in the modern industry. This artifact demonstrates the effects and influence these techniques have on the modern music industry.

Music therapy is widely portrayed either as a paramedical practice within which music is a technology applied as a form of treatment or as a form of psychotherapy within which the music plays a primarily symbolic role or acts as a lead in to verbal consideration of the patient’s presenting issues. Music therapy research currently focuses predominantly on demonstrating “evidence of effectiveness” in terms of symptomatic outcome, thus preserving a focus on the individual congruent with the medical model. In contrast, this thesis seeks to examine ethnographically the ways in which music therapy gets accomplished as a situated social practice within a community mental health resource centre in a UK urban area. Drawing both on the observations and experiences of the researcher (a music therapist already working within this setting) and on formal and informal interviews with the centre’s members and staff, it seeks to identify ways in which music therapy gets done and value ascribed to it. Observations are compared with the “norms” portrayed by dominant professional discourse, and reasons for discrepancies considered. Particular attention is paid to self-awareness, intimacy and conviviality as facets of what music therapy has to offer in such a setting, and to social capital theory and Goffman’s dramaturgical approach as broader conceptual frameworks for such affordances. Consideration is also given to the “fit” between the affordances of music itself, and the “craft” required of diverse actors in order that music therapy can be considered to offer an ecology which promotes health and well-being. Finally, the findings are re-addressed towards music therapy itself via the lens of what it means to be “clinical” in order that a sociological “craft” perspective maybe brought to bear within the discipline.

Injuries to the brain are the leading cause of permanent disability and death. Survivors of acquired brain injury (ABI) experience cognitive impairments and emotional problems. These often persist into community rehabilitation and are among the most significant needs for those in chronic stages of rehabilitation. There is a dearth of research providing evidence of music therapy addressing cognitive deficits and emotional needs in a holistic approach. This research answers the question how can brief group music therapy address cognitive functional gains and emotional needs of people with acquired brain injury. A mixed methods design was used to investigate the effect of 16 sessions of weekly group music therapy on attention and memory impairments, and emotional needs of ten ABI survivors in community rehabilitation. Quantitative data were collected to determine the effect of treatment on attention and memory functioning, mood state, and the satisfaction of emotional needs. Qualitative data were collected to reveal survivors’ experiences of brain injury and brief group music therapy. Analysis of the data showed that the intervention improved sustained attention (p<.05, r=.80) and immediate memory recall (p>.05, r=.46), and that the effect of treatment increased with dosage. Overall, the intervention was more effective than standard care, and cognitive functional gains continued after treatment for some ABI survivors. The intervention addressed emotional needs of feeling confident (p<.05, d=.88), feeling part of a group (p<.05, d=.74), feeling productive/useful (p<.05, d=.90), feeling supportive (p<.05, d=.75), feeling valued (p<.05, d=.74), and enjoyment (p<.05, d=.34). Improvements in these domains were observed in the immediate term and over the course of therapy. Music therapy enabled emotional adjustment through the development of selfawareness and insight. This study offers a music therapy method to deliver a holistic approach in rehabilitation. It demonstrates that music therapy can provide a cost effective, holistic treatment for ABI survivors.

In work with clients having profound learning disability, music therapists may include in sessions assistants not trained as music therapists. This study is a qualitative inquiry addressing the questions: 1) How does improvised music influence the interaction between teenagers with profound and multiple disability and learning support assistants? 2) Which aspects of the music are associated with any influences found? A survey of music therapists, exploring how assistants are used and how effectively they perform their role, found that assistants are often used as ‘interaction partners’. To explore how the therapist may facilitate client-assistant interaction, about which little is known, video clips from the writer’s clinical practice were purposively selected in order to illustrate an approach entitled Triadic Support of Interaction by Improvisation (TSII). Seven learning support assistants (LSAs) each viewed a video clip showing her own interaction with a teenager having profound disability, supported by the writer’s improvised music. Semi-structured interviews explored the LSAs’ understanding of the behaviour and inferred mental processes of the teenagers, their own behaviour and mental processes and the music improvised by the therapist to support the interaction. A variant of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis generated shared themes, which included concern for the teenagers’ autonomy, interest in their communicative behaviour and understanding of the mutuality of interaction. The therapist’s improvisation was seen by the LSAs as influencing only the teenagers. All the clips were also viewed by three music therapists, who used a mechanical continuous response device to register the influence of the therapist’s improvisation on four ‘scenarios’: the teenagers’ behaviour, their inferred mental processes, the LSAs’ behaviour and their inferred mental processes. Inter-rater agreement between the three therapists’ continuous responses was generally low, but some intra-rater correlations were found between pairs of scenarios, which the music was perceived as influencing in similar ways. This finding supports the conclusion that musical influences, although they may be analysed according to the four scenarios, actually function as a mutually inter-related system rather than as four independent processes. Each therapist selected decision points from the graphic record of her/his individual responses to discussed with the other therapists as a panel. Positive evaluations were made of the role of TSII in supporting the observed teenager-LSA interactions and the inferred underlying mental processes. This research design was exploratory, and not intended to test specific hypotheses about the mechanisms of musical influence. Tentative suggestions of associations between influences and musical features are however offered by the writer. Indications for the use of TSII are given and other applications suggested for novel aspects of the methodology developed for this study. A refinement of the continuous response task is proposed, and the requirements for any future formal evaluation of TSII are outlined.

This outcome study investigates whether music therapy can improve the emotional well-being of adolescents who are at risk of exclusion or underachievement. Specifically, it addresses music therapy’s impact on students’ self-esteem, anxiety, attitude towards learning, behaviour and relationships with peers. The setting for the research was a mainstream secondary school and its federated special school for students with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Over nineteen months, a mixed methods design was used to observe change in students before and after music therapy. One group received twenty, weekly, individual sessions, and the other formed a wait-list group for comparison and then received the same treatment. At four different times during the project quantitative data were collected from students, teaching staff and school records, and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with the students before and after their period of intervention. The study found that music therapy made a positive difference. The high level of treatment adherence (95%) of all twenty-two students confirmed music therapy’s appeal to this client group. The majority of teachers (58%) reported improvement in students’ social development and attitude overall, and for some mainstream students (56%) recognition of self-concept increased. The conviction with which students conveyed their positive experiences of music therapy was striking. The study supports the author’s argument for therapeutic support to be made available at secondary schools and promotes a student-centred approach, as exemplified in the thesis. It concludes that music therapy can be effective for youth at risk but requires more participants in subsequent investigations for it to be proved statistically.

This thesis describes and analyses an action research inquiry where weekly group music therapy sessions were offered to five residents in their community home over the course of a year. The residents each had a history of institutional living, learning difficulties, and the label of ‘severe challenging behaviour’. The inquiry is in the tradition of participatory action research, and draws from both the new paradigm approaches of Reason and Heron and critically reflexive action research. The inquiry took the form of two parts. A co-operative inquiry involved home staff, music therapists and daycare workers who reflected critically on the impact, benefits, barriers and threats to the music therapy process. The therapy sessions became the arena for inquiry between the residents, music therapists and daycare worker. Involvement in the dual aspects of therapeutic process and research inquiry was managed by careful consideration of the therapeutic boundaries, ongoing ethical discussion within the co-operative inquiry and perspectives from independent advisers with learning difficulties. We as co-researchers sought to inquire into the benefits of the music therapy group within the community home. The perspective of the residents, who had few language skills, became central to this process. The main focus for inquiry within the sessions was through changes that developed within the musical relationships and by resident action. The extended epistemology of new paradigm research emphasises forms of knowing that were accessible to the residents, such as experiential, practical and arts-based forms of knowledge. Analysis of the data involved collaborative reflection, often provoked by the use of different media, rigorous thematic analysis and creative forms in the representation of the data. I situate the context through personal, practical, theoretical, historical, political and ethical perspectives, leading to the inquiry narratives. A detailed explanation of the thematic analysis follows before the data are presented in chapters named after each resident. The use of music as a primary means of inquiry has meant a tension when this non-verbal experience is described in words. A number of benefits of the music therapy emerged, such as changing fixed relationship patterns and the expression of a group identity. However, the primary contribution of this research is the way in which people with severe learning difficulties were able to influence the course of the inquiry themselves, and challenge staff and institutional perceptions.

The life expectancy of a hospice patient is approximately six months or less. Hospice care is not for the cure of the disease. It is the care provided to the patients for the symptom management of the disease. Hospice care, known as end-of-life care, is very important for a comfortable and peaceful passage. Holistic care for the hospice patient is the goal of the hospice care plan. A hospice patient’s spiritual well-being can be maintained by spiritual support through a spiritual presence and spiritual conversation; all hospice care institutions' disciplines can provide adequate spiritual aid through their interaction with patients, spiritual conversation, and words of encouragement. Listening to the music of the patient's own choice will benefit the patients' spiritual well-being and medical care. This study will show that hospice patients benefit from music therapy. It will help them increase comfort, peace, and hope in their lives as they accept and understand the meaning of suffering. Throughout history, people practicing and living in different cultures have a unique spiritual tool: music. The transmitting magic power of music is life-changing for the spiritual well-being of patients with all kinds of disease leading to the end-of-life situations.

This thesis investigated therapeutic identification within bibliotherapy and music therapy. Drawing on a cross-cultural, interdisciplinary approach, the study challenged traditional notions of homogenous therapeutic identification by introducing the concept of therapeutic heterogeneity. The exploration was embedded in the experiences of highly educated South Korean emerging adults’ engagement with foreign literature and music, which allowed for a nuanced understanding of identification processes that transcend cultural and demographic boundaries. The research was guided by three interrelated research questions that explored the mechanics, psychology, and philosophy of bibliotherapy and music therapy. The study’s methodology combined qualitative thematic analysis with phenomenological case studies to ensure a holistic and authentic exploration of participants’ experiences. The analysis of mechanics revealed similarities and differences between bibliotherapy and music therapy. While both modalities share elements and techniques of symbolic systems, distinctions arose in their nuances, such as genre sub-categories. These mechanics yield distinct initial therapeutic effects, with literature emphasizing interpretation and analysis and music evoking aesthetic and cultural appreciation. The psychology theme revealed that participants’ emotions imbricated or overlapped with therapeutic materials akin to projection in psychoanalysis. Emotional bonds formed with stories and compositions could be attributed to participants projecting their experiences and feelings onto the texts. The analysis also uncovered transformative coping strategies and psychosocial developmental patterns that shed light on the stages and processes of therapeutic identification. Philosophical dimensions emerged as a central aspect, with both modalities invoking an aesthetic transcendental existential ontology. The implications of this study are far-reaching, offering insights into therapeutic practice, autonomy, inclusivity, and interdisciplinary approaches. By recognizing therapeutic heterogeneity, therapists can expand their materials and enhance the impact of bibliotherapy and music therapy. The study promotes inclusivity and encourages a holistic approach to well-being while integrating literature and music to present a novel strategy for psychological health across divergent cultural contexts.