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This study examines the issues of historical reality as an integral system in the context of the development of the Kazakh culture of epic singing and versification. Songs from a certain era were the recognition of historical moments such as the “national catastrophe” of the XVIII century, reflecting the opposition to the colonisation of the XIX century and the participation of famous historical figures in the 1916 national liberation uprising. The purpose of this study is to investigate the Kazakh folk epic poetry represented by legends, songs and poems, which reflect the various cultural events of the Kazakh historical reality of national evolvement and development. The primary approach used in this study is the combination of a systematic analysis of the materials from Kazakh national song and poetic culture with the logical development of the results and conclusions of this study. The main results of this study are the establishment of the conditional reliability of the events described in historical poetry. Assessing the historical reality of a single state in general and Kazakhstan in particular, one should consider the fact that not all historical events that have taken place were reflected in the works of national poets and became part of the national epic poetry. The various historical events and circumstances that occurred in the country throughout its history should also be considered. The prospects for subsequent study in this area are determined by the importance of studying the origins and traditions of the folklore of the Republic of Kazakhstan as the historical reality of the development of the state, which forms an integral system of the historical existence of the Kazakh people. The practical significance of this study lies in its potential to apply its findings to achieve a comprehensive understanding of specific phases in the evolution of Kazakh song and oral folklore, within the broader context of Kazakh cultural traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the logic that if you aren't a film maker, you shouldn't make films, we hope to shed light on why qualitative researchers might consider a filmmaking journey. Research-based films are an accessible genre through which to raise issues in an empowering way, about the lives of stigmatized and marginalized people. For us, a vital step in the production of films has been through writing stories and songs. As a reflexive resource, a song anchors a researcher in a multidimensional way to events and relationships. We use a storytelling format here to illuminate these interrelated processes while giving support to the philosophy of "slow" scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the results of a mixed- methods pilot study measuring the impact of music therapy song writing on bonding, depression, anxiety levels and mental wellbeing in mothers of preterm babies in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Colombia. The study included 15 mothers and their medically stable babies born between the 28th and 34th week of gestation. The quantitative data were collected with the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS), the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The qualitative data was collected with semi-structured interviews and was analysed using thematic analysis. The quantitative results indicate favourable effects of music therapy song writing on all outcome measures. While it was not aimed to achieve any statistical significant differences due to the small sample size, the data suggests that music therapy song writing might be especially effective for mothers at risk for an impaired bonding and for mothers with higher anxiety levels or depressive symptoms. The qualitative analysis showed that composing welcome songs for their preterm babies can be a way for parents to creatively express their emotions and thoughts during their baby’s hospitalization and can promote relaxation, parental skills and a successful parent-infant communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the role of person-centred music therapy in the care of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. To begin, it summarizes global dementia statistics and examines the associated symptomatology of the disease. It provides an overview of the research supporting the use of music therapy with people who have dementia and considers the overlap between the person centred care approach and music therapy theory and practice. After identifying the methods most frequently used by music therapists in dementia care, it highlights song writing as a potent music therapy approach in dementia care with older adults. An illustrative case study is presented of a 94-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease who received individual music therapy for 18 months. The case presentation highlights Margaret’s (pseudonym) experience of person-centered music therapy in which song writing was a key component. Writing songs provided opportunities for strengthening and validating identity, for expressing difficult to verbalize emotions, and for reflection on the experience of Alzheimer’s disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I would like to contribute to the “songbook of our lives” inquiry through a performance which takes two perspectives on songs. The first of these is from the perspective of an individual who is moved by songs, the second, as a songwriter/researcher/autoethnographer moved to write songs from my research. In the former, I share story fragments that reveal how my life, body, and story has been touched, shaped, and moved by music and lyrics and through narrative fragments trace some of the beginnings of this journey. In the latter, story fragments reveal how song writing has become a way to counter silence, lack of knowing how to respond, and as a way to stand with participants where together we might find a voice of resistance, communion, and transcendence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My PhD explored the lives of seven women in professional golf and prior to this, like the women in my research, I had earned my living in the supposedly cutthroat world of professional sport. During my viva, I was asked why I thought I was competent to use poetry to present one participant’s story, given that I was a “golfer/academic,” not “a poet.” It is a question I continue to ponder given that I utilize a variety of arts-informed practices to understand, present, and perform research. In this performance piece my aim was to explore song writing, and in particular, some of the steps along my own journey to writing songs. One aim was to demystify the process as others have done with poetry and thereby make this type of journey and the creative process more visible. A further aim is that by sharing the performance and reflections with a wider audience it will contribute to the ongoing dialogue with arts-informed and performative researchers regarding the way these genres may offer valuable or even unique ways of understanding the social world. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This arts-based study used hermeneutic phenomenology to answer the question "What do songs written by adult music therapy participants diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI) reveal about their lived experience of mental illness?" Three participants living with serious mental illness provided informed consent to participate in the study. A total of 17 songs representing illness narratives written in music therapy were retrospectively selected. Open-ended interviews were conducted with each of the participants to augment their illness narratives. The analysis of these data resulted in findings that are presented in the form of a model. Songwriting was also used by the researcher as a tool for analysis, resulting in a song that describes the model and conveys the relevant themes. The findings revealed insights into participants' interpretations of both their illness experiences as well as discoveries into catalysts that promote recovery from serious mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]