Showing papers in "British journal of music therapy in 2006"

Evidence and Effectiveness in Music Therapy

Abstract: Adopting a knowledge-based controversy perspective, this article considers critically the ‘fit’ or appropriateness of the so-called ‘gold standard’ of assessment – the Randomised Controlled Trial. It sets the growing dominance of this method within music therapy in the contexts of medical work and the changing social relations of medical expertise, the importance of local practice in music therapy (and healthcare more widely), and the politics of representation as they apply to medical modes of accounting and measurement. I then consider what is overlooked when experimental models are used as the prime mode of perceiving the music therapeutic process and suggest that they may not provide a good or appropriate way of observing, accounting for and assessing music therapy. I suggest that they are not amenable to the observation and documentation of temporal and local craft practices and that these practices provide the active ingredients of music therapy's effectiveness. I conclude that music therapy is poised to highlight the radical performative and social features of health status and that these features have far-reaching implications for our concepts of illness and the aetiology of illness and, most importantly, for the ways in which we conceptualise and implement therapeutic procedures of all kinds.

Whose Power of Music?: A Discussion on Music and Power-Relations in Music Therapy

Abstract: This article considers questions concerning the ontology of music in relation to music therapy. Contemporary musicology emphasises the cultural context of music and the role of individual experience and interpretation. The concepts of musical affordance and musical appropriation offer a representation of music centred around the contextually situated individual without neglecting the aesthetic qualities inherent in musical structure and performance. This article considers music as a potential health resource that can be accessed and used in multiple ways, linking this with a contextual approach to therapy. Political implications are discussed in relation to the accessibility and power of music in music therapy.

Early intervention music therapy for adolescent mothers and their children

Abstract: Adolescence is a unique and challenging period of growth, change and possible turmoil as a young person transitions towards adulthood The capacity to provide quality parenting at this time is like

Evidence and Effectiveness in Music Therapy: Problems, Power, Possibilities and Performances in Health Contexts (A Discussion Paper)

Abstract: Adopting a knowledge-based controversy perspective, this article considers critically the ‘fit’ or appropriateness of the so-called ‘gold standard’ of assessment – the Randomised Controlled Trial. It sets the growing dominance of this method within music therapy in the contexts of medical work and the changing social relations of medical expertise, the importance of local practice in music therapy (and healthcare more widely), and the politics of representation as they apply to medical modes of accounting and measurement. I then consider what is overlooked when experimental models are used as the prime mode of perceiving the music therapeutic process and suggest that they may not provide a good or appropriate way of observing, accounting for and assessing music therapy. I suggest that they are not amenable to the observation and documentation of temporal and local craft practices and that these practices provide the active ingredients of music therapy's effectiveness. I conclude that music therapy is pois...

Music therapy for people with schizophrenia or other psychoses:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract: OBJECTIVE:Music therapy is a psychotherapeutic method that uses musical interaction to help people with serious mental illness to develop relationships and to address issues they may not be able to...

The infant's mother: Facilitating an experience of infant-directed singing with the mother in mind

Abstract: Infants admitted to the acute care context (within Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care Units) are subject to continuous and intensive medical, nursing and allied health care. Within this context, the role of the mother is altered and parent-infant attachment is potentially compromised. This article focuses on the application of infant-directed singing (improvised vocalising in response to the infant's cues) as a means of supporting the mother's desire to interact with her infant. Specifically, it is suggested that Bowlby's four interrelated therapeutic tasks provide the therapist with a framework for supporting the mother in infant-directed singing and that, in turn, this impacts upon the infant's experience of its environment (understood via Winnicott's description of the ‘facilitating environment’ and the functions of the ‘good-enough mother’). As such, the therapist provides ‘reliable’ and ‘helpful’ care to the mother, who in turn provides a similar quality of care to her infant. A theoretical under...

The Problem of Pleasure in Music Therapy

Abstract: This article explores ideas around the potential value of pleasure within music therapy processes. It sets out to review and develop theory through the use of an abductive approach whereby texts ar...

The Voice of Experience Evaluation of Music Therapy with Older People, Including Those with Dementia, in Community Locations

Abstract: This article offers a simple model of generating locally relevant evidence within a study designed to suit the local context. In describing the social inclusion of older people in group music thera...

Music Therapy in Special Education: Do We Need More Evidence?:

Abstract: The evidence-based framework underpins the field of special education research. Many educational researchers and administrators accept this model, and expectations of research are rapidly changing as it gains prominence. This dialogue explores the impact of the evidence-based model through a debate between two researchers in the field – a special education academic with a positivist agenda and a music therapy researcher with qualitative inclinations. Through a series of questions designed to illustrate their complementary perspectives, the authors provide opinions on what constitutes evidence in special education and consider the music therapy literature from these perspectives. Ultimately, they propose a research study that pragmatically accepts the evidence-based framework as one valid approach to research. This research project is seen as one step in a series of studies that have international collaborations as their basis.

Book Review: Music as Therapy: A Dialogical PerspectiveMusic as Therapy: A Dialogical PerspectiveGarredRudyBarcelona Publishers (2006) 344pp. Pbk $44. Available from the BSMT price £30ISBN 1-891278-40-1

Abstract: Substantial c~ntributions to music therapy theory have been rather like London buses recently: having waited many :ears, four books have arrived in quick succession. Brynjulf Stige's Culture Centered Music Therap'! in 2002 was followed by Henk Smeijsters' Sounding the Self: Analogy in Improvisational Music Therapy (2005), Kenneth Aigen's Music Centered Music Therapy (2005), and now Rudy Garred's Music as Th~rapy: A Dialogical Perspective. Apart from all being written by men (and published by Barcelona Publishers), what these four books have in common is their offering a contribution to an envisaged 'general theory' of music therapy, a possible synthesising perspective that could offer shape and form to an everdiversifying field. "See it this way," these authors are saying the first three touting culture, musiccentredness and analogy as their chosen synoptic viewpoint. Whilst all borrow interdisciplinary material, there is also a welcome sense of intra-disciplinary theoretical development of what Aigen calls 'indigenous theory'. Garred's contribution adds a theory of 'dialogue' to this theory-building. More specifically the 'dialogical principle' a philosophical perspective that grew throughout nineteenthand twentieth-century philosophy and psychology, but perhaps most powerfully and poetically expressed by the Jewish social philosopher Martin Buber (especially in his famous book I & Thou). Many music therapists have been inspired by Buber's confirmation that "All real living is meeting". Many of us have found how closely his ideas fit with how we experience what 'happens' when two or more people "meet" in music where the relational quality of that meeting is sometimes quite unlike that experienced in 'everyday' life a form of "meeting" that can be existentially and therapeutically transformative. From this has come the deceptively simple image of the music therapist's task as eliciting and helping to develop 'musical conversations'. Garred has been inspired enough by Buber's perspective to elaborate a whole music therapy perspective from dialogical theory and he is the first to do so in such detail, and with such breadth and rigour of discussion. His book is an intellectually courageous project, clearly bearing witness to a strongly-felt belief in this viewpoint. I found my response to it, however, unusually contradictory I was by turns inspired, frustrated, illuminated and confused. I'll try to outline some of the problems I had with Garred's ideas here but the following discussion should be taken as an example of the serious level of thinking this book occasions (an author can ask no more!). The structure of the book takes us neatly through the argument for a 'dialogical perspective' on music therapy. Firstly Garred has a useful chapter called 'Frame and Picture' which situates his thesis within current debates in the music therapy discipline. What Garred wants to do is build a philosophically grounded defence of therapy in music in contrast to music in therapy (using Bruscia's distinction). He sees this as related to (but not identical to) 'music-centred music therapy' (e.g. Aigen 2005), and as based on the heritage of the Nordoff-Robbins tradition (within which Garred loosely works). Garred therefore sketches his frame against both the infamous discussions of the 1990s (Streeter'sarticle in this journal & its replies) and also the culture and community debates of recent years. The following chapter presents the essence of Buber's theory of dialogue, based on the fundamental distinction of two different 'stances' of possible relationship: the 'I-It' type, where you relate in an objective, abstract and instrumental way to things and people, and the 'I-Thou' (or 'I-You'), where there's a direct, unmediated, and potentially transformative encounter. A 'dialogical perspective' develops from everything that flows from this central insight, and Garred argues in the rest of the book that this can serve as a philosophical 'grounded theory' for practising 'music as therapy' as a transformative, experiential approach. Garred suggests that, just as we can form a potentially I-Thou encounter with people, so too we can with music itself. He thus offers a model called the 'music therapy triad' which shows the various possible relationships between music, therapist and client (imagine a triangle with each of these on a point and the various sides expressing the relationships between them). This image has been a staple one for music therapy for many years, but Garred is more specific in his theoretical use of it. What it suggests to him is that each of the three 'sides' of the triangle (i.e. the key relationships) needs a precise theoretical anchor. Chapter 4 thus presents a theory of the interpersonal relationship between therapist and client (using early interaction theory and the 'later Stern' on 'implicit relational knowing'), Chapter 5 then presents a theory of relating to music itself, with Chapter 7 shoring this up with a version of Buber's theory of art, and Chapter 6 presenting a comparative analysis of Nordoff-Robbins

Woman to Woman: A Music Therapist's Experience of Working with a Physically Challenged and Non-Verbal Woman

Abstract: The phrase “woman to woman” implies that relationships between women have particular qualities and levels of understanding that value the female perspective (Gilbert & Scher 1999). This case study describes my experience as a female music therapist and pianist working for four years with Sarah (pseudonym), a physically challenged, intelligent woman who is non-verbal. Salient aspects of the improvisational music therapy sessions were use of self as music therapist, building a collaborative relationship, working with subtle and non-verbal responses, interpretive flexibility and musical transparency. There were also dimensions of the therapeutic process that enlarged the musical relationship such as silence, “being heard and seen”, comradeship, mutuality, being in connection, ambiguity, vulnerability and inner resources. The psychology of women literature focuses on gender and its influence on women's development in regards to race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic standing, age and able-bodiedness. The analysis of 103 one-hour sessions was informed by the feminist and psychology of women perspectives of growing into relationship, movement in therapy and the power to empower (Hadley & Edwards 2004; Jordan 1997; Lawrence & Maguire 1997; Miller & Stiver 1997; Rolvsjord 2004).

Book Review: A Guide to Writing and Presenting in Music TherapyA Guide to Writing and Presenting in Music TherapyAigenKennethBarcelona Publishers (2003) 138 pp. Pbk $22. Available from the BSMT price £16ISBN 1 891278 18 5

Abstract: research. The figures provided are clear and informative. The chapters on qualitative data analysis provide much greater detail than in the previous edition with an additional chapter comparing the range of software tools available. The writing up of quantitative and qualitative reports are presented independently, and Aigen's chapter on preparing the qualitative report provides particularly good guidance for those who have survived being drowned in qualitative data only to find communicating the results to be an even greater challenge. Dileo's chapter on ethical precautions has been thoroughly revised, and whilst specific information given on governmental regulations is solely US-based, other useful information includes detailed guidance on consent documentation. Two new chapters cover the evaluation of both types of research, offering insightful information for the student and those wishing to be published. Parts III and IV present in greater detail types of quantitative and qualitative research. These are expanded from those offered in the earlier edition, considerably so in the case of qualitative research which presents a vast amount of completely new material. Twelve different 'types' of qualitative research are provided, including research which may be unfamiliar to many music therapists, such as first-person research, ethnography, morphological research and personal construct psychology and the repertory grid technique. Austin and Forinash's chapter on arts-based research is a particularly interesting read, and it is great to see such a radical, relevant and creative approach to research included here. Throughout the chapters detailed examples are given of music therapy research which assist the reader in understanding the research concepts being presented. These examples mostly make interesting reading. In the quantitative section, two new chapters on survey research and meta-analysis illustrate current practice and emerging trends in music therapy. A new chapter on quantitative single-case design complements the chapter by Suzanne Hanser on Applied Behaviour Analysis, a welcome addition given the importance of single-case designs in research with complex populations where group studies are not viable. It is reflective of developments in music therapy research that in this edition a greater proportion of the book is given to qual itative research, whereas in the previous edition quantitative and qualitative research were given roughly equivalent weight. Finally, Part V presents 'other' types of research, including philosophical inquiry, historical research, developing theory, and an entirely new chapter on approaches to researching music.

Book Review: Sounding the Self: Analogy in Improvisational Music Therapy:

Abstract: This is an interesting time in the world of music therapy theory. In recent years there have been a number of publications that offer proposals for broad-based music therapy theory from a number of orientations, such as the social-cultural perspective (Stige 2002, Pavlicevic & Ansdell 2004), neuroscience (Taylor 1997, Thaut 2000), and the aesthetic and musical domains (Lee 2003, Aigen 2005). In a promising trend, the more progressive of these publications do not seek simply to repeat and perpetuate traditional dichotomies, but instead are written with a reflexive awareness of the limitations of basing theory exclusively in one domain. It seems that music therapy theorists are making efforts to build bridges, both to domains outside music therapy and to other theorists within music therapy who are working from different foundational premises. There seems to be a recognition that, as a hybrid discipline, music therapy needs to draw from eclectic theoretical foundations in creating the most useful, broad-based, and powerful music therapy theory. The newest entry in this contemporary trend is an interesting and sophisticated theoretical tome by Henk Smeijsters that addresses some vitally important topics in contemporary music therapy literature. The author's purpose is to bring together in one place his various publications and presentations on the theory of analogy. In light of this, it should be mentioned that four of the eleven chapters have been published previo~sly, although some of these were in conference proceedings that have not been widely disseminated. Moreover, the core of the book comprising its final eight chapters contains only one that has been previously published. The author's reach is broad, seeking not only to present a personal theory, but also to make extensi~e claims regarding that theory. The theory of analogy IS presented as a globally important integrative construct in the development of music therapy theory, resear:h, and clinical practice. A powerful argument dra:\"'ln.g upon both literature and conceptual analysis ~s presented for the idea that the c~ncept. of analogy IS central to many forms of practice In music therapy, that it is ideally suited for integrating musical with psychological and psychotherapeutic considerations, and that it can be used as the basis for a general theory of music therapy. Moreover, the theory is offered as a means of enhancing the scientific foundation of music therapy practice by connecting specific aspects of music therapy treatment with specific categories of disabi Iity. Additionally, the author presents various examples of analogy and research studies that corroborate the theory. In situating the intellectual context of his own work, the author critiques in equal measure authors who subsume musical phenomena to psychological constructs and those who argue for the primacy of musical phenomena as being irreducible to psychological constructs. He positions himself as effecti ng a synthesis of these previously articu lated dichotomous positions:

Book Review: Music-Centred Music Therapy

Abstract: and phenomena such as 'psychoanalysis, neurology or behavioural learning theory' (p.3). Bridging theory 'establishes connections between terms and concepts from different disciplines,' such as musicology or infant communication theory. Indigenous theory is 'original and specific to music therapy' and for this Aigen cites Nordoff and Robbins's concept of the Music Child (Nordoff and Robbins 1977). However, in outlining the categories of theory, this section could be read as though Aigen is arguing for a hierarchy in terms of which theory we use, in contrast to the stated aim of this section, namely looking at the question of how we use theory. He seems to be saying that there are some theories which are better suited to explain music therapy than others. Expressed in these terms his classification is not clear: what would make new musicology a 'better' theory than neurology in music therapy? Surely both theories have something important to offer our understanding of the phenomena which might occur in a music therapy session? However, I wholeheartedly agree with what Aigen also seems to be saying in this section, that there can be a good or bad use of theory; sometimes (though possibly less frequently than twenty years ago) theory can appear to be pasted on rather than pragmatically developed out of a need to understand clinical phenomena. Indeed developing a consciousness in our theorising about music therapy will surely strengthen what we have to say about our clinical work. All in all, this is a useful, practical and thoughtful book. Aigen's experience as a prolific and successful writer in addition to his long experience as clinician, allows him to share the thought on p.52 that ' ... it is important not to censor yourself. Just sit down and write!'