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The purpose of this study was to present a content analysis of seven music therapy journals in the English language in order to provide an objective documentation of the longitudinal growth of the field. The current study examined seven English language music therapy journals including the Journal of Music Therapy, Music Therapy: Journal of the American Association for Music Therapy, Music Therapy Perspectives, The Australian Journal of Music Therapy, The Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, The British Journal of Music Therapy, and The New Zealand Society for Music Therapy Journal. A total of 1,922 articles were coded according to author information (name, credentials, institution, geographic location), mode of inquiry, population studied, and subsequent article citation. Results indicated a broad range of research topics with a rapid rise in music and medicine research beginning in the 1980s. Research authors in music therapy comprise a diverse group of authors both from the United States and abroad. This study highlighted transitions in institutional productivity moving from clinical settings to academic settings. Over the course of 50 years, there have been continuous changes in various aspects of the music therapy literature that document the continuing growth of the profession. / Music Therapy

Advancements in medical care are helping people to live longer lives. However, this longevity brings other challenges and health issues. As baby boomers age, the needs of an increasing number of individuals are growing as a consequence. Dementia is an issue in this aging population, and is associated with cognitive and other types of losses. Persons with dementia need emotional support, and these needs increase as the dementia progresses. It is important that these individuals with dementia receive medical and therapeutic care to maintain their quality of life for as long as possible. Music therapy is one treatment option that has been shown to provide cognitive, physical, emotional, social and behavioral benefits for this population. However, music therapy-specific assessments are needed to document the clinical and research outcomes of music therapy interventions. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of the Music Therapy Assessment for People with Dementia (MTAPD), a researcher-developed measure designed to assess behaviors or responses of persons with dementia during singing or vocalization, instrumental improvisation and in non-musical domains. In order to develop assessment items, the researcher, using videotapes, extracted and identified essential elements of clients' behaviors and responses. Those items were categorized into three domains (i.e., behaviors or responses during singing or vocalization (n=7), behaviors/responses during instrumental improvisation (n=16), and non-musical response or behaviors (n=6). Scoring was based on a five-point scale for items. After developing the assessment tool, the researcher asked eight music therapists with expertise in dementia to review the assessment. Nordoff-Robbins (NR) music therapists (n=9) and non-NR music therapists (n=14) participated in the reliability testing of the assessment. Therapists rated the musical behaviors and responses of clients in these three domains while viewing 15 video excerpts of clients with dementia in music therapy sessions. Results showed that the MTAPD was a reliable instrument for assessing musical and non-musical behaviors of individuals with dementia. An inter-rater reliability analysis generated particularly strong findings with all intraclass correlation coefficients above r = 0.85 with the exception of the analysis of agreement among the NR trained music therapists with more than 10 years of clinical experience. With further reliability and validity testing, the MTAPD may serve a variety of purposes in music therapy clinical practice and research. / Music Therapy

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Syftet med studien är att bidra till att fördjupa kunskapen om musikterapeuters uppfattningar av improvisation i musikterapi genom kvalitativa intervjuer med fem musikterapeuter. I bakgrunden presenteras litteratur och forskning inom musikterapi och musikpsykologi. I resultatet presenteras de teman som utkristalliserats i intervjuerna: Det improvisatoriska rummet, Samspel med undertemat Interpersonellt samspel och Intrapersonellt samspel, Det autentiska självet med två underteman Att uppleva och Att uttrycka. Slutligen presenteras temat Kreativitet med undertemat Lek och Estetisk uttryck. I diskussionen lyfts teman Integrerad praktik, Intra- och interpersonella processer samt Multimodal uppmärksamhet. I resultatet framkommer att musikterapeuternas arbete med improvisation kan ses som integrerad praktik med en multimodal uppmärksamhet på klientens varande i improvisationen. Improvisationerna synes behandla intra- och interpersonella relationer. / The purpose of the study is to contribute to deepening the knowledge of music therapists' perceptions of improvisation in music therapy through qualitative interviews with five music therapists. In the background, literature and research in music therapy and music psychology are presented. The results present the themes crystallized in the interviews: The improvisational space, Interaction with the sub-theme Interpersonal interaction and Intrapersonal interaction, The authentic self with two sub-themes, To experience and To express. Finally, the theme Creativity is presented with the sub-theme Play and Aesthetic expression. The discussion highlights the themes of Integral practice,Intrapersonal and interpersonal processes and Multimodal attention. The results show that the music therapists' work with improvisation can be seen as integral practice with a multimodal attention to the client's being in the improvisation. The improvisations seem to deal with intra- and interpersonal relationships.

Support for proactive mental health interventions is imperative to reduce the number of individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. However, proactive mental health interventions are not prioritized within the current healthcare paradigm. It is well established that engaging in proactive measures such as exercise, maintaining good sleep hygiene and adhering to a balanced diet can prevent physical health ailments. Accordingly, proactive management of physical health has become a societal norm. Unfortunately, proactive management of mental health is not societal norm, despite the physical health consequences of poor mental health. Verbal based therapies remain the standard of care within mental health services, and they are primarily available to individuals diagnosed with a mental illness or experiencing a crisis. Due to the stigma associated with verbal-based therapies and seeking mental health support, many individuals are reluctant to proactively seek assistance. In contrast, music is a universally embraced activity, transcending age, ethnicity, socio-economic status and health conditions. The positive associations linked with music may make music therapy a more approachable option for support. In this thesis, I investigated undergraduate university students’ interest in participating in music therapy, as well as the effectiveness of both online and in-person group music therapy as proactive interventions for stress and anxiety. Data were collected from standardized psychometric tools and the physiological markers of heart rate variability and cortisol. The research presented in Chapter 2 of this thesis provides evidence of student interest in music therapy as an option to support mental health. The research presented in Chapter 3 demonstrates the effectiveness of group music therapy as an online intervention for managing stress and anxiety, while Chapter 4 supports the effectiveness of in-person group music therapy for managing stress and anxiety. Together, this research supports the inclusion of music therapy as a cost-effective proactive intervention for stress and anxiety management on university campuses. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Within this thesis, I examine the effectiveness of music therapy as a proactive intervention for stress and anxiety amongst undergraduate university students. While verbal-based therapies remain the standard of care for mental health, stigma often acts as a barrier preventing individuals from seeking support. Offering alternative therapy options like music therapy may reduce this barrier and encourage more individuals to engage with mental health services. The findings of this thesis advocate for incorporating the option of group music therapy on university campuses, enabling students to proactively manage stress and anxiety. The findings of the research within this thesis have the potential to extend beyond university campuses to various community and health care settings. Stress can exacerbate symptoms across a range of conditions, including dementia, pain perception, palliative care and Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, including music therapy as an option for the proactive management of stress and anxiety could have broader applications beyond the university environment.

Music therapists use songwriting interventions to address a variety of goals with several populations. Nevertheless, limited research exists regarding the use of songwriting interventions with individuals who are grieving. The purpose of this study was to examine practices and perceptions of board-certified music therapists working with clients who are grieving, specifically: (a) common interventions used to address grief (b) use of songwriting intervention; (c) perceived effectiveness of songwriting; and (d) music therapists’ comfort levels and training in implementing songwriting interventions. An online survey was sent to 6,292 board-certified music therapists, 324 of whom completed the survey. Participants reported that they use counseling techniques, singing, and songwriting with individuals who are grieving. Respondents indicated that songwriting was most effective in increasing emotional expression of clients who are grieving. All participants (N = 324, 100%) believed that songwriting could be an effective intervention for clients who are grieving. Music therapists expressed a need for further training in implementing songwriting interventions.

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.

Lyric analysis is one of the most commonly used music therapy interventions with the mental health population, yet there is a gap in the research literature regarding song selection. The primary purpose of this study was to determine distinguishing linguistic characteristics of song lyrics most commonly used for lyric analysis with mental health consumers, as measured by LIWC2015 software. A secondary purpose was to provide an updated song list resource for music therapists and music therapy students working with the mental health population. The researcher emailed a survey to 6,757 board-certified music therapists, 316 of whom completed the survey. Respondents contributed 700 different songs that they deemed most effective for lyric analysis with mental health consumers. The researcher used the LIWC2015 software to analyze the 48 songs that were listed by five or more music therapists. Song lyrics contained linguistic indicators of self-focused attention, present-focused attention, poor social relationships, and high cognitive processing. Lyrics were written in an informal, personal, and authentic style. Some lyrics were more emotionally positive, while others were more emotionally negative. While results must be interpreted with caution, it may be helpful to consider linguistic elements when choosing songs for lyric analysis with mental health consumers.