Giorgos Tsiris

The 'ripple effect': Towards researching improvisational music therapy in dementia care-homes

Increased interest in, and demand for, music therapy provision for persons with dementia prompted this study’s exploration of music therapists’ strategies for creating musical communities in dementia care settings, considering the needs and resources of people affected by dementia. Focus group discussions and detailed iterative study of improvisational music therapy work by six experienced practitioners clarify the contextual immediacy and socio-musical complexities of music therapy in dementia care homes. Music therapy’s ‘ripple effect’, with resonances from micro (person-to-person musicking), to meso (musicking beyond ‘session time’) and macro level (within the care home and beyond), implies that all who are part of the dementia care ecology need opportunities for flourishing, shared participation, and for expanded self-identities; beyond ‘staff’, ‘residents’, or ‘being in distress’. On such basis, managers and funders might consider an extended brief for music therapists’ roles, to include generating and maintaining musical wellbeing throughout residential care settings.

What Does the Past Tell Us? A Content Analysis of the First Quarter-Century of the British Journal of Music Therapy

Professional journals have a legitimating and sanctioning role in the development of disciplinary knowledge, as well as professional practices and identities. The British Journal of Music Therapy (BJMT) – the only UK-based peer-reviewed music therapy journal – has portrayed research, theory and accounts of practices, reflecting trends and developments in the field of music therapy since 1987. Marking the 25th anniversary of the BJMT and looking into its future development, a content analysis of the journal since its inception (1987–2011) was conducted with the aims of (i) tracing trends and developments of music therapy praxes and professional identities, and (ii) exploring the journals engagement with disciplinary discourses and practices alongside and beyond those of music therapy. The study provides an overview of the BJMT in terms of 1) paper types, 2) authorship: numbers and professional titles, 3) countries of project sites and countries of authors, 4) sample conditions, sizes and ages, 5) formats of practices, and 6) models and themes. The results show that the majority of the articles published in the BJMT are theoretical, focus on one-to-one sessions, are single authored by music therapists and are UK-focused in terms of authorship, project site and models. This study brings to the fore questions for the future development of music therapy as profession and discipline.

Understanding the present, re-visioning the future: An initial mapping of music therapists in the United Kingdom

Music therapy is a small, but evolving profession. Numbers of music therapists are increasing, yet little is known regarding the workforce and its employment characteristics. To understand the current profile of the music therapy workforce in the United Kingdom (UK), the British Association for Music Therapy (BAMT) commissioned a national survey of its membership. This survey explores the profile of the UK music therapy workforce in terms of demographics, training and employment characteristics. An online survey was circulated to all BAMT members. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of open-ended responses. A total of 374 therapists responded (44% response rate). Following demographic information (including age, nationality and training background), we focus on employment characteristics such as income, types of work, settings, clients and age groups. Supervision and clinical fees are considered as well as commissioning and funding of self-employed and employed music therapy work. As an initial mapping of the current UK workforce, this study offers a pragmatic platform to consider development and strategic priorities and thus to re-vision the future of music therapy in the country. Potential implications for the international music therapy community are also discussed.

Music therapy and spirituality: an international survey of music therapists’ perceptions

ABSTRACT Despite various theoretical explorations regarding spirituality and music therapy, only a small number of empirical studies have been conducted in this area to date. This study aims to explore and provide a systematic overview of music therapists’ reported perceptions of spirituality and its relevance (or irrelevance) to their music therapy practice. A pragmatic methodological stance informs this study. Data were collected through an online survey questionnaire which was open to qualified and trainee music therapists across the world. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. A total of 358 music therapists from 29 countries took part in this study. The survey findings provide an insight into music therapists’ perceptions of spirituality including its place in their training, practice and professional life. Also, dilemmas that music therapists face, as well as their suggestions for future action regarding spirituality and music therapy, are explored. To date, this study is one of the largest international music therapy studies on spirituality. Its findings contribute to the growing evidence regarding a subject area that is considered as controversial by many professionals not only in music therapy, but also in other health-related professions.

Repositioning music therapy service evaluation: a case of five Nordoff-Robbins music therapy service evaluations in neuro-rehabilitation

ABSTRACT Service evaluations in music therapy often have local, functional and immediate goals, such as ensuring quality and continuing funding. However, given the amount and type of information collected in service evaluation projects from therapists, clients and those around them, such – often unpublished – projects may constitute a hidden treasure trove of information particularly about the perceived impact of music therapy services. In addition to exploring potentially challenging aspects of service evaluations in music therapy, this article considers how these can contribute to the understanding of music therapy through analysis of five service evaluations. These service evaluations share a common approach (Nordoff-Robbins) and area of work (neuro-rehabilitation) and were informed by sociocultural epistemologies underpinning contemporary Nordoff-Robbins practices. Such epistemologies consider people’s everyday experiences and contexts, and encourage an exploration of the music therapy service in its entirety. It is from this perspective that this study explores the impact of music therapy services in neuro-rehabilitation settings as perceived and reported by clients and those around them. Although the perceived impact of music therapy beyond the client has been previously discussed, this seems to have been less emphasised in neuro-rehabilitation settings where the focus tends to remain on the client and their rehabilitation progress. We discuss how the context-sensitive nature of such evaluations can enable the potential for identification of areas of impact that can feed back into practice as well as generate research questions.