Vol 2 No 1 1988
Published: Fri 1st January

This Journal is available to purchase

Journal Articles:
Music Therapy with Parkinson's Disease (p5 - p9)
view abstract
Disabilities which start in adulthood produce great frustrations as a result of the loss of skills and abilities. These losses have considerable influence on relationships and social skills. Parkinson's Disease patients encounter these problems and the inevitable psychological and emotional problems which they cause. This case study concerns work with patient using music as a channel for the feelings of frustration. The shared improvised music aids and allows the establishment of a relationship with strong emotional contact and communication.
Music Therapy in Victorian England (p10 - p16)
view abstract
The purpose of this article was to trace the growth and development of the Guild of St. Cecilia. This late nineteenth century organisation was founded by Frederick Kill Harford in London to provide music therapy to hospitalised patients. All information was derived from letters written by Harford and editorials that appeared in British medical and music periodicals. Initially, the Guild enjoyed great success and was endorsed by important people such as Florence Nightingale and Sir Richard Quain, physicians to Queen Victoria. The Rev Harford was astute in his observations that the effects of music must be tested to find the most beneficial ways for it to be used as therapy. he envisaged an association that would provide live and transmitted music via telephone to London's hospitals. Ultimately, due to the lack of support from the press, limited financial resources and Harford's ill health the organisation failed to prosper. Despite this, the Guild of St. Cecilia remains important because it kept alive the idea that music could be used therapeutically to benefit physically and mentally ill people.
A Case Study: Lara (p17 - p23)
view abstract
This paper is an abbreviated version of a longer study concerning the first fourteen music therapy sessions with a ten-year-old girl displaying autistic tendencies. The reason for the girl's referral for music therapy - and the main area of work during the sessions - was to help her in her difficulties in initiating, responding and maintaining an interactional activity wherein she could communicate her needs and desires. The paper discusses how the girl's own spontaneous organisation of sound into bursts and pauses - with a longer general cessation marking her time of non-engagement - facilitated the evolution of an interactional musical relationship with the therapist within which she spontaneously communicated her affective experiences.
An Assessment of the Benefits of Micro Technology in Music Therapy (p24 - p31)
view abstract
This article aims to summarise the main facilities made available to the music therapist by developments in micro technology, and to assess their benefits. All issues discussed relate to the author's own personal experience of using such equipment in working with handicapped adults. The survey covers computer hardware and software developments, from specially developed computer input devices to facilities made available by MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface).
Book Reviews
The Developmental Psychology of Music, David J. Hargreaves - Reviewed by Leslie Bunt (p32 - p34)
Improvisational Models of Music Therapy by Kenneth Bruscia - Reviewed by Marjorie Wardle (p32 - p34)
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