Title: Raising awareness and providing information about Music therapy, especially during the current pandemic
Author: Abigail Hall
Email: ahall9@sheffield.ac.uk
Institution(s): University of Sheffield
Description: This project is based around raising awareness and providing information about Music therapy to a new/wider audience. Due to the stresses of the ongoing pandemic, the need for creative therapies such as Music therapy are being more recognised. As well as looking into how Music therapy has had to adapt with the pandemic.
This project aims to:
- To provide information about the different forms of music therapy in different institutions
- To learn how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted music therapy for both the therapists and clients
- To share the different practices and inspire others to employ music therapy as a means to physical and mental wellbeing, in an informative video and website
The project procedure will be as follows, and you may consent to as much as you wish on the attached consent form:
Online interview:
Using a series of fixed and open-ended questions, I wish to understand your working methods. I will ask questions such as 'How long have you been a music therapist, and what is your speciality?'. I will ask you to document a session plan (and provide me with one if you are willing), and investigate how therapists have adapted your sessions due to the pandemic. I wish to document anonymous case studies to investigate success stories. Finally, to highlight the importance of music therapy, I seek to understand your motivation by asking the question: 'What does Music Therapy mean to you?'.
This interview will be carried out virtually on Zoom. It will be recorded, but you can remain anonymous by your recording not being directly used, if you so wish. It should last no longer than half an hour, and will be carried out around your availability before Christmas.
Participating in sessions:
If I am able to attend a session online or in person, COVID-19 allowing, I would love to be present to see first-hand the kind of work you do. This would either be online anytime before February or in person later on, depending on COVID-19 restrictions. I would ask if I could film parts of the session to also be included in the end video. All faces will be avoided by the camera or blurred in post-processing to keep intact confidentiality for the clients.
How your data will be used:
I would like to use your voice and direct words from the recorded interview to structure the 5 minute video and reinforce the research about music therapy that informs the website. It would be amazing if you could directly tell the video audience how your work is done and has been impacted, but only if you wish. I will record voice-overs instead if that has your preference.
The confidential footage from sessions would be used as background for the video as well, with your voice (or mine) over the top. It will highlight how COVID-19 has impacted your work, and a conclusion on why it is important to raise awareness for this therapy. The video will be sent back to you to make sure that you are comfortable with what has been included and the end result of the video.
The video and other sourced research will be posted on an informative website, including a chance for your work/organisation’s information and contact details to be displayed, only if you wish. There will also be a contact form if people wish to provide feedback or request to share the video. The website and video will be published no later than April 2021.