Current Research Project Requests

Adapting the Clinical Use of Music to the Local Singaporean Context: Perspectives of UK trained Music Therapists

Researcher: Elaine Ng

Email: nge2@roehampton.ac.uk

This research aims to explore how UK-trained music therapists have adapted their clinical use of music to the local Singaporean context. Cultural competency is a critical consideration in the helping professions and there is, currently, a growing pool of research on how music therapists are adapting their music therapy practices to cultural contexts different from their country of training. However, there is very little published research on the adaptation of music therapy practices to the local Singaporean context. Recent literature suggests that music therapists returning to Singapore have found the need to adapt their practice to the local context. This research thus aims to contribute to the current literature pool, specifically on how UK-trained music therapists have adapted their clinical use of music to the local context. This could also include how they consider psychodynamic music therapy can be adaptable across multi-cultural contexts. As the UK remains as one of the main countries that Singaporeans choose for their music therapy training, this research project could enable other UK graduates returning to Singapore, or other countries, to think about the most useful way to employ the skills and abilities learnt.
Participant requirements:
• A qualified, UK-trained music therapist who have worked OR is currently working as a music therapist in Singapore (essential)
• Trained in the psychodynamic approach (strongly preferred, but not essential) • Any area of client-specialisation
• Does not need to be Singaporean-born or a Singapore citizen
Participants will be invited to take part in semi-structured, one-to-one, interviews which will be conducted via Zoom or another encrypted online platform. Interviews will take place in April 2021, and if needed, early May 2021.
If you are interested in taking part and would like further information, please email Elaine Ng at nge2@roehampton.ac.uk ASAP before 11th May 2021.

Music Therapists’ Experiences of Setting up and Facilitating a Community Mental Health Group

Researcher: Jim Johnston
E-Mail: James2.Johnston@live.uwe.ac.uk
Institution: University of the West of England

Project Overview: I am a third year Music Therapy student at UWE in Bristol. I am interested in hearing from music therapists about their experiences of setting up music therapy groups in the community: from how they first approached people and stakeholders, to setting up and facilitating the group and any obstacles that they may have encountered and negotiated.

You are invited to attend an online qualitative interview (via Teams or by phone). It should take no more than 60 minutes to complete. The questions will relate to your experience of setting up and implementing a music therapy mental health community group. There is no right or wrong way to complete answer the questions, and you can be as detailed as you like in answering the questions.
Immediately prior to the interview, you will also be asked to complete some ‘questions about you’ (demographic questions) to help me find out about the range of people taking part in the research.
You will get the opportunity to participate in a research project about important social, practical and psychological issues related to setting up community mental health music therapy projects. Your contribution is likely to offer valuable insight to self-employed music therapists interested in working in this field.

The use of Embodiment in Music Therapy

Author: Christine Smith
Email: smithb@roehampton.ac.uk
Institution(s): University of Roehampton

The concept of Embodiment in Music Therapy
Description: This masters research project aims to investigate how music therapists in the UK use the concept of embodiment in their clinical work. Embodiment plays a central role in other arts therapies and in both historical and current research around trauma, including neuroscience. However, there seems to be a gap in research and literature into embodiment used in music therapy and I am therefore interested to investigate this further. I am interested to find out both how embodiment is used in clinical practice with client(s) and how therapists might use this concept to inform countertransference and self-reflection.
The project will use a qualitative research approach, including Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) for data collection and analysis. I will use semi-structured interviews with three music therapists who use the concept of embodiment in their work. The interviews will take place online via Zoom and will be 60 – 90 minutes long. They will be recorded through Zoom software for transcription and analysis with any identifying details removed.
If you are interested in taking part in this study, please contact me via email smithb@roehampton.ac.uk by Wednesday 21st April.

An exploration of music therapist and trainee understanding of the term 'readiness to study' in relation to Music Therapy

Author: Emily Halford
Email: emily2.halford@live.uwe.ac.uk

 
Research topic: The topic for this research is music therapy training and the term ‘readiness to study’. The research will explore what the term ‘readiness to study’ means in relation to music therapy and subsequently will highlight considerations that professionals in the field recommend prospective trainees to think about before training. The research explores the musical, emotional, financial, academic and social aspects that could be helpful for a prospective trainee to consider, as well as personal qualities and strengths. The point at which the prospective music therapist feels ‘ready enough’ to begin training will be explored and how to ascertain this.
Who can participate?
Anyone over the age of 18 who is either:
- A current music therapy trainee in the UK;
- A qualified music therapist practising in the UK;
- A current music therapy course leader in the UK;
- Or someone who began music therapy training in the UK and decided to stop.
The researcher is keen to hear from qualified music therapists who postponed their studies for a period of time while studying.
What does participation involve?
- An online survey that will take approximately 30 minutes
- You will be asked at the end of the survey if you are willing to participate in a follow-up interview

If you would be interested in taking part, please follow this link to the survey:
https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1HWAi4Le7yV2TFY

Facilitating Relatedness in Music Therapy: Exploring Music Therapists’ use of Clinical Improvisation in Groupwork for Adults with Learning Disabilities.

Author: Georgia Brakespear
Email: brakespg@roehampton.ac.uk
Project Overview: I am a Music Therapy student at the University of Roehampton and I will be conducting the MA research project stated above. This research aims to explore how music therapists use clinical improvisation to facilitate relatedness in groupwork for adults with learning disabilities. I am interested in how music therapists use clinical improvisation to facilitate a musical connection within groups for adults with learning disabilities and how this connection occurs. I would like to explore the techniques music therapists use in clinical improvisation to engage group members and how they use clinical improvisation to facilitate this experience.
Participation: I would like to recruit three UK based music therapists, who have between five to ten years of experience working with adults with learning disabilities. The participants will be invited to take part in an individual semi-structured interview. The interview will last between 45-90 minutes and take place online via Zoom. If you would like to receive more information, please get in touch using the above email address.

Verbal processing and communication within music therapy in adult mental health settings in the UK

Call for Participants: Music Therapists’ Perspectives on the Roles of Music Therapy and Community Music in Secondary Special Education

Author: Eve Cross
Email: crosse@roehampton.ac.uk
Institution: University of Roehampton
Project description: This project aims to explore how Music Therapists facilitate verbal processing and communication within music therapy in adult mental health settings in the UK. I would also like to identify the challenges and benefits of using verbal processing and communication in music therapy practice and discover how Music Therapists describe gaining knowledge, skills and confidence relating to verbal processing within Music Therapy and how these areas could be developed throughout training and in clinical practice.
I will collect the primary qualitative data through three semi-structured, one-to-one interviews with three qualified music therapists via zoom or another online platform. The interviews will take between 30 mins to 1 hour and will be completed by the end of April 2021.
Please kindly contact me via email if you are willing to participate by 18th April 2021.

Music Therapists’ Perspectives on the Roles of Music Therapy and Community Music in Secondary Special Education

Author: Rosie Goodman
Email: goodmanr@roehampton.ac.uk
Institution: The University of Roehampton
This project aims to study Music Therapists’ perspectives on the role and value of music therapy alongside community music for students in special education in the U.K. I intend to explore how these two approaches can work alongside each other to support young people with special educational needs.
I will interview three Music Therapists who work with adolescents in special education settings which have both music therapy, and active ongoing community music projects.
The interviews will take place online via zoom and will be approximately 60 minutes long.
If you are interested in participating, please email goodmanr@roehampton.ac.uk before Friday 16th April.

An exploration into how mainstream primary schools use Music Therapists to provide support for children experiencing parental separation

Author: Sophie Johnson
Email: johnsons11@roehampton.ac.uk
My name is Sophie Johnson, and I am a second-year MA Music Therapy student at Roehampton University. As part of my studies I am undertaking a research project. For my research I would like to interview 3 music therapists.
This research aims to explore how children experiencing parental separation can benefit from the support of a Music Therapist during what can be an emotionally distressing time in their life. An increasing number of children are experiencing parental separation during their time in primary school. Through my interviews I will investigate the experience of Music Therapists working with children experiencing parental separation and explore their approach to this work. Participating will involve a 1.1 online interview with me.
If you are interested, please get in contact by Monday 19th April. Thank you.

Calling all Music Therapists who work with mothers with postpartum depression and their babies

Author: Hannah Hayes

Email: hayesh@roehampton.ac.uk

University: University of Roehampton,

I am conducting research for my dissertation project, and my title is Parent-infant bonds: group music therapy for mothers with postpartum depression and their babies. My research project will collect data about the musical interventions that Music Therapists use when working with women with postpartum depression and their babies in groups to promote attachment and support psychological wellbeing.
Data will be collected through semi-structured interviews and these will be undertaken online via Zoom.
To participate, you must be a practicing (HCPC registered) Music Therapist.
For further information, please contact Hannah Hayes via email: hayesh@roehampton.ac.uk by Friday 23rd April, 2021.
Thank you for your support and collaboration.
Survey - How can empathy be cultivated and shared by music therapists.

‘Exploring UK Music Therapists’ use of Therapeutic Songwriting in 1:1 Therapy with Adolescents with Selective Mutism

Author: Alison Louden
E-mail: loudena@roehampton.ac.uk
Institution: University of Roehampton

I am currently a student on the MA Music Therapy programme at the University of Roehampton. As part of my research project, ‘Exploring UK Music Therapists’ use of Therapeutic Songwriting in 1:1 Therapy with Adolescents with Selective Mutism’, I am looking to recruit participants for interview who have knowledge and experience of using songwriting with this particular client-group. Clients might include those who have a single diagnosis of Selective Mutism or with additional complex needs.
If you would you be interested in taking part in an interview, conducted and recorded over Zoom, please contact me for further information by 7 May 2021.