What's in the music? A lifespan model of emotional and musical creativity in therapeutic song writing. Composing songs as a form of therapy is a recent innovation in music therapy practice. This study examines the health benefits of original song writing for people with varying debilitating health conditions and those adjusting to injury, trauma or pending death. The results of this study will improve health service and delivery by music therapists.
Musical investment: assessing and enabling musical participation for well being impact across the lifespan. This project tests a growing belief that by investing in opportunity for musical participation we may develop the capacity to improve individual, family and community well being. The work advances the knowledge base by generating theories and evidence about why we should invest in music-making in order to promote well being across the lifespan. It undertakes systematic investigations to id ....Musical investment: assessing and enabling musical participation for well being impact across the lifespan. This project tests a growing belief that by investing in opportunity for musical participation we may develop the capacity to improve individual, family and community well being. The work advances the knowledge base by generating theories and evidence about why we should invest in music-making in order to promote well being across the lifespan. It undertakes systematic investigations to identify specific variables that promote well being in music activities. It develops best practice guidelines for music practitioners across a range of disciplines using a variety of modalities and offers potential to inform policy development.Read moreRead less
Tipping the Scales: Fostering a healthy adolescence through musical participation. The prevention of mental illness is a priority for the Australian community. The death of a parent or sibling during childhood or adolescence is a significant risk factor for mental illness because of the multiple losses that stem from the original bereavement. Early intervention programs with a focus on enhancing resilience have been identified as the most appropriate strategy for promoting mental health. Thi ....Tipping the Scales: Fostering a healthy adolescence through musical participation. The prevention of mental illness is a priority for the Australian community. The death of a parent or sibling during childhood or adolescence is a significant risk factor for mental illness because of the multiple losses that stem from the original bereavement. Early intervention programs with a focus on enhancing resilience have been identified as the most appropriate strategy for promoting mental health. This project investigates and evaluates the potential of creative expression to function as a protective factor in fostering resilience and effective coping with bereavement during adolescence. Innovative models of analysis will provide multiple perspectives on this benefit.Read moreRead less
Therapeutic songwriting, neurodisability, and identity. Thousands of Australians present with fractured identities following acquired spinal or brain injuries which can diminish their capacity to participate in and contribute to society. This project aims to investigate the effect of a song writing intervention on reconstruction of a meaningful integrated identity and psychological wellbeing post-injury. It aims to construct a model of mechanisms of change, identify factors influencing change an ....Therapeutic songwriting, neurodisability, and identity. Thousands of Australians present with fractured identities following acquired spinal or brain injuries which can diminish their capacity to participate in and contribute to society. This project aims to investigate the effect of a song writing intervention on reconstruction of a meaningful integrated identity and psychological wellbeing post-injury. It aims to construct a model of mechanisms of change, identify factors influencing change and explore the role of musical identity in the process of identity reconstruction. It is expected that the findings will show evidence that song writing can enhance wellbeing, improve self-concept, and increase social and economic participation in society.Read moreRead less