Undergraduate Music Therapy Students’ Experiences in Short-term Group Music Therapy

1. Undergraduate Music Therapy Students’ Experiences in Short-term Group Music Therapy Dr. Susan Gardstrom, MT-BC University of Dayton Dr. Nancy Jackson, MT-BC Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne

2. Purpose of the Study

3. Purpose • Understand what undergraduate music therapy students gain from participating as the client in music therapy : • What do they learn about themselves? • What do they learn about others? • What do they learn about the therapeutic process? • What do they identify as most meaningful about the experience?

4. Music Therapy • A systematic process of intervention wherein a therapist helps a client to promote health using music experiences and the relationships that develop through them as dynamic forces of change (Bruscia, 1998). • Music therapists work with clients who have illnesses, disabilities, and/or special needs in medical, educational, rehabilitation, and psychiatric facilities and in private practice.

5. Demonstrative Learning • Demonstrative Learning (experiential learning) refers to a host of distinct methods and techniques, all of which attempt to promote learning through direct encounters with the material to be learned. • musical skill rehearsal in the classroom • role-playing • supervised practica and internships • peer support groups and peer group supervision • experiential music therapy groups

6. Authentic Learning • Authentic Learning (personal music therapy) refers toa music-assisted process in which students participate genuinely as clients in private (unobserved) individual or group sessions that are facilitated consistently by a credentialed therapist and that aim at cognitive, emotional, intuitional, and/or behavioral exploration and change.

7. Why participation as the “client”? • Authentic learning may • contribute to greater self awareness and thus, a more clearly defined personal identity, which aids in the development of clinical/professional identity • help students develop empathy for clients (i.e., insight into emotional vulnerability, resistance to change, etc.) and “practice” empathic responses • provide examples of “real” applications of undergirding therapeutic philosophy/orientation, professional ethics, music therapy methods, treatment strategies, and in-the moment techniques.

8. The Study

9. Study Design • Participants – nine undergraduate music therapy majors in their Junior or Senior years • 5 from U-1 • 4 from U-2 • All women • Sessions – three sessions of about two hours each, spaced about two weeks apart • Sessions were held at the respective universities • Each was led by faculty/therapist from other university for protection of participants

10. Study Design • Session format – determined by needs of the group participants as they unfolded • Song communication and discussion • Individual, dyadic, and group improvisation • Music-assisted relaxation • Music-assisted imagery • Music-based story telling • Data collection • Immediate and remote personal journaling • Summative questionnaire post-study

11. Data Analysis • Identifying information in journals removed by each therapist prior to aggregating (for protection of participants) • Individual and collaborative analysis of journals and final questionnaire • 16 categories of coded segments from journals and final questionnaire

12. Implications

14. Considerations for Student Development (and further research) • Self-consciousness vs. self-awareness • Demonstrative experience vs. authentic experience • Personal growth vs. professional growth • Readiness for differing levels of professional practice • Educator readiness to support development of professional identity in students