The Lived Experience of Music Used in Therapy for Bereaved Parents Libby Maree Flynn Bmus, Mmusthy

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The Lived Experience of Music Used in Therapy for Bereaved Parents Libby Maree Flynn Bmus, Mmusthy The stories we haven’t told: The lived experience of music used in therapy for bereaved parents Libby Maree Flynn BMus, MMusThy A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2014 School of Music Abstract Music therapy within the parameters of the therapeutic space has been widely researched, explored, discussed and analysed within the literature. With a tool such as music however, which exists in our everyday life, it is critical for the profession to start to focus beyond the therapy room. This qualitative research project therefore aimed to explore the ways in which music therapy, specifically song parody technique, shapes bereaved parents engagement with music in their lives. In order to address this overarching aim, three questions were explored: (1) What are bereaved parents lived experiences of music therapy? (2) How do bereaved parents lived experiences of music therapy affect their ongoing relationship with music? (3) In what ways does the song parody technique shape a bereaved parents meaning of the song? Through a constructivist lens, the methodology of narrative inquiry was employed as it allowed the storied lives of the bereaved parents as well as the music to be told in a way that acknowledged the existence of multiple realities, accounted for the individual nature of grief and recognised the dual import of researcher and participant. Five past clients of the researcher consented to participate in an in-depth interview either one or two years post music therapy during which, music that was used in the therapy session was played to participants. Findings from the narratives were revealing and suggest that music used in therapy sessions can often continue to play a role in client’s lives beyond the therapy room. For all participants new and/or additional meanings were created and associated to the music used for the song parody technique. Furthermore, findings suggest that the way a client engages in the process of songwriting can impact on their longer-term meanings and associations to the music. These meanings continue to exist for a significant period of time post music therapy, irrespective of level of engagement within the therapy session. Of critical importance is the fact that although all participants acquired new meaning to music used in therapy, for some participants, ii this created a more painful and triggered association to the music. It is considerations such as this, which highlight the importance of this study and future studies that consider the longer-term implications of our therapeutic tool. iii Declaration by author This thesis is composed of my original work, and contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference has been made in the text. I have clearly stated the contribution by others to jointly-authored works that I have included in my thesis. I have clearly stated the contribution of others to my thesis as a whole, including statistical assistance, survey design, data analysis, significant technical procedures, professional editorial advice, and any other original research work used or reported in my thesis. The content of my thesis is the result of work I have carried out since the commencement of my research higher degree candidature and does not include a substantial part of work that has been submitted to qualify for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution. I have clearly stated which parts of my thesis, if any, have been submitted to qualify for another award. I acknowledge that an electronic copy of my thesis must be lodged with the University Library and, subject to the General Award Rules of The University of Queensland, immediately made available for research and study in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. I acknowledge that copyright of all material contained in my thesis resides with the copyright holder(s) of that material. Where appropriate I have obtained copyright permission from the copyright holder to reproduce material in this thesis. iv Publications during candidature Conference Papers Gleadhill, L. (2009, September). Does meaning matter? Paper presented at the Australian Music Therapy Conference, Melbourne, Australia. Gleadhill, L. (2012, September). The stories we haven’t told: Music therapy in bereaved parents’ lives. Poster presented at the Australian Music Therapy Conference, Sydney, Australia. Publications included in this thesis No publications included Contributions by others to the thesis No contributions by others Statement of parts of the thesis submitted to qualify for the award of another degree None v Acknowledgements My heartfelt thanks is extended to: Felis For seeing in me something that I didn’t even know was there all those years ago, and encouraging, believing, pushing, and at times, having to hold my hand through the process of finding it. Thank you for celebrating in the good times and in the hardest hours, listening; encouraging. But most of all, I give thanks for your friendship. Margaret For helping me find a voice for these stories that needed to be told. Thank you for being able to recognise the times when I could no longer walk the path alone, and sitting with me in some pretty raw emotions. Genevieve For helping start off this long journey called a PhD, and being there for various ‘pit stops’ along the way University of Queensland For providing the financial support to make this pursuit of higher education possible Queensland Leukaemia Foundation For seeing the possibilities of music therapy Rache Your sage advice has always tempered me and in these final weeks of struggle, you have stood alongside me every step of the way, and for this I will always be grateful and thankful. For times like these… Danielle For exploring with me all of the hard things in life. Our sessions left me raw but I always knew I was in safe hands, and in the end, you led me to a place of light vi My friends There are too many to thank, as you have all deeply touched my life. Thank you for reading, talking, laughing, crying, writing, diagramming, and in this last phase, babysitting! My family For your love, support and laughter and at the end of the day, reminding me of what matters Mum and Dad For your unconditional love and life-long belief in me and showing me how to be in the world Eli My darling boy, you weren’t even a star in my eye when this all began. Your smile makes my world go round; your life is a gift Sean My darling husband, for your unquestioning support throughout this process and the banter, helping me to keep it real. For your heartbeat, which steadies me to sleep, reminding me of your love. For as many breaths as I take in this life, I will love you. For the parents who participated in this study and their angels May you all find peace. vii Keywords Music therapy, bereaved parents, grief, song parody, song sharing, narrative inquiry, connection, memories Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classifications (ANZSRC) 100% 190408 Music Therapy Fields of Research (FoR) Classification 100% 1904 Creative and Performing Arts viii Table of Contents LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................ XV LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ XVI LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE THESIS ................................................. XVII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1 RATIONALE FOR THE DISSERTATION ..................................................................................... 2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ........................................................................................................... 3 SONG PARODY AND MUSIC THERAPY: OVERVIEW AND IMPLICATIONS ................................ 4 A NEED FOR THIS RESEARCH? ................................................................................................ 6 CHAPTER 2: MUSIC IN LIFE .............................................................................................. 8 THE ROLE OF MUSIC IN EVERYDAY LIFE ............................................................................... 8 The role of familiarity and preference in music listening .................................................. 9 Music, health and wellbeing ............................................................................................ 11 MUSIC IN IDENTITY .............................................................................................................. 12 Identity and life transitions .............................................................................................. 13 The role of music in identity reformation ........................................................................ 14 MUSIC AND MEMORIES ........................................................................................................ 15 Episodic Memory and Music ........................................................................................... 17 Spatio-temporality, memory and music ........................................................................... 18 Emotions, memory and music .......................................................................................... 21 Nostalgia, memory and music .........................................................................................
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