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Title: Befriending the piano
Abstract: This mixed methods dual case study explores the impact of creative free play sessions on college music students' experiences of piano performance anxiety within a music therapy context. Participants included Johanna and Wade, undergraduate students enrolled in a clas...
Show moreThis mixed methods dual case study explores the impact of creative free play sessions on college music students' experiences of piano performance anxiety within a music therapy context. Participants included Johanna and Wade, undergraduate students enrolled in a class piano course for non-piano majors. Johanna, a white 20-year-old cis female, and Wade, a white 35-year-old cis male, participated in 8-10 music therapy sessions that involved discussion and creative free play on piano focusing on alleviating performance anxiety and fostering creative expression. Findings indicate that both participants experienced varying degrees of anxiety reduction and increased comfort with piano performance over the semester. Johanna’s narrative highlighted her journey of overcoming internal fears and building self-confidence while Wade’s narrative demonstrated his experience of finding a meaningful connection to the piano and utilizing the piano as a tool to help manage external stressors. Both participants reported the therapeutic relationship and dedicated time to engage creatively with the piano as the most beneficial in reducing anxiety and increasing productivity. Pre and post test questionnaires indicate the most improvement in the areas of proximal somatic anxiety, worry about performance, and negative cognitions related to performance anxiety and well as self-reported decreases in overall levels of general and piano performance anxiety. Implications for future research suggest incorporating creative arts therapies in college counseling centers to address performance anxiety for students across performing arts modalities. Future research should expand to include larger studies and participants from diverse performance disciplines to validate findings and broaden applicability in higher education settings.
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Year Issued: 2024

Author: Sandham, Randy
Sub-title: A dual case study of the impact of music therapy and piano-based free play on college students' piano performance anxiety

Title: Exploring music therapists' experiences of sharing pronouns within group therapy
Year Issued: 2024

Abstract: If music therapists are following the code of ethics, they should be striving to provide inclusive practices. This includes how gender, and its concepts are communicated by therapists. In context of clinical group work, promoting gender inclusivity can be cultivated ...
Show moreIf music therapists are following the code of ethics, they should be striving to provide inclusive practices. This includes how gender, and its concepts are communicated by therapists. In context of clinical group work, promoting gender inclusivity can be cultivated through disclosure and musical choices. Additionally, there are contextual factors that influence clinical decisions made by the therapist. These factors can impact how gender identity is shared and explored by the therapist and clients in the group setting. There is growing research in the music therapy and counseling field regarding the impact of disclosing gender pronouns as well as how the therapeutic relationship is perceived to be impacted by the act of sharing pronouns with clients. However, minimal research has been curious towards how these decisions are made by the clinicians. This thesis aimed to explore the experiences of music therapists sharing or not sharing their pronouns within group settings, and how pronouns are considered when selecting songs for clinical experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five participants, who were recruited from social media postings. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged from the data: 1) potential for harm, 2) culturally affirming practices, 3) context, and 4) musical considerations. The researcher hopes this research will be a useful addition to the growing literature exploring gender-inclusive music therapy practices.
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Author: Ambrose, Elizabeth