A Phenomelogical Inquiry of the Applicability of Neurologic Music Therapy for a Student Music Therapist

Author

Katie Fairbourn, Utah State University

Date of Award

5-2023

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

Music

Abstract

Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) is a standardized training offered to many different clinical disciplines including music therapy. NMT specializes in research, techniques, and principles regarding the brain’s relationship with music. Despite what the name may suggest, NMT is not affiliated with the music therapy profession, and may be often overlooked by music therapy programs across the country, as was the experience of the principal investigator (PI). There is a lot of research and studies available showing the benefits of NMT for specific clinical populations, but there is no research that examines the effect and value NMT training has when combined with a music therapy education.

In an effort to find the value of NMT for a student music therapist specifically, this study uses a phenomenological approach, which is appropriate for understanding how experiences are perceived as well as the influence they may have on an individual. With this approach in mind the PI received NMT training and implemented the topics and techniques into their treatment process during a clinical practicum assignment. Over the course of 9 weeks the PI collected different forms of quantitative data specific to different reoccurring stages of their treatment process (planning, facilitating, and documenting) as well as qualitative data in the form of journal entries. At the end of 9 weeks the data was examined for themes and codes to determine the effect that NMT had within the practice of music therapy treatment.

NMT training was found to have a positive influence on the music therapy student’s experiences within a clinical setting. The PI found that after taking the training they were much more aware of the role of different musical elements and was better able to understand and assess the needs of their clients and that they were more detailed, prepared, technical, and organized in their processes which in turn assisted them as they handled the unpredictable moments of interacting with clients and other professionals. Overall, it was determined that in the PI’s own experience NMT training reinforced a lot of principles that were taught during the PI’s music therapy education, but that hearing these principles described from an interdisciplinary perspective (outside of music therapy) allowed the PI to integrate a different kind of awareness in their music therapy process that wasn’t present before.

The PI recognizes the limitations of a phenomenological approach to research and can only recommend the NMT training to other music therapy students based on the PI’s own documented experience. Future studies should seek to include a greater number of music therapy students.

Recommended Citation

Fairbourn, Katie, "A Phenomelogical Inquiry of the Applicability of Neurologic Music Therapy for a Student Music Therapist" (2023). Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects. 954.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/954