Case Study Designs in Music Therapy

Research and clinical work are often perceived as opposites in the field of music therapy. This book shows, for the first time, how these two areas of work can creatively complement one another, proving beneficial to both disciplines. Each chapter is written by a leading researcher and practitioner in the field, and the book covers a wide spectrum of approaches within different settings. Beginning with methodological and musicological approaches to case studies, the book then moves on to more specific topics such as the use of case studies in an interactive play setting and in music therapy with the elderly. Later chapters explore theoretical aspects, looking at a worked example of music and progressive change during therapy, and how case study designs can be used in practice. A must for all professionals working and studying within the music therapy area, this is also an informative and useful book for health researchers.

Table of Contents:
1. A story told from practice. David Aldridge, University Witten Herdecke. 2. Therapeutic narrative analysis as a narrative case study approach. Gudrun Aldridge, University Witten Herdecke. 3. `How wonderful that I've been born - otherwise you would have missed me very much!' Barbara Griessmeier, University Hospital, Frankfurt. 4. Song creations by children with cancer - process and meaning. Trygve Aasgaard, National Hospital of Norway. 5. A case study in Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM). Denise Grocke, University of Melbourne. 6. The use of single case designs in an interactive play setting. Petra Kern, University of North Carolina. 7. The use of single case designs in testing a specific hypothesis. Cochavit Elefant, Bar Ilan University. 8. Music and sound vibration: testing hypotheses as a series of case studies. Tony Wigram, Aalborg University. 9. Music therapy with the elderly: complementary data as a rich approach to understanding communication. Hanne Mette Ridder, Aalborg University. 10. Cannabis, brain physiology, changes in states of consciousness and music perception. Jörg Fachner, University Witten Herdecke. 11. Guidelines for case study design research in music therapy. David Aldridge, University Witten Herdecke. References. Subject index. Author index.

About the Author :
Gudrun Aldridge is a music therapist, university lecturer and supervisor in Germany. She studied music therapy in London and carried out her doctoral research at Aalborg University in Denmark. Her main areas of interest are psychosomatic medicine, music therapy with breast cancer and dementia patients, and the links between music sciences, aesthetics and therapy. She has previously contributed to several music therapy books, including Case Study Designs in Music Therapy and Music Therapy in Palliative Care, also published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Review :
the text is a welcome contribution to the music therapy literature, as it richly and effectively conveys the editor's message on both the plurality and unique advantages of case study designs in music therapy. The text is perhaps best suited as a reference source for examples of different case study designs, as well as for examples of cases themselves. Such a reference source could benefit music therapy clinicians and researchers (particularly the final chapter on guidelines for designing and implementing case study research). Moreover, with supplemental resources on the basic elements of case study design, it could also benefit music therapy students (undergraduate and graduate) and educators.