Browsing by Person "MacDonald, Raymond"

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Humour in music therapy: A narrative literature review
(GAMUT, 2019-02-14) Haire, Nicky; MacDonald, Raymond
Introduction: Humour is a highly prevalent but little understood phenomenon. In music therapy, experiences of humour are not well documented yet anecdotally widespread. Method: A narrative literature review was conducted to identify, critically analyse and synthesise literature related to humour in music therapy. Literature was limited to accessible publications in the English language and sourced from multiple music therapy journals, bibliographic databases, electronic databases and books from the earliest available date until June 2018 using the key terms of humour/humor. Results: Two empirical research studies that focussed on humour in music therapy were identified and references to humour were found in over 130 articles. Humour in music therapy was evidently taken for granted as a phenomenon with relationship-building effects. In addition, references to humour came overwhelmingly from music therapists’ point of view. Despite one comprehensive research study exploring humour in music therapy, a lack of investigation into reciprocal experiences of humour and how this is “played out” through improvisation was identified. Discussion: This review surfaces a phenomenon that is ubiquitous yet under-researched in music therapy. In general, a kind of insider knowledge appears necessary for humour to be shared; yet the ambiguity inherent in humour means that music therapists can encounter risk in using or engaging with it in their work. These findings have led directly to further research into reciprocal embodied experiences of humour and improvisation in music therapy.
A qualitative investigation of a virtual community music and music therapy intervention: A Scottish–American collaboration
(SAGE Publications, 2024-02-09) Quigley, Hannah; MacDonald, Raymond
This study investigates the experiences of people involved in a virtual intervention involving community music and music therapy for individuals with autism. The intervention blends conventional music therapy and community music approaches. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many community music and music therapy projects shifted to an online format and there is a resultant need to understand more about how virtual music interventions may be of benefit for individuals with autism. We report on the design, implementation, and outcomes of one such intervention. Over an 8-week period, community musicians and music therapists (music facilitators) based in Scotland and America delivered 16 music sessions, which were recorded using the Zoom software. During the sessions the participants wrote, performed, and recorded two songs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with two of the participants, using video elicitation techniques, and six of the facilitators. Data were analyzed thematically. The intervention was found to (1) enable participants to explore their personal narratives, (2) promote self-perceptions of achievement, and (3) provide evidence of mastery, creativity, and self-expression. An international collaboration made possible by technology enabled facilitators to work remotely and participants to make use of new opportunities for engagement. This article demonstrates how community music practices focusing on participation and music therapy approaches focusing on clinical outcomes can be integrated. We present the online environment as its own social milieu in which creativity and connection can be explored in new ways.
Thinking through improvisation: How arts-based reflexivity can offer new knowing about music therapists’ experiences of humour in music therapy
(University of Bergen and NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, 2021-06-29) Haire, Nicky; MacDonald, Raymond; McCaffrey, Tríona
As part of a larger research study investigating humour in music therapy with persons with dementia, this article details how music therapists perceive, embody and experience humour in their practice. Three focus groups with music therapists (N = 9) were organised and resulting data analysed through arts-based reflexive methods. Building on Schenstead’s (2012) articulation of arts-based reflexivity, two distinct and overlapping forms of thinking through improvisation are highlighted; self-reflexivity and collaborative-reflexivity. Finlay’s (2011) phenomenological lifeworld-oriented questions are used to explicate dimensions of experiences of humour and frame broad thematic reflections. Particular correspondence between improvisation as a way of being and humour in music therapy are explored performatively through a group improvisation involving the first author. The findings from this synthesis offer insight into how music therapists conceive of humour in their work as supportive of relational bonding, and also experience humour as distancing and defensive behaviour. Along with the perceived risks of humour in relational therapeutic work, an intricate balance between playfulness and professionalism surfaced as part of a music therapy identity. Improvisation, while seemingly taken for granted as a part of spontaneous humour, is also problematised through the perceived seriousness of learning how to improvise as a music therapist aligning with a psychodynamic approach. The consequences of these findings are discussed in relation to music therapy pedagogy and practice along with methodological implications of thinking through improvisation.
Understanding how humour enables contact in music therapy relationships with persons living with dementia: A phenomenological arts-based reflexive study
(Elsevier, 2021-02-24) Haire, Nicky; MacDonald, Raymond
This article details part of a phenomenological arts-based reflexive study investigating humour in music therapy with persons living with dementia. Rooted in psychosocial and relational-centred methodology, the study arose from the first author’s experience as a music therapist. As part of a larger study, three interview-encounters with persons living with dementia and their music therapists (n=8) provided opportunities for shared reflection on humour in their work. Arts-based reflexivity within a phenomenological frame was used to address the question of how humour enables contact in music therapy with persons living with dementia. Furthermore, Christopher Bollas’ (1987) concept of “aesthetic moments” is used to think into the relational and existential importance of humour in this context and explore more deeply what contact may mean. Links between methodology and topic are explored and the correspondence between humour and intersubjective experiences in music therapy is highlighted in relationships with persons living with dementia.