Dr Helen Shoemark conferred with her doctorate

Dr Helen Shoemark was conferred with her doctorate on Monday 31st March at the Faculty of Music University of Melbourne.  Helen’s study investigated the markers of interplay between the music therapist and the medically fragile new-born infant.   Seven markers were identified through analysis of the empirical data by video micro-analysis.  The findings make a seminal contribution to music therapy clinical practice with hospitalised newborn infants. Congratulations Dr Shoemark.

Making Music Being Well 2008

Making Music Being Well 2008 is a joint initiative of the AMTA and Music. Play for Life. This year MMBW 2008 will be celebrated from 12-18th May with over 100 events in every state and territory of Australia, celebrating active musicmaking for wellbeing.
 
If you would like to be part of this national event contact Catherine Threlfall on paulandcath@iinet.net.au or 0889314324 to receive further information. Alternatively for up to the minute information check out the Making Music Being Well website. Stay tuned for our national timetable of events.

Catherine Threlfall
Co-ordinator Making Music Being Well 2008
0889314324
22 Constance Ct Moulden NT 0830
paulandcath@iinet.net.au

Singing from the same song sheet for more music in schools

Last week in Melbourne, John Foreman, one of Australia’s leading musicians, joined the Hon Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Education, Science and Training, to launch Music. Count Us In. This is a national initiative to promote the value of school music education for Australian children. The Australian Government has provided funding of $300,000 to ‘Music. Play for Life’ to deliver the initiative.

The centrepiece of Music. Count Us In is ‘Life is a Song’, a specially-penned composition from Foreman, musical director of Australian Idol, award-winning producer and composer for the Sydney Olympics and Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

Students around the nation will learn and rehearse the song, getting ready to perform it in schools and community venues around Australia on the same day, Thursday August 30th. This will be nation’s biggest simultaneous school music performance. Arrangements of ‘Life is a Song’ are available for choirs, bands and school orchestras across a range of abilities. Classroom support activities for teachers have also been developed around the song. All are downloadable at www.musiccountusin.org.au.

'I see and feel the positive effects of active music making every day. We can do more for our kids by giving each one of them an effective music education at school. We’re all the richer for a society which values music as part of every child’s education,’ said John Foreman.

Music. Count Us In also comprises:

§ the establishment of a dedicated website (www.musiccountusin.org.au);

§ distribution of materials for schools and parent groups highlighting the value of music in schools;

§ a program of publicity around exemplary school music programs

§ and the promotion of personal stories from high profile Australians, reinforcing the benefits of a music education.

Visit www.musiccountusin.org.au to download all materials and to hear the song, which was recorded at Sing Sing studios, with John Foreman, students from VCA secondary school (attached pic) and Eltham East Primary School choir.

ArtStories- Wellbeing, learning and arts participation in school communities 2006-08.

ArtStories facilitates participation in arts-based activities to improve wellbeing and literacy for school communities; students, families and staff. This project has grown out of Anja Tait’s PhD research, which evaluates links created between music education, and literacy and numeracy.
Visit the ArtStories website
View link about ArtStories 1
View link about ArtStories 2

Posted February 16 2007

Research Grants for Music Therapy Research in Sydney

Dr Diana Blom, School of Communication Arts, together with Redbank House has been awarded a UWS Research Partnership Program grant to evaluate the effect of music therapy on the educational outcomes of school students who are attending a specialist mental health education rehabilitation program. Read more...

Dr Garth Paine, MARCS Auditory Laboratories and Dr Alan Lem, School of Communication Arts, together with Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia hope to increase physically disabled people’s access to Creative Music Therapy by developing specialist audio technology - a velocity-sensitive non-speech audio system - with funding under the UWS Research Partnership Program. Read more...

Posted February 13 2007

Congratulations Clare O’Callaghan

Clare O'Callaghan's clinical work has been acknowledged in a special way. She is now Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, St  Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne. Congratulations Clare!

Posted February 13 2007

News from Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia

UWS and Nordoff-Robbins together in Research Partnership
Dr Garth Paine from the University of Western Sydney's MARCS Auditory Laboratories and Dr Alan Lem, Lecturer in Music Therapy at the UWS School of Communication Arts and music therapist for Nordoff-Robbins at the Golden Stave Music Therapy Centre, were successful in securing a UWS Research Partnership Grant to examine applications of interactive music systems in improvisational music therapy. Read more...

'The Good Guys' partner with Nordoff-Robbins
‘The Good Guys’ in Warrawong have launched a community program in partnership with Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia that will assist children with autism on the South Coast. Read more...

Posted February 9 2007