Music Therapy Staff

Music Therapy Staff possess the following competencies:

• An understanding of child development.
• An understanding of family centred care.
• Proficient musicianship.

 

• Beth Dun MMus Thrpy, AMusA RMT Senior Music Theapist
• Helen Shoemark PhD MME, RMT NICU-MT
• Janeen Bower BMus (Thrpy), AMusA RMT NMT
• Meagan Hunt MMus Thryp, RMT
• Louise Docherty MCCD BMus (Thrpy) BSc RMT

Beth Dun MMus Thrpy, AMusA RMT

Senior Music Therapist, Coordinator Music Therapy Unit
Coordinator — Music Therapy Clinical Placement Program
Clinician, Children’s Cancer Centre

Biographical Sketch

Beth Dun completed her Bachelor of Music (1988) and her Masters  Degree (1999) at the University of Melbourne. Early in her career she worked in special education with children with multiple disabilities and in nursing homes with older adults suffering from dementia. In 1991 Beth Dun was the first music therapist to be employed in a paediatric hospital in Australia. She was the inaugural music therapist at the Royal Children’s Hospital in 1991 and is now the Coordinator of the Music Therapy Unit at RCH. She has accepted invitations to present on her work at international conferences here and in Europe and has written book chapters and articles on music therapy in paediatric oncology. Beth has lectured in the University of Melbourne's Music Therapy course since 1992.

Beth is Immediate Past Chair of Ethics Committee for the Australian Music Therapy Association Inc. and has previously held the office of Vice-President for the AMTA and was a member of the Review panel for the Australian Journal of Music Therapy.

Clinical Interests

As a clinician, Beth has worked across all areas of the hospital including children’s cancer centre, neurosciences, rehabilitation, burns, orthopaedics, cardiology, day surgery, liver transplants, thoracic and renal.  Her current clinical focus is in the Children’s Cancer Centre.  Beth co-ordinates the Paediatric Music Therapy Clinical Training Program.

Selected Presentations & Publications

Publications

Dun, B. (1995). A different beat: Music therapy in children’s cardiac care. Music therapy perspectives,13(1), 35-39.

O'Callaghan C, Baron A, Barry P, Dun B. Support Care Cancer. 2010 Apr 28. [Epub ahead of print] Music's relevance for pediatric cancer patients: a constructivist and mosaic research approach.

Dun, Beth (1999).  Creativity and communication: aspects of music therapy in a children’s hospital, 59 - 67.  In David Aldridge (Ed.) Music therapy in palliative care: New voices, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Rosenfeld, J. V. & Dun, B. (1999). Music therapy in children with severe traumatic brain injury (pp. 35-46). In R.R. Pratt & Grocke, D.E. (Eds). MusicMedicine 3. MusicMedicine and music therapy: Expanding Horizons. Melbourne: University of Melbourne.

Dun, B. (1999) The experience of music therapists working with children in coma. Unpublished thesis. University of Melbourne.

Dun, Beth (2007). Journeying with Olivia: Bricolage as a Framework for Understanding Music Therapy in Paediatric Oncology. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy.

Presentations 

All in Good Time: Music Therapy in a Children’s Cancer Centre. International Conference on Music Therapy and Supportive Cancer Care. Windsor, Canada, March 2010.

Parent-focused education to minimize procedural pain and distress in children 0 – 3 with bleeding disorders – a transformative experience. *the International Symposium on Pediatric Pain. Acapulco, Mexico, March 2010.

Pediatric Music Therapy: an Australian Perspective. Lecture for health workers, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, March 2010.

Cumulative journeys of therapist and dyad: 'Bricolage' in music therapy with paediatric oncology, 11th World Congress of Music Therapy, Brisbane, 2005.

Without a quaver: Music to allay anxiety before surgery. Day Surgery Special Interest Group and Victorian Paediatric Nursing Professional Development Seminar, 2004.

Music Therapy in Oncology. Children with Cancer Short Course for Nurses, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, 2004.

Music Therapy in  Paediatrics. GeelongRegional Teachers Continuing Professional Development, 2004.

Music Therapy for Hospitalised Children. Lecture for Childcare Workers, Swinburne University, 2002.

Supervision: An impossible task or a new beginning? A proposed model of practice for clinicians. National Conference of the Australian Music Therapy Association Inc., Brisbane, August 2000.

Creativity and Communication: aspects of music therapy in a children's hospital. Music Therapy: Children with cancer Conference, University of Witten-Herdecke, Germany, June 1999.

Music therapy in children with severe traumatic brain injury (with Dr Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Director of Neurosurgery, Royal Children's Hospital). International Society for MusicMedicine Symposium, University of Melbourne, July 1998.

Music therapy with children with severe traumatic brain injury. AWCH Conference Melbourne, October 1998.

 

Contact Information

Mailing address:

Music Therapy,
Royal Children's Hospital,
Flemington Road
Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia

 

Telephone:  +61-(0)3-9345 5421

Pager:  5421

Fax:  +61-(0)3-9345 5090

Email:  beth.dun@rch.org.au

 

 

Helen Shoemark PhD RMT

Clinician, Neonate & Infant Program
Co-ordinator, Music in Health Program
Researcher, Critical & Neurosciences Stream, Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Biographical Sketch

Helen Shoemark completed her Bachelor of Music at the University of Melbourne (1981) and her Master Degree at the University of Kansas, USA (1985) and PhD at the National Music Therapy Research Unit, University of Melbourne (2007).  Prior to commencing at RCH in 1995, she worked with children with profound multiple disabilities, sensory impairments and autism.  She worked in special education settings, early intervention agencies, and private practice.  Helen was also Tutor in Music Therapy at the University of Melbourne from 1990 to 1993.

Helen has presented at national and international conferences over many years, and is published in refereed journals and international texts.

Helen has been the recipient of several grants for music therapy programs and community based early intervention programs.  She has also been the recipient of several travel and research grants.

Helen is a past President of the Australian Music Therapy Association Inc, and past  Chair of the Continuing Professional Development Committee, National Registration and Education Board, and Publications committee. She is a reviewer for the Australian Journal of Music Therapy and the new international journal Music & Medicine.

Clinical Interests

After many years working in special education and family-centred, early intervention, Helen’s clinical work is focused on supporting the infant within the family during hospitalisation. She works to support parents in understanding the potency of their own voices to support their baby. In direct work with infants, Helen is focused on the infant’s self and interactive regulation processes.  Helen’s main medium is contingent singing.  She also programs recorded music to be used as a supportive strategy by families and nurses.  Her clinical work has been a model for programs in Australia and the United States.

 

Research Interests

The Influence of Music on aEEG-activity in Neurologically Healthy Newborns > 32 weeks Gestational Age – A Pilot Study. (in write-up) Co-investigator; Monika Olischar, Rod Hunt, RCH. Funded: Fred & Vi Lean Charitable Trust.

The child in relationship through music: Music therapy with the multiply disabled child. (write-up).  Dr Katrina McFerran-Skewes, University of Melbourne.

Music Therapy for children with agitation in the early stages of recovery from a traumatic brain injury. (in write-up). Research co-ordinator. Primary investigator Cathy Catroppa, Janeen Bower, Denise Grocke.

A time differential analysis of the lumbar puncture clinic procedure with and without music therapy. Clinical audit, RCH. (in analysis). Primary Investigator. Assoc investigators: Beth Dun & Catherine Crock, RCH. Funded: Fred & Vi Lean Charitable Trust

An exploration of premature infant response to recorded music with maternal involvement versus no maternal involvement. (in analysis). Co-Investigator with Trish Dearn, Dan Caslaz, Andrew Watkins. Mercy Hospital for Women. Funded: Windemere Foundation.

Translating a therapist administered music therapy protocol to a maternally directed vocal strategy for medically fragile newborn infants (in development). Primary investigator; Associate investigators:  Carol Newnham, Parent Infant Research Institute, Austi Hospital; Kathleen Philbin, The College of New Jersey. Funded: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.

Music Therapy for vulnerable infants study

Helen collaborated with a team of researchers from RCH, MCRI, Mercy Hospital for Women and the MARCS Auditory Laboratories from the University of Western Sydney.  This project funded by a Linkage Grant from the Australian Research Council, examined the impact and qualities of a music therapy protocol for infants hospitalised over a long period of time.  Helen extracted unique data for a qualitative inquiry which asked, "What are the markers of interplay between the music therapist and medically fragile newborn infant?"  She completed this research for a PhD, awarded in 2008.  The thesis is available as a PDF from the University of Melbourne E-Repository.

Selected Presentations & Publications

Publications (last 5 years)

Malloch, S., Shoemark, H., Črnčec, R., Newnham, C., Paul, C., Prior, M., & Coward, S. & Burnham, D. (Manuscript in review). Music therapy with hospitalised infants – the art of intersubjectivity. 

Shoemark, H. & Grocke, D. (in press). The markers of interplay between the music therapist and the medically fragile full-term infant. Journal of Music Therapy.

Shoemark, H. (in press). Translating “infant-directed singing” into a strategy for the hospitalised family. In J. Edwards (Ed.) Music therapy in parent-infant programmes. London: Oxford University Press.

Bower, J. & Shoemark, H. (2009). Music therapy to promote interpersonal interactions in early paediatric neuro-rehabilitation. Australian journal of music therapy, 20, 59-75.

Shoemark, Helen (2009). Sweet Melodies: Combining the Talents and Knowledge of Music Therapy and Elite Musicianship. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved  Month dd, year, from http://www.voices.no/mainissues/mi40009000305.php

Shoemark, H. (2009). Music therapy: An exercise in humanity.  Australian Journal of Music Therapy, 20 (special edition), 31-44.

Shoemark, H. & Dearn, T. (2008).  Keeping the family at the centre of family-centred music therapy with hospitalised infants. Australian Journal of Music Therapy, 19, 3-24.

Hanson-Abromeit, D., Shoemark, H., & Loewy, J. V. (2008). Newborn Intensive Care. In D. Hanson-Abromeit, & C. Colwell (Eds.). Effective Clinical Practice in Music Therapy: Medical Music Therapy for Pediatrics in Hospital Settings, pp. 15-69. AMTA Monograph Series. Washington DC: AMTA

Shoemark, Helen (2008). Mapping progress within an individual music therapy session with full-term hospitalized infants. Music Therapy Perspectives, 26, 39-46.

Shoemark, H., Malloch, S., Newnham, C., Paul, C., Prior, M., Črnčec, R. & Coward, S. (2007). An investigation of intersubjectivity: Music Therapy and hospitalised infants [Abstract}. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 43 (Suppl. 1), A135.

Shoemark, Helen (2007).  Live singing as an intervention for the hospitalised newborn. In F. Thomson-Salo & C. Paul (Eds) The Baby as Subject: New directions in Infant-Parent therapy from the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne (2^nd Ed), (43-53). Melbourne: Stonnington Press

Shoemark, Helen (2007) Music in Health: Guidelines for Musicians in Hospitals. Royal Children’s Hospital & The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Outreach Program.

Shoemark, Helen (2006). Infant-directed singing as a vehicle for regulation rehearsal in the medically fragile full-term infant. Australian Journal of Music Therapy, 17. 54-63

Presentations (last 5 years)

Shoemark, H. (2009, Oct) Articulating the process of interplay with hospitalised newborn infants. Paper presented to the Joint Concference of the Australian Association for Infant Mental Health & The Australasian Marcé Society, Melbourne.

Shoemark, H. (2009, Sept) Using diagram as a reflexive tool to bridge between ideas and articulated concept.  Paper presented to the 35^th National Conference of the Australian Music Therapy Association, Sydney.

Shoemark, H. & Oppriecht, A. (2008, Nov.) Sweet melodies: Combining the talents and knowledge of music therapy and elite musicianship. Paper presented to the National Conference of the American Music Therapy Association, St Louis, USA.

Shoemark, H. (2008, Oct.)  Explicating the experience of a medically fragile newborn infant in music therapy. Poster presented to the 9^th Advances in Qualitative Methods Conference, Banff, CA.

Shoemark, H. (2008, Oct.) Mapping musical interplay with the medically fragile newborn infant. Paper presented to the 9^th Qualitative Health Research Conference, Banff, CA.

Shoemark, H. (2008, Sept.) The markers of interplay between the music therapist and the medically fragile infant. Paper presented to the 34^th National Conference of the Australian Music Therapy Association, Brisbane.

Using voice and song to engage infants. Plenary presenter to the annual conference of Helen Mayo House, Maternal & Infant Mental Health Service, Adelaide Women’s & Children Hospital, October 2007.

Ruth Bright Award for Excellence in Conference Presentation. Sweet Melodies: Combining the talents and knowledge of music therapy and elite musicianship.Paper presented to the 33^rd National Conference of the Australian Music Therapy Association, Melbourne, 2007.

Contingent singing as a successful intervention for medically fragile full-term infants.  Research paper, 8^th American Music Therapy Conference, Kansas City, 2006

An investigation of intersubjectivity: Music therapy and hospitalised infants. Poster, 8^th American Music Therapy Conference, Kansas, City, 2006

Investigating a music therapy intervention for medically fragile newborns: The art of intersubjectivity. with, Stephen Malloch, Carol Newnham, Rudi Crncec, Campbell Paul, Magot Prior, 10^th Infant Mental Health World Congress, Paris, 2006

Infant-directed singing as a vehicle for regulation rehearsal in the medically fragile full-term infant.  Keynote presentation, 11^th World Congress of Music Therapy, Brisbane, 2005

Music to their Ears.  Plenary presentation to the Modern Midwives Conference, Melbourne, March 2005.

Contact Information

Mailing address:

Music Therapy,
Royal Children's Hospital,
Flemington Road
Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia

 

Telephone:  +61-(0)3-9345 4127

Pager:   5090

Fax:  +61-(0)3-9345 5090

Email:  helen.shoemark@rch.org.au

 

   

Janeen Bower BMus (Thrpy), AMusA RMT NMT (On Maternity Leave)

Clinician, Neurosciences and Rehabilitation
Research Affiliate, Critical Care & Neurosciences Stream, Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Biographical Sketch

Janeen Bower completed her Bachelor's degree at the University of Melbourne in 2002.  Between 2002 and 2005, she initiated and implemented a comprehensive clinical music therapy program at Towergrange and Bellview Residential Aged Care Services, addressing the needs of residents with a variety of diagnosis including dementia, psychiatric illness and stroke.  Janeen enjoys the full spectrum of music therapy, and between 2003 and 2008 she worked as both a Session Facilitator and Program Coordinator for UnitingCare’s innovative Music Together program.  Music Together provides inclusive, music and movement programs to encourage parent/child attachment, foster early childhood development and increase social support networks for families with pre-school aged children.  Janeen is originally an organist gaining the prestigious Associate of Music (AMusA) at the age of 16.  

Janeen joined the RCH team in 2004. In 2009 she was awarded the Rosemary Derham travelling scholarship and completed specialist training in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) in the USA.  She is currently undertaking a Masters of Music degree, by research, exploring the use of music therapy for children experiencing agitation following severe traumatic brain injury.

Clinical Interests

Janeen’s current clinical interests include the use of live music to stimulate arousal responses in children in altered states of consciousness, the use of familiar music to reduce agitation in children with brain injury and the use of music to encourage concentration, increased attention to task and more positive participation during rehabilitation tasks.

Research Interests

Janeen is currently undertaking a mixed method case study exploring the use of music therapy for children experiencing agitation during posttraumatic amnesia as part of a Master of Music degree (by research) at the University of Melbourne.

Selected Presentations & Publications

Publications

Bower, J. & Shoemark, H. (2009). Music therapy to promote interpersonal interactions in early paediatric neurorehabilitation. The Australian Journal of Music Therapy, 20,  59–75.

Mackenzie, J. & Hamlett, K (2005).  The Music Together Program: Addressing the Needs of "Well" Families with Young Children. The Australian Journal of Music Therapy, 16, 43-59.

Presentations

Combing knowledge to create a theoretical basis for music therapy in paediatric neurosciences and rehabilitation. 34th Annual Conference of the Australian Music Therapy Association, Brisbane, September 2008.

A collaboration of paediatric music therapy and speech pathology in neurorehabilitation. 33rd Annual Conference of the Australian Music Therapy Association, Melbourne, October, 2007

Addressing the needs of ‘well’ families with young children through music therapy [with Karen Hamlett, Calvary Health Care Bethlehem]. 30th Annual Conference of the Australian Music Therapy Association, Melbourne, October 2004.

 

Contact information

Mailing address:

Music Therapy,
Royal Children's Hospital,
Flemington Road
Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia

 

Telephone:  +61-(0)3-9345 4126

Fax:  +61-(0)3-9345 5090

Email: janeen.bower@rch.org.au

 

 

Meagan Hunt BMus RMT

Clinician, Adolescent Unit

Biographical Sketch

Meagan Hunt graduated from the University of Queensland in 1998 and for her first three years created and developed music therapy programs for the three Flemming Health Care Services Nursing homes in Brisbane .  She then embarked on overseas adventures during which she worked as a music therapist in Dublin in two long term care facilities for adults who had become disabled due to an acquired brain injury or a neurological condition. She was also involved in developing a new network between Irish Music Therapists. After Dublin, Meagan travelled to Romania to lead a volunteer project to implement a therapeutic music program in a home for young people with disabilities resulting from severe deprivation and trauma. While conducting and implementing group and individual programs Meagan taught the staff ways to use music therapeutically so that they could continue the work after the project ended.

On her return to Australia in 2003, Meagan settled in Melbourne and has since specialised in working with Adolescents. She has worked the paediatrics unit at the Monash Medical Centre and at the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre. Meagan assisted in developing the music therapy unit at Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre, Austin Health and developed and implemented the Music Therapy program at the Austin School, part of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Austin Health.  Meagan successfully completed her research Masters Degree at the University of Melbourne in 2006. She investigated the use of group music therapy to develop a sense of belonging in young refugees. Meagan now specialises in working with adolescents who have chronic illnesses as well as emotional, behavioural and mental health issues. She works full time at the RCH, three days running the adolescent music therapy program and 2 days working for the ChIPS (Chronic Illness Peer Support) program as the program facilitator.

Clinical Interests

Meagan has several clinical interests, which include:

• Music therapy with young people in hospital.
• Music therapy and young people with Eating disorders, Chronic illness, emotional, behavioural and mental health issues.
• Music therapy and young refugees.

Research Interests

• Music Therapy and Action Research.
• Music Therapy and Young Refugees.
• Music Therapy and Eating Disorders.

Selected Presentations & Publications

Publications

McFerran, K. & Hunt, M. (2008). Learning from experience in action. Educational action research journal 16(1).

Hunt, M. (2005). Action Research and Music Therapy: Group Music Therapy with Young Refugees in a School Community. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved March 20, 2006, from http://www.voices.no/mainissues/mi40005000184.html

 

Presentations

Contact information

Mailing address:

Music Therapy,
Royal Children's Hospital,
Flemington Road
Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia

 

Telephone:  +61-(0)3-9345 4127

Fax:  +61-(0)3-9345 5090

Email: meagan.hunt@rch.org.au

  

Louise Docherty MCCD, BMus (Thepy), BSc, RMT

Clinician, Children’s Cancer Centre

Biographical Sketch

Louise completed a Bachelor of Science with a major in psychology in 1990 at the Australian National University in Canberra.  She has worked with adolescents and children living with a disability in a variety of roles including managing an outreach program for children and young people. 

She completed her Bachelor of Music (Music Therapy) in 1998, and Masters in Community Cultural Development practice in 2008, at the University of Melbourne.

In 1999/2000, she piloted a music therapy program in an adolescent residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, the first of its kind in Victoria.  Her clinical experience encompasses at-risk adolescents, aged care, brain injury rehabilitation, and private practice.  She has a particular interest in special education and early intervention, and has worked in a number of special schools and early intervention programs with children and their families.

From 2005 - 2007, she was the VIC/TAS Director of Sing & Grow, an early intervention music therapy program for vulnerable families.  She implemented this program in three states, and was involved in the national evaluation of the program.

Louise is a past chair of the Victorian Branch of the Australian Music Therapy Association, and has held a number of other positions including secretary and job register coordinator.

Clinical Interests

Louise’s current clinical interests include music therapy with school age children on the Children’s Cancer Centre, and her involvement includes development of a band for young people who are living with cancer.

Research Interests

Louise commenced a PhD in 2010. She is researching the interface between Music Therapy and Community Cultural Development, while examining process.  She hopes to design an evaluation method to measure this, in order to underline the importance of process in the work.

Selected Presentations & Publications

Publications

Williams, K.E., Nicholson, J., Abad, V., Docherty, L., Berthelsen, D. (In Press). Evaluating parent-child groups in music therapy programs: Challenges and successes. In J. Edwards (Ed.), Music in parent-infant programs.  Oxford University Press.

Docherty, L., Nicholson, J.M. & Williams, K. (2007). Sing & Grow: The co-existence of evaluation research and clinical practice in an early intervention music therapy project. New Zealand Journal of Music Therapy, 5, 1-16.

Docherty, L., Berthelsen, D., Nicholson, J., Hart, C., Abad, V, & Williams, K. (2007) Early intervention music therapy for marginalised parents and their infant children. The Mental Health Services (TheMHS) Conference Book of Proceedings.

Making Music Time a Success: (2008) Playgroup QLD

 

Presentations

Armstrong, S., Hart, C., Docherty, L, & Day, T. Sing and Grow and Cultural Diversity updated. Playgroup NSW Supported Playgroup Conference. Sydney, August 2007.

Armstrong, S., Sherwin, L., Docherty, L. & Hart, C. Flexibility within early intervention in response to diverse communities. Australian Music Therapy Association annual conference, Melbourne, Oct 2007.

Docherty, L., Berthelsen, D., Nicholson, J., Hart, C., Abad, V, & Williams, K. Early intervention music therapy for marginalised parents and their infant children. The Mental Health Services (TheMHS) Conference. Melbourne, Sept 2007.

Hart, C., Docherty, L. & Day, T. Sing & Grow and Cultural Diversity. Playgroup Queensland: Early Intervention through Playgroups Conference. Brisbane, May 2007.

Docherty, L. Nicholson, J.M. Sing & Grow: The co-existence of Research and Practice in an early intervention program. New Zealand Society for Music Therapy national conference. Dunedin, New Zealand, October, 2006.

Docherty, L, Williams, K. & Nicholson, J. The co-existence of evaluation research and clinical practice in an early intervention program. Australian Music Therapy Association national conference. Sydney, Oct 2006.

Docherty, L. Sing & Grow: An early intervention music therapy project addressing relationship building in communities.  CEIEC Centre for excellence and innovation in early childhood conference. Melbourne, Nov 2005.

 

Contact information

Mailing address:

Music Therapy,
Royal Children's Hospital,
Flemington Road
Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia

 

Telephone:  +61-(0)3-9345 5421

Fax:  +61-(0)3-9345 5090

Email: louise.docherty@rch.org.au

 

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