Sweet Melodies: Combining the Talents and Knowledge of Music Therapy and Elite Musicianship

Abstract

This article reports on a collaborative short-term project between the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Music Therapy team at The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne to provide live music on the Neonatal ward of the hospital. The focus was for the music therapists and musicians to develop their understanding and capability to provide live music in an environment for medically fragile patients. To extend the benefit of this experience, guidelines for future musicians were also produced. The guidelines were created through a process of narratives and discussions which were transcribed, and subjected to a thematic analysis. Mid and final review meetings for the whole team encouraged discussion about the emerging themes and final collation of guidelines. The guidelines were intended to offer guidance for new Arts in Health programs or for solo musicians volunteering in a hospital without such a program.