‘A Light at the End of the Tunnel’

The Experiences of Members of a Therapeutic Community Choir for People Living with Dementia and their Care-Partners who ‘Went Online’ During the COVID-19 Pandemic – an Arts-Based Phenomenological Study

Authors

  • Zara Thompson Creative Arts and Music Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, The University of Melbourne https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6215-3577
  • Felicity A Baker Creative Arts and Music Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, The University of Melbourne https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2213-4467
  • Imogen Nicola Clark Creative Arts and Music Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, The University of Melbourne https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5708-6285
  • Gwladys McLachlan The Rewire Musical Memories Choir
  • Sue Mountain The Rewire Musical Memories Choir
  • Dennis Mountain The Rewire Musical Memories Choir
  • Maria Radford The Rewire Musical Memories Choir
  • Mark Reid The Rewire Musical Memories Choir
  • Nena Reid The Rewire Musical Memories Choir
  • Teuila Reid The Rewire Musical Memories Choir
  • Vera Tkalcevic The Rewire Musical Memories Choir
  • Marion Hodgson The Rewire Musical Memories Choir
  • Jeanette Tamplin Creative Arts and Music Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, The University of Melbourne https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3623-033X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v23i2.3491

Abstract

Background: This paper presents the results of an arts-based, phenomenological research project in which members of a therapeutic community choir for people living with dementia and their family and friends reflected on their experiences of singing together pre and post the transition to online sessions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method: Eleven choir members (three living with dementia and eight family care-partners) participated in interviews about their experience of the choir and its transition to an online format during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews were conducted in either a traditional, semi-structured interview format, or as a collaborative songwriting session, and participants were able to choose the format that they preferred. Transcripts of the interviews and songs that were composed were analysed using an adapted Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and arts-based research method. Participants verified key themes that emerged from the analysis, which formed the basis of an 18-part Song Cycle, which included two original songs by participants, and 16 songs composed by the first author.

Results:  Eighteen sub-themes were generated from the analysis, which are expressed as songs and grouped into four overarching themes or ‘Movements’: i) the dementia experience; ii) the choir experience; iii) the COVID-19 experience; and iv) the virtual experience. The songs depict how participants experienced each of the overarching themes, and revealed challenges, new opportunities and resilience.

Conclusion: Navigating COVID-19 while living with or caring for someone with dementia was challenging. The virtual choir format was acceptable, provided relief from the stress of COVID-19, and kept members connected, however, there were technological limitations that made the experience challenging at times. 

Author Biographies

Zara Thompson, Creative Arts and Music Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, The University of Melbourne

Dr Zara Thompson is a post-doctoral research fellow and music therapist at The University of Melbourne. Her clinical and research interest relates to using music to support people living with dementia and their care-partners, and how music can create accessible and inclusive communities. Zara also works clinically with NDIS participants, and facilitates the Rewire Musical Memories choir – an inclusive and therapeutic choir for people living with dementia and their care-partners.

Felicity A Baker, Creative Arts and Music Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, The University of Melbourne

Professor Felicity Baker (music therapy) is Associate Dean (Research) for the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music and Director, International Research Partnerships for the Creative Arts and Music Therapy Research Unit. She is former Australia Research Council Future Fellow (2011–2015) and, during this fellowship, built models of songwriting as practiced through the lenses of different orientations (Therapeutic Songwriting: Developments in Theory, Methods, and Practice, Palgrave 2015). Professor Baker is currently leading a series of trials with people living with dementia. Felicity has attracted more than $15.5 million in competitive research funding including Principal Investigator on 3 National Health and Medical Research Council grants, (NHMRC), an Australia Research Council Discovery Grant and a Medical Research Future Fund.

Imogen Nicola Clark, Creative Arts and Music Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, The University of Melbourne

Dr Imogen Clark is a Senior Lecturer in Music Therapy at the University of Melbourne. She has an active research agenda with focus on music therapy and healthy ageing, music listening and physical activity, guided imagery and music, and music therapy pedagogy. She was awarded the Hazel Hawke Dementia Australia grant in 2018 to investigate the effects of songwriting on the health and wellbeing of families living with dementia and received the La Trobe University Nancy Millis Award for PhD of exceptional merit in 2016. In 2022, she received a University of Melbourne Early Career Researcher grant to investigate online songwriting with people with dementia and their care partners.

Gwladys McLachlan, The Rewire Musical Memories Choir

Gwlad McLachlan is a member of The Rewire Musical Memories Choir who contributed to the creation of this study, the songs contained, and the final manuscript.

Sue Mountain, The Rewire Musical Memories Choir

Sue Mountain is a member of The Rewire Musical Memories Choir who contributed to the creation of this study, the songs contained, and the final manuscript.

Dennis Mountain, The Rewire Musical Memories Choir

Dennis Mountain is a member of The Rewire Musical Memories Choir who contributed to the creation of this study, the songs contained, and the final manuscript.

Maria Radford, The Rewire Musical Memories Choir

Maria Radford is a member of The Rewire Musical Memories Choir who contributed to the creation of this study, the songs contained, and the final manuscript.

Mark Reid, The Rewire Musical Memories Choir

Mark Reid is a member of The Rewire Musical Memories Choir who contributed to the creation of this study, the songs contained, and the final manuscript.

Nena Reid, The Rewire Musical Memories Choir

Nena Reid is a member of The Rewire Musical Memories Choir who contributed to the creation of this study, the songs contained, and the final manuscript.

Teuila Reid, The Rewire Musical Memories Choir

Teuila Reid is a member of The Rewire Musical Memories Choir who contributed to the creation of this study, the songs contained, and the final manuscript.

Vera Tkalcevic, The Rewire Musical Memories Choir

Vera Tkalcevic is a member of The Rewire Musical Memories Choir who contributed to the creation of this study, the songs contained, and the final manuscript.

Marion Hodgson, The Rewire Musical Memories Choir

Marion Hodgson is a member of The Rewire Musical Memories Choir who contributed to the creation of this study, the songs contained, and the final manuscript.

Jeanette Tamplin, Creative Arts and Music Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, The University of Melbourne

Associate Professor Jeanette Tamplin (music therapy) is a Registered Music Therapist and researcher at The University of Melbourne, specialising in neurorehabilitation for people with neurological injuries or conditions. A/Prof Tamplin is a previous NHRMC-ARC Dementia Research Development Fellow (2016-2019) and has over 25 years clinical music therapy experience. A/Prof. Tamplin is also President of the Australian Music Therapy Association. She has been invited to contribute chapters to several edited books on music therapy and has also co-authored a book on Music Therapy Methods in Neurorehabilitation: A Clinician’s Manual (Jessica Kingsley Publishers) and co-edited a book on Music & Dementia: From Cognition to Therapy (Oxford University Press).

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Published

2023-07-01

How to Cite

Thompson, Z., Baker, F. A., Clark, I. N., McLachlan, G., Mountain, S., Mountain, D., Radford, M., Reid, M., Reid, N., Reid, T., Tkalcevic, V., Hodgson, M., & Tamplin, J. (2023). ‘A Light at the End of the Tunnel’: The Experiences of Members of a Therapeutic Community Choir for People Living with Dementia and their Care-Partners who ‘Went Online’ During the COVID-19 Pandemic – an Arts-Based Phenomenological Study. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 23(2). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v23i2.3491

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 2 (2023)

Section

Research

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Zara Thompson, Ms, Felicity A Baker, Professor, Imogen Nicola Clark, Dr, Gwladys McLachlan, Sue Mountain, Dennis Mountain, Maria Radford, Mark Reid, Nena Reid, Teuila Reid, Vera Tkalcevic, Marion Hodgson, Jeanette Tamplin, Dr

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