Winter 2009 issue
RESEARCH COMMITTEE REPORT
Tony Meadows, PhD, MT-BC, FAMI
Preparations continue for the forthcoming conference in Richmond. This year we continue our focus on evidence-based practice principles as they relate to music therapy clinical practice. As such, we are emphasizing the relationship between research and practice, particularly translating and applying quantitative research. Making your practice evidence-based – Interpreting & Applying Outcome Research to your Clinical Work is being presented by Michael RohrbacherandGene Behrens. Joke Bradtis presenting on Designing Experimental Trials according to Evidence-Based Practice Standards and a round table session addresses Current Issues and Experiences Relating Evidence-based Practice to Clinical Practice. We continue our overview session focusing on Current Issues in Music Therapy Research, this year presented by Kathy Murphy.
Last year we introduced a new format for the Poster Session, wherein each poster presenter gave a 10 minute PowerPoint presentation summarizing his/her research. With over 100 people present, this was very well received and we will continue this format. Music therapists currently completing research, especially students, are welcome to submit a poster session proposal to Tony Meadows (ameadows@immaculata.edu) by February 12th.
We have had two changes to the committee over the previous summer. On behalf of the all the committee members, I would like to thank Joke Bradt for her energy and dedication to the committee. In her years of service Joke brought an important perspective to our vision for the committee, especially in her understanding of quantitative research and evidence-based practice. We wish her well in her new endeavors. I am very grateful that Andi McGraw Hunt, MMT, MT-BC has accepted my invitation to join the Research Committee. Andi is a doctoral student at Temple University who most recently worked clinically with adult dual-diagnosed psychiatric and addictions populations, and currently maintains a small GIM practice as an advanced level GIM trainee. Her research interests thus far have been primarily quantitative in nature, investigating the rhythmic presentation of clinical populations and psychological phenomena. She is also a past and current research assistant for Temple's Arts and Quality of Life Research Center, executing a research study with clinical staff and also assisting with the Center's Cochrane reviews. We warmly welcome her.