PERF 7009 Music Therapy Skills & Practice A
Credit Points 20
Legacy Code 102800
Coordinator Allison Fuller Opens in new window
Description From 2024 this subject will be replaced by PERF 6003 Music Therapy Skills & Practice A. This subject focuses on the development of therapeutic music skills to support the delivery of music therapy to individual and group participants ranging in age from infants to the elderly. Students learn, practice and demonstrate a diverse range of skill sets that can be applied within their SiMPrac field work or Practicum Placement as appropriate. This subject utilises active learning methods within a lectorial format and addresses focus areas including: methods; goals; technology; culture and improvisation.
School Humanities & Comm Arts
Discipline Music
Student Contribution Band HECS Band 2 20cp
Check your fees via the Fees page.
Level Postgraduate Coursework Level 7 subject
Equivalent Subjects PERF 7005 - Music Therapy Skills 1
Restrictions
Students must be enrolled in 1650 - Master of Creative Music Therapy.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Employ critical thinking strategies in applying music therapy practical skills to in-class active learning scenarios and real-world placement settings with a focus on: skills, repertoire, and improvisation frameworks for guitar, piano, voice, and more
- Explain the application of the Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) Standards of Practice and apply them to in-class active learning scenarios and real-world placement settings for individual and group music therapy participants
- Describe and reflect on experiences and learnings from SiMPrac (1st Year) or RMT Placement (2nd Year)
- Produce original songs/musical pieces that can be applied to music therapy for individual and group participants within in-class active learning scenarios and real-world placement settings
- Apply knowledge of: the Orff Music Therapy approach, Electronic music technologies (EMTs); Culture-centred practice; and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) within in-class active learning scenarios and real-world placement settings
- Demonstrate a student novice (1st Year) or student advanced beginner (2nd Year) level of music therapy skills within one of the following methods: Improvisational; Re-creative; Compositional; and Receptive
Subject Content
1st Year Students: Simulated Music Therapy Practicum (SiMPrac): 160 hours of online modules & activities; weekly small group supervision with an RMT; repertoire portfolio development; and field work.
2nd Year Students: Music Therapy Placement with a Registered Music Therapist: 160 hours of placement in a clinical, educational, community or other setting as considered appropriate.
Therapeutic Music Skills: Skills, repertoire and improvisation frameworks for guitar, piano, voice, plus more!
Songwriting/Composition Focus: Composing original songs/music for individuals and/or groups within music therapy practice.
Methods Focus: Applications music therapy approaches across the lifespan including creative arts therapy.
Goals Focus: Music therapy for addressing the development of either communication, physical, social/emotional or cognitive goals.
Technology Focus: The use of various forms of technology within music therapy practice.
Culture Focus: Addressing cultural needs within music therapy practice with a focus on one culture
Improvisation Focus: Free, guided and structured improvisation frameworks, for individual and group applications.
Special Requirements
Legislative pre-requisites
Special Requirements - NSW Health Legislative Prerequisites Pre-requisites
Student Compliance Information for all Health-Related Placements
Prior to enrolling in this subject, students must have submitted a Student Undertaking Form and undertake to apply for a National Police Check, which is required to be submitted before placement, and a Working with Children Check Student Declaration. Use the link to the Special Requirements webpage below for more information.
To be eligible to enrol in this subject and complete any required health-related placements or experiences, students must meet Western Sydney University program requirements as well as any special, legislated, or policy-mandated requirements.
Western Program Requirements
Visit the Special Requirements webpage for details about your program.
Mandatory NSW Health student placement policy requirements
To be able to undertake placement in any NSW Health facility you must be assessed as compliant with NSW Health student placement policy in the first year of your program, regardless of when you expect to go on your first placement. Access and read the NSW Student Compliance Information Booklet.
NSW Student Compliance Information Booklet
Please ensure that you
- Find your existing National Police Check or apply for one
- Gather documentary evidence of your vaccination history
- Print and compete all relevant NSW Health forms relevant to the campus you are enrolled at or online enrolment requirements
- Follow booklet instructions on how to have your compliance documents assessed by NSW health staff.
International students have additional requirements; the link to the booklet will inform you of these requirements.
School Requirements
Contact your School for further details regarding your School’s requirements, if any, such as
- If you live outside of NSW or Australia and need to meet your state, territory or country’s compliance requirements
- If you need to meet different state, territory or country compliance requirements.
- NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) or other state equivalent, valid for your entire program.
- Current approved first aid certificate valid for your entire program - approved program providers can be found at the Government Training website
- http://training.gov.au
- Other non-health related requirements.
Student Compliance Resources are also available on the Placements Hub web page (NSW students only)
Assessment
The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.
| Type | Length | Percent | Threshold | Individual/Group Task | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Placement Performance | 160 hours | 40 | Y | Individual | Y |
| Applied Project | Between 35 to 70 bars fully scored, and 500 words | 30 | N | Individual | Y |
| Practical | 30 | N | Individual | Y | |
| Participation | Attendance at a minimum of 11 lectorials across the semester | S/U | Y | Individual | Y |