The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne

Music Therapy Staff

•  Beth Dun MMus(Mus Thrpy), RMT   
• Helen Shoemark PhD, RMT
• Janeen Bower MMus(Mus Thrpy), RMT NMT
• Meagan Hunt MMus(MusThrpy), RMT
• Pip Barry MMus(MusThrpy), RMT

 

Beth Dun MMus(Mus Thrpy), RMT

Team Leader Music Therapy, Coordinator  Music Therapy Clinical Placement Program
Senior 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 Team Leader of Music Therapy at RCH. She has accepted invitations to present on her work at international conferences here and overseas 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.

In 2010 Beth was a recipient of the Pied Piper, Rosemary Derham and the Children’s Cancer Centre Foundation (CCCF)Paediatric Oncology Nurse/Allied Health Scholarship.

Clinical focus

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 and Burns Unit.  Beth co-ordinates the Paediatric Music Therapy Clinical Training Program.

Selected Presentations & Publications

Publications

Dun, B. (2011) All in Good Time: A Music Therapist's reflection of Providing a Music therapy Program in  a Pediatric Cancer Centre over 20 years. Music and Medicine 3 (1) 15 - 19

O'Callaghan C, Baron A, Barry P, Dun B. (2011)  Music's relevance for pediatric cancer patients: a constructivist and mosaic research approach.Support Care Cancer.19: 779 - 788

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

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, 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

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 Unpublished thesis.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

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

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.

 

Contact Information

Mailing address:

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

 

Telephone:  +61-(0)3-9345 5421

Pager:  5421

Email:  beth.dun@rch.org.au

 

 

Helen Shoemark PhD, RMT

Senior Clinician for Neonate & Infant Program
Research Officer,  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 and also taught in the Music therapy course at the University of Melbourne.

Helen is a respected speaker nationallyand internationally, and is published in peer reviewed journals and international text (see below).

She 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 a past Chair of the National Registration Committee for the profession. She is Associate Editor for the Australian Journal of Music Therapy and on the review panel for the Infant Mental Health Journal, the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, and the inter-disciplinary journal Music & Medicine

Clinical focus

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

Helen currently is a Career Development Award researcher with MCRI.  Her agenda is the “Auditory experiences and an integral part of health development” is hosted through the Critical Care & Neuroscience Theme.  It embraces four strands of research:

1. The aversive experience of noise in critical care: Measuring loudness & frequency – chronic & acute noise in intensive care contexts. 

2. Impact of recorded music on infant state: Recorded lullaby effect on quality of sleep - aEEG

3. Meaningful, structured sound as protective experience: Maternal speech & singing to preserve infant neuropsychological development

4. Optimal parameters for presenting auditory stimuli to high risk cohorts: “Dosing” for effect – frequency, duration etc.

 

Selected Presentations & Publications

Publications (last 5 years)

Shoemark, H. & Grocke, D. (2010). The markers of interplay between the music therapist and the medically fragile newborn infant. Journal of Music Therapy, 47, 306-334.

Bower, J. & Shoemark, H.(in press). Music therapy for the pediatric patient experiencing agitation during posttraumatic amnesia: Constructing a foundation from theory. Music & Medicine.

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

Malloch, S., Shoemark, H., Newnham, C., Črnčec, R. Paul, C., Prior, M., Coward, S. & Burnham, D. (in press). Music Therapy with Hospitalised Infants – the Art and Science of Intersubjectivity. Infant Mental Health Journal.

Olischar, M., Shoemark, H., Holton, T., Weninger, M., & Hunt, R. (2011). The influence of music on aEEG activity in neurologically healthy newborns >32 weeks’ gestational age. Acta Paediatrica, 100, 670-675.

Peer reviewed book chapters

Shoemark, H. (2012). Frameworks for using music as a therapeutic agent for hospitalised newborn infants. In N. Rickard & K.McFerran (Eds.). Lifelong engagement in music: Benefits for mental health and well-being. Nova Science Press.

Shoemark, H. (2011). Contingent singing: The musicality of companionship with the hospitalized newborn infant. In Baker, F. & S. Uhlig (Eds.). Therapeutic Voicework in Music Therapy. pp. 229-249. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Shoemark, H. (2011). Translating “infant-directed singing” into a strategy for the hospitalised family. In J. Edwards (Ed.) Music therapy and parent-infant bonding. pp. 162 – 178. London: Oxford University Press.

                   

Presentations (last 5 years)

Keynote / Plenary

Confirmed Keynote Speaker International Conference of the International Association of Music & Medicine, July 2012.

Contingent singing  - bringing to consciousness a strategy for infant and attuned partner.’ Keynote, Converging Disciplines in NICU Care: Psychophysiology, Neurology, NIDCAP, and Music Therapy seminar for The Louis Armstrong Center for Music & Medicine, New York, June 2011.

Contingent singing with the medically fragile newborn infant. Keynote speaker. International Summit for NICU-Music Therapy, New York, USA Aug, 2010. 

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. 

 

Major presentations

‘Constructing a clinical service for the medically fragile infant in the context of family.’ Presentation to the tri-state multi-centre research meeting Beth Israel Hospital, New York, June 2011.

Where does the music begin? Public seminar.  Hosted by Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London, UK, June 2010.

Music therapy for neonates & infants. Lecture to staff, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London, UK, June 2010.

 

International Conferences

Shoemark, H. (2011, June). ‘Explicating interplay with the medically fragile newborn infant.’ Workshop.  9th International Music Medicine Symposium, Minneapolis, USA.

Shoemark, H. (2010, July). Explicating interplay with the medically fragile newborn infant. Paper presented to the 12th World Congress of the World Association of Infant Mental Health, Leipzig, Germany.

Shoemark, H. (2009, Dec) How do medically fragile newborn infants make use of maternal singing? Paper presented to the International Conference on Music Communication Science 2, Sydney, Australia.

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.) Mapping musical interplay with the medically fragile newborn infant. Paper presented to the 9th Qualitative Health Research Conference, Banff CA.

National conferences

Dearn, T. & Shoemark, H. (2010, Sept). An investigation of premature infant response to recorded music with maternal involvement versus no maternal involvement. Paper presented to the 36th National Conference of the Australian Music Therapy Association, Melbourne, Australia. 

Shoemark, H. (2009, Oct) Articulating the process of interplay with hospitalised newborn infants. Paper presented to the Joint Conference 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 35th National Conference of the Australian Music Therapy Association, Sydney.

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

Shoemark, H. (2007, Oct.) Sweet melodies: Combining the talents and knowledge of music therapy and elite musicianship. Paper presented to the 33rd National Conference of the Australian Music Therapy Association, Melbourne. Recipient of the Excellence in Conference Presentation award

Contact Information

Mailing address:

Music Therapy,
Royal Children's Hospital,
50 Flemington Road

Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia

 

Telephone:  +61-(0)3-9345 3749

Pager:   5090

Fax: 

Email:   helen.shoemark@rch.org.au

 

Janeen Bower MMus(MusThrpy), NMT RMT

Clinician, Neurosciences and Rehabilitation

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.   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 completed a Masters of Music degree (by research), at the University of Melbourne in 2010.

Clinical focus

Janeen uses live music to stimulate arousal responses in children in altered states of consciousness,  familiar music to reduce agitation in children with brain injury and uses music to encourage concentration, increased attention to task and more positive participation during rehabilitation tasks.

Selected Presentations & Publications

Publications

         Bower, J. & Shoemark, H. (in press). Music therapy for the Pediatric patient experiencing agitation during psot-traumatic amnesia. Constructing a foundation from theory. Music and Medicine.

         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

          Familliar song as an environment for ecological reintegration in early neurorehabilitation for the paediatric patient. 37th Annual Confernece of The Australian Music Therapy Association, Brisbane Sep 2011

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: 

Email: janeen.bower@rch.org.au

 

 

Meagan Hunt MMus(Mus Thrpy), RMT

Senior 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.

Clinical focus

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.

Selected 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 7 January 2011, from https://normt.uib.no/index.php/voices/article/view/223/167

 

Selected Presentations

Contact information

Mailing address:

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

 

Telephone:  +61-(0)3-9345 4127

Fax: 

Email: meagan.hunt@rch.org.au

  

 

 

 

Pip Barry MMus(Mus Thrpy), RMT

Clinician, Children's Cancer Centre

Biographical Sketch

Pip Barry has worked in health, education and community settings as a music therapist and researcher since graduating with her music therapy degree from the University of Melbourne in 2005. Pip completed her Masters research investigating the usefulness of music therapy in paediatric radiotherapy at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, in collaboration with the National Music Therapy Research Unit (NaMTRU), at the University of Melbourne. She has worked as a music therapist with children, adolescents, adults, and their families living with a cancer diagnosis in Victoria. Other experience in includes work in special education, in rehabilitation, with Indigenous families, and in youth mental health. Pip has published and presented locally and internationally about music therapy and supportive care for children, adolescents and families living with cancer

Clinical focus

           Pip provides music therapy to support and enhance the health and well-being of  school-aged children and adolescents in the Children’s Cancer Centre.

        

  Selected Publications

 

O’Callaghan, C., Barry, P., & Thompson, K. (2012). Music’s relevance for adolescents and young adults with cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer, 20, 687-697.

Baron, A., O'Callaghan, C., Barry, P., & Dun, B. (2011). Music and music therapy's relevance for paediatric cancer patients and their families: constructivist research. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 57(5), 855.

O'Callaghan, C., Baron, A., Barry, P., & Dun, B. (2011). Music's relevance for pediatric cancer patients: a constructivist and mosaic research approach. Supportive Care in Cancer, 19(6), 779-788.

Barry, P., O'Callaghan, C., Wheeler, G., & Grocke, D. (2010). Music therapy CD creation for initial pediatric radiation therapy: A mixed methods analysis. Journal Of Music Therapy, 47(3), 233.

Willis, D., & Barry, P. (2010). Audiovisual interventions to reduce the use of general anaesthesia with paediatric patients during radiation therapy. Journal of Medical Imaging And Radiation Oncology, 54(3), 249-255.

O’Callaghan, C. & Barry, P. (2009). Music therapists’ practice-based research in cancer and palliative care: Creative methods and situated findings. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 9(3).

Barry, P.A. (2008). Music therapy CD creationfor initial paediatric radiotherapy: A mixed methods analysis.Unpublished Master Thesis, The University of Melbourne.

Barry, P. & O’Callaghan, C. (2008). Reflexive journal writing: A tool for music therapy student clinical practice development. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 17(1), 55-66.

 

        Selected Presentations

 

Barry, P. & Tait, A. (2011). Bopping Books: A community library program with Indigenous Australian children and families. 13^th World Congress of Music Therapy, Seoul, South Korea.

Baron, A., O’Callaghan, C., Dun, B & Barry P. (2010). Music’s relevance for paediatric cancer patients: Researching the minds of patients, parents and therapists. 36^th AMTA National Conference, Melbourne.

Barry, P., O’Callaghan, C. & Thompson, K. (2010). “One of My Friends”: Music’s Relevance for the Minds of Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer. 36^th AMTA National Conference, Melbourne.

Barry, P. & Tait, A. (2010). Bonding, Bopping and Books: The impact of an arts-based community library program for young Indigenous children. 36^th AMTA National Conference, Melbourne.

Barry, P. (2009). The effects of music therapy CD creation on initial paediatric radiation therapy treatment. Paediatric Radiation Oncology Society Congress, Montreal, Canada.

Barry, P. (2008). Effects of music therapy CD creation on paediatric patients’ first radiotherapy treatment. 12^th World Congress of Music Therapy, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Barry, P. (2008). Developing a music therapy service for adolescent and young adult cancer patients: Age, gender, and cultural issues. Paper presented at the 34^th Australian Music Therapy Association National Conference, Brisbane.

Barry, P. (2008). The effects of music therapy CD creation on initial paediatric treatment. 34^th AMTA National Conference, Brisbane.

Barry, P. (2007). Paediatric radiotherapy patients’ computer-based CD creation: Syncopated music therapy research. 33^rd AMTA National Conference, Melbourne.

Barry, P. (2006). Reflexive journal writing: A tool for music therapy student clinical practice development. 32^nd AMTA National Conference, Sydney.

 

                  

       Contact information

        Mailing address:

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

 

Telephone:  +61-(0)3-9345 5421

Pager: 4127

Email: pip.barry @rch.org.au