research
 

 Episodes of Relationship Completion CD

When we complete relationships in our lives, there are key sentiments that need to expressed to help us accomplish these completions. According to Byock (1997) this includes: "I Love You," "I Forgive You," "Forgive Me," "Thank You," and "Goodbye."

This song cycle is about episodes of relationship completion with four terminally ill patients living their last days. Each participant engaged in various levels of relationship completion including: intrapersonal, interpersonal, transpersonal, or combined. These persons and their significant others were part of a study that looked at the role of music therapy intended to facilitate relationship completion.

The collection of songs is an artistic portrayal of the research study's results and thematic analyses. I have selected songs to represent each participant's experiences. The songs represent key sentiments that participants expressed to help them complete the relationships that they identified as significant to them at this point in their lives.

For Gloria and Jack, the core sentiment to complete their relationship with each other was to express love. Gloria did this through dedicating the song I Love You to Jack. She also celebrated their love in the song Can't Help Falling in Love with You, and she expressed her love and appreciation to Jack in writing the song, Thank You for Loving Me.

Yetta needed to forgive herself, and in doing so she re-examined, and re-experienced her childhood feelings and memories. She expressed feeling alone and lived for many years without a sense of her identity growing up as a child survivor of the Holocaust. The song Out Here on My Own embodies that sense of aloneness. At the end of her life, Yetta was saying goodbye and Over the Rainbow represents her transition from this world to her next place of being.

Spiritual questions were prominent in Peter's experience, and through hymns Peter identified his need to complete the relationship with himself. Amazing Grace was one of the hymns that facilitated his insights and transformation and helped him forgive himself. Ave Maria was a song that Peter enjoyed hearing as he said it brought him peace.

Bill needed to assess and express his grieving process in the death of his first wife Rebecca. He engaged in this process as he began writing a play about his life. Several songs in the play are in an operatic style and Habanera was a song that inspired his original pieces. Bill also desired to express his love and gratitude to Sarah by writing The Love I Feel for You Sarah.

For the CODA I selected the song Fix You as an expression from me about the process of participating in these music therapy sessions as the music therapist, and also as a way for me to say goodbye to my participants.

CD Song List

Love
Gloria and Jack
I Love You
Can't Help Falling in Love with You
Thank You for Loving Me

Goodbye
Yetta
Out Here on My Own
Over the Rainbow


Forgiveness
Peter
Amazing Grace
Ave Maria


Thank You
Bill and Sarah
The Love I Feel for You Sarah
Habanera from Carmen


Coda
Amy
Fix You

Vocals: Amy Clements-Cortes
Piano: Sincere Tung
Editing and Mastering: Ted Onyszczak
Mastering: Andy Krehm
Recorded at: University of Windsor, Windsor, On. and Silverbirch Productions, Toronto, On.

Mechanical Licenses
I Love You, Tyde Music Publishing
Can't Help Falling in Love With You, Pocket Songs.
Out Here on My Own, Over the Rainbow and Fix You, CMRRA

To purchase a CD click the buy now button or e-mail director@notesbyamy.com

CD's are $20.00 CAD, plus $4.00 Shipping

EPISODES OF RELATIONSHIP COMPLETION THROUGH SONG IN

PALLIATIVE CARE

by

Amy Clements-Cortes

 

ABSTRACT

            This study utilized a combination of intrinsic and instrumental case studies to describe the experience of four dying persons and their significant relations, as they engaged in music therapy sessions designed with the goal of assisting or facilitating relationship completion. The four primary participants were inpatients of the Baycrest palliative care program who were diagnosed with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of less than six months. Two spouses who were involved in music therapy sessions were co-participants.

            I developed four separate case studies to represent each of the rich and detailed stories.  Through the use of narrative research methods I was able to describe, interpret, and understand the complexity held within the multiple data sources that informed each case study. Data sources included: music created, utilized, recorded, and/or discussed in music therapy sessions; discussions during music therapy sessions; the researcher's field notes; formal notes placed in the participant's medical charts; the formal written assessment; transcriptions of audio-taped music therapy sessions; interviews; interview transcriptions; artistic pieces crafted by myself that emerged from the experiences of the participants as reflected in their interviews, and weekly participation in sessions which were verified by the participants; and, other artistic material.

            The rich knowledge that emerged from the individual case studies informed a cross-case analysis where global themes were identified from a thematic analysis of participants' experiences; and process motifs arising from the progression of participant engagement in music therapy are described. Global themes included: love; loss; gratitude; growth/transformation; courage/strength; and, goodbye. The five process motifs that emerged were:

(1) music therapy helps and was valued as a means of sharing the participants' perceptions of their situation.

(2) music therapy provides a safe place to become aware of, explore, and express feelings.

(3) music enhances communication.

(4) music therapy techniques provide creative avenues for self-expression.

(5) music therapy provided a vehicle for revisiting and reminiscing.

 

The thesis concludes with a summary of the knowledge revealed and a discussion of implications for music therapists and health care professionals, as well as a presentation of final thoughts and reflections on my role as researcher in this study.

            As a further means of communicating and expressing the results of this research study, I recorded a CD titled Episodes of Relationship Completion.  This collection of songs is an artistic portrayal of the research study's results and thematic analyses.

 

The book Episodes of Relationship Completion Through Song: Case Studies of Music Therapy Research in Palliative Care is now available to buy on Amazon.com.  Follow this link to purchase http://www.amazon.com/Episodes-Relationship-Completion-Through-Song/dp/3639145429/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249253035&sr=8-1