PREREQUISITES:
Completion of MUS 217; completion of MUS 199; completion of MUS 380 or instructor's permission; overall grade point average of 2.0 or higher; grades of "C-" or above in all previous music therapy courses

PROFESSOR:

Office Hours: MW, 9:00-10:00 a.m.; TR, 10:30-11:00 a.m.; or by appointment

GENERAL LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will be able to...

1. Identify key concepts in the arts, sciences, and humanities to profide a broad perspective of the human condition.
2. Discriminate between reliable and less reliable information in their decision-making.
3. Recognize and explain the scientific method (i.e., the hypothetical mode of inquiry) and explain information in this context.
4. Characterize scholarly research methods in the field of music therapy.
5. Demonstrate effective written communication skills.
6. Collaborate and perform effectively in team activities, and to apply these skills in clinical practice.

LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THIS COURSE:

Students will be able to...

1. Describe, using appropriate vocabulary, commonly used therapeutic techniques and systems which are adaptable to music therapy settings.
2. Explain, orally and in writing, the methodology for examining traditional lore about treatment in a scientific (i.e., hypothetical mode of inquiry) manner.
3. Demonstrate transferring commonly used therapeutic techniques into music therapy settings.
4. Assess the efficacy of various therapeutic techniques and systems using a hypothetical mode of inquiry.
5. Write a cogent, coherent philosophy for selecting treatment techniques which reflects the student's value orientation.
6. Apply skills in data-driven decision making in clinical practice settings.

TEXTS:

Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques, (3rd edition), McKay & Fanning
DSM-IV-TR, (4th edition), American Psychiatric Association
Multimodal Psychiatric Music Therapy for Adults, Adolescents, and Children, (3rd edition) Cassity & Cassity
Music and Self-Management Methods, Scartelli
Being in Music, Vol. I, Aigen
An Introduction to Music Therapy Theory and Practice, Davis, Gfeller, and Thaut

E-RESERVE MATERIALS:

"Music Therapy Within the Context of Psychotherapeutic Models", Mary L. Scovel, from Therapy in the Treatment of Adults with Mental Disorders, Robert F. Unkefer, Editor

"Rapport Building and Observation", Suzanne Hanser, from Music Therapist's Handbook, 1987.

CLASS RULES:

No chewing gum chewed during class.

No phone calls to the professor's home.

For credit to be received for out-of-class assignments, incorrect grammar or spelling must be corrected.

GRADE CRITERIA:

Note: A.M.T.A. requirements demand a grade of "C-" or above in any music therapy course in order to qualify for internship.

POLICY ON INCOMPLETE ("I") GRADES:

The only circumstance in which a grade of "I" will be given is that of poor performance on the final exam (see explanation below). Failure to complete other assignments, including meeting the class attendance requirement, will result in a grade of "D".

REQUESTS FOR ACCOMMODATION:

Qualified individuals with disabilities are welcome to make reasonable requests for accommodations in order to complete course requirements. Please notify Dr. Prickett in writing as soon as possible to discuss your request; this discussion may include representatives from the Office of Disability Services.

SEVERE WEATHER GUIDELINES:

University Relations will disseminate the latest information regarding conditions on campus in the following ways:

1) Weather advisory posted on the UA homepage
2) Weather advisory broadcast over WVUA at 90.7 FM
3) Weather advisory broadcast over WVUA 7

WVUA 7 Storm Watch provides a free service you can subscribe to that allows you to receive weather warnings for Tuscaloosa via e-mail, pager or cell phone. Check http://www.wvua7.com/stormwatch.html for details.

In the case of a tornado warning (tornado has been sighted or detected by radar; sirens activated), all university activities are automatically suspended, including all classes and laboratories. If you are in a building, please move immediately to the lowest level and toward the center of the building away from windows (interior classrooms, offices, or corridors) and remain there until the tornado warning has expired. Classes in session when the tornado warning is issued can resume immediately after the warning has expired at the discretion of the instructor. Classes that have not yet begun will resume 30 minutes after the tornado warning has expired provided at least half of the class period remains.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Class attendance and preparation -

Class attendance is expected, as is evidence of preparation. Three absences are allowed to cover personal emergencies. Roll will be taken in each class meeting. Excuses for absences are not necessary; however, if there are more than three absences, the student may receive a grade of "D" for the term. Participation will include both oral and written discussion.

All study guides, video assignments, and other reports are due on the dates given on the course calendar. Even if all assignments are satisfactorily completed, if an assignment is more than 48 hours late, the professor reserves the right to award a final grade of "B-". Furthermore, since a grade of "A" cannot be earned unless all the criteria for a "B" have been met, late assignments will disqualify a student from eligibility to earn an "A".

While some work will be handwritten, matters of spelling, grammar, and punctuation will be considered to be of the utmost importance. Care should be taken to avoid having to rewrite or do other extra work because of inattention to the finer points of the English language.

Quiz on policy-

A quiz on attendance policy and academic dishonesty will be administered at the second class meeting. If answers are not 80% correct, it must be retaken until this standard is met.

Video worksheets -

Videotapes of televised information are assigned. These will be shown in the Music Therapy Clinic on a regularly scheduled basis. It is strongly recommended that a student schedule attending one of these showings each week, as this insures that all assignments are completed in a timely and stress-free way.

Worksheets, whose due date appears on the course calendar, will be completed to indicate that each item has been reviewed. Fill in the answers to the questions posed; write at least six complete sentences for each question. Be prepared to discuss the material found on the tape and the rationale for each tape's being assigned.

NOTE: Do not expect to be able to watch tapes during Study Week or Finals Week.

Report on Self-Esteem and exercises -

A typed review/reaction paper, at least three pages in length, is to be written about Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques. This assignment is due on February 18. This paper will be retained in the professor's files.

Additionally, but separately, complete all the exercises laid out in the book in a notebook. This notebook's contents will be kept in strictest confidence, so please write honestly. The notebook will be checked for completeness, then returned. Unlike other assignments, neither this notebook nor any copy will be retained in the professor's file. The notebook will not be graded for writing style, grammar, or spelling.

Study questions about Scovell article -

By January 21, read the Scovell article. Later, typed answers to a list of specific essay questions are to be written about the article "Music Therapy Within the Context of Psychotherapeutic Models", by Mary L. Scovel. You are to use an open book, take-home format, but work alone. [Additionally, for the final, you are to match therapeutic terms with their appropriate genre of therapy.] If any answer, in the professor's opinion, requires correction, it must be rewritten until it meets the specifications. This assignment is due on April 21, and will be graded with reference to content, spelling, and writing skill. Corrections must be made and comments satisfied for credit to be given. The final copy of the paper will be retained in the professor's files.

Book reports -

For Being in Music, and Music and Self-Management Methods, a short list of questions must be answered, followed by a one-page overview.

Effectiveness book assignment -

One chapter from the Effectiveness book is assigned this term. This will be discussed in class.

Assessment/MT services activities -

After a diagnostic category has been studied and discussed, you will be divided into teams and assigned a patient scenario for music therapy services. After working up an assessment and deciding on appropriate music therapy services, you will share your report with the rest of the class.

Role playing activities -

After a diagnostic category has been studied and discussed, and group assessment/activities have been prepared, a class member will be asked to improvise carrying out aspects of activities while other class members simulate the patient population. Of course, simulators will portray patients respectfully and with empathy; silliness or disrespect will not be tolerated and class members are expected to impose the values along with the professor.

After a brief simulation, class members will discuss the good things the "therapist" did and offer constructive suggestions. Emphasis will be on improving interaction style so that patients are more readily engaged in music therapy activities.

Completed Assignment Checksheet -

A copy of the completed Assignment Checksheet must be turned in on Wednesday, May 7, at 11:30 a.m.

Final exam -

A final examination, covering all aspects of the course, will be given on Wednesday, May 7, 2007, at 11:30 a.m. If a student does not answer at least 85% of the questions in a professionally competent manner (i.e., achieve a grade of "B" on the exam), he or she will receive the grade of "I" and retake the exam during Interim semester. If the exam is not retaken or 85% of the questions are not answered satisfactorily by June 1, 2008, the grade of "I" will be changed to "D".

Please see the first page of this syllabus for an explanation of the professor's policy about awarding the grade "I".

EXTRA EVIDENCE OF SCHOLARSHIP NECESSARY FOR AN "A"
(Choice of One of the Following; the Professor's judgment of whether your project truly indicates "scholarly endeavor" worthy of an "A" is final.)

Book Report -

Relevant books from the professor's personal library are available on a "first-come" basis for checkout. A 400 word book report on one of these books, typed on 100% cotton paper, must be of superior quality to qualify. The professor's judgment of superior work will be final.

Extra video project-

A student may choose to rent (from a commercial rental store) and watch five of the following: Rain Man; Awakenings; The Trip to Bountiful; Philadelphia; Children of a Lesser God; Clean and Sober; Girl Interrupted; Iris; Three Faces of Eve; Sybil; A Beautiful Mind; Shine. The report will consist of making up and answering five excellent questions for each video. This report, typed on 100% cotton paper, must be of superior quality to qualify. The professor's judgment of superior work will be final.

Innovative, creative, pre-approved paper -

In the likely event that some aspect of this course catches your attention, with the professor's approval you may attempt an appropriate essay, research project, or documented paper on the topic.