Presenter/Lecturer
Most of my current professional activity is giving presentations. I love doing this – particularly when it brings me to different countries and parts of the U.S. and puts me in contact with interesting people (who are all over!). I have made many presentations over the past 30 or so years, and these have covered a variety of topics. I will organize these by general areas, hoping that they will give anyone who is interested an overview of my work and interests.
The presentations that I am sharing are just a sample of the presentations that I have listed on my Curriculum Vitae. I count 132 under International Presentations, 33 given as International, 35 given as a Part of Teaching, and 83 U.S. Presentations. The way that I have them listed and am counting them includes all presentations given at a particular place in entry, so there would actually be quite a few more than these numbers indicate. I do enjoy this!!
Research
Since publication of Music Therapy Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives in 1995, music therapy research is the main area on which I have been asked to present. This has allowed me to share information about research with people at many levels of research expertise, and I hope that I have helped to advance their knowledge in this way.
I have included here a number of presentations that I have done, from the most recent to some given many years ago. I have taken these from what I have labelled on my curriculum vitae as “International Presentations.”
- First-Person Research in Music Therapy: Overview and Examples. Hochschule fur Musik und Theater. Hamburg, Germany. April 2023.
- Exploring Qualitative Music Therapy Research from Three Perspectives: Phenomenological, Grounded Theory, and First-Person. Ringvorlesung (speaker series), University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria. April 2023.
- Current Trends and Scientific Research in Music Therapy. Conference: Muzykoterapia w rehumanizacji ludzkiego życia. Karol Lipinski Music Academy, Wroclaw, Poland. October 2022. via Zoom.
- Methods of Qualitative Research in Music Therapy: Examples of Heuristic, Phenomenological, and Grounded Theory Research. Gdańsk Psychological Colloquium, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland, March 2022.
- Music Therapy – Music and Human Health: Clinical Practice and Research: 1. Clinical Practice in Selected Areas of Applied Music Therapy; 2. Methodological Foundations of Research in Music Therapy. Ignatianum Academy, Krakow, Poland. March 2022.
- Current Evidence for Music Therapy: Research-Based Practice. Art and Music Therapy Days, Katowice, Poland. March 2022.
- Overview of Music Therapy Research. Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music, Katowice, Poland. May 2018.
- Expanding Our Understanding Through Music Therapy Research. Keynote. Music Therapy Research in Ireland: A One-Day Symposium. University of Limerick. May 2018.
- Impacting Music Therapy Through Research. Public Lecture, Anglia-Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK. May 2018.
- Music Therapy Research: Contributing to Our Practice. Keynote, Online Conference for Music Therapy. February 2018.
- Workshop: Research Methods in Music Therapy. Loyelin Music Therapy Studio, Beijing, China. July 30, 31, August 1, 2018
- Music Therapy Research: Overview. University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. August 2018.
- Workshop: Research Methods in Music Therapy. Loyelin Music Therapy Studio, Beijing, China. July 30, 31, August 1, 2018.
- The Importance of Research in the Development of Music Therapy. Keynote. Hong Kong Music Therapy Conference. August 2018.
- Enhancing Collaboration Through Research. Keynote, III Ibero-American Congress of Research in Music Therapy. Valencia, Spain. November 2017.
- Recent Developments in Music Therapy Research. World Congress of Music Therapy, Tsukaba, Japan. (Wheeler, Murphy). July 2017.
- Addressing Music Therapy Questions through Research, Keynote address; Developing Music Therapy Research: From Questions to Designs, Continuing education session. Japanese Music Therapy Conference, Sapporo, Japan. September 2007.
- Developing Your Research Skills: Practical Skills for Music Therapists, Workshop sponsored by British Society for Music Therapy, London. August 2007.
- Staying on the Crest with Music Therapy Research, Keynote address; Music Therapy Research: Matching the Method to the Question, concurrent session. Canadian Association of Music Therapy Conference, Victoria, British Columbia. May 2007.
- Music Therapy Research: Overview and Issues. Public lecture and book launching, Roehampton University, London, UK. March 2006.
- Music Therapy Research: Connecting Clinical Practice and Research. 11th World Congress of Music Therapy, Brisbane, Australia, July 2005.
- Music Therapy Research: Applications and Information. Auckland Society for Music Therapy, Auckland, NZ, July 2005.
- Dialogues About Music Therapy Research. 6th European Music Therapy Congress, Jyväskylä, Finland. June 2004.
- Overview of Music Therapy Research; Choosing a Research Method to Match What the Researcher Wants to Know. Invited Professor. II Congreso Nacional de Musicoterapia, Zaragoza, Spain. March 2008
- Methodology, Planning and Implementation, and Evaluation of Music Therapy Research. 2-day intensive workshop for professionals. III Encontro Nacional de Pesquisa em Musicoterapia. Sao Paulo, Brazil. October 2002.
- Music Therapy Research: Overview and Applications. International Music Therapy Conference. Seoul, Korea. January 1998.
- A Case Study Illustrating Research Methods. Australian Music Therapy Association Conference, Sydney, August 1999. Published in The Conference Collection: Extended Abstracts of Papers from the Twenty-Fifth Annual Conference, “Music Therapy for the Developing Person,” pp. 7-11.
A Broad Perspective
I enjoy taking a broad look at the music therapy profession, particularly as I get older and feel that I have a broader perspective than I did earlier in my career. Sometimes this perspective shares what we have done in the U.S.
- Music Therapy: Perspective from the USA. Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. June 2022.
- The Development of Music Therapy Research: A Personal Perspective. Ringvorlesung (speaker series), University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria. October 2019.
- Music Therapy: An Overview and International Perspective. Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia. October 2019.
- Music Therapy: Perspectives from the United States. Enschede ArtEZ Conservatory, Enschede, The Netherlands. October 2016.
- Global Perspectives on Music Therapy: Turning Challenges into Opportunities (keynote). Malaysian Music Therapy Conference: Music as a Catalyst for Nation Building & Community Growth. August 2016.
Clinical Topics
Sometimes I present on the people with whom music therapists work. I prefer presenting on clientele with whom I have worked, but, since I have taught for many years and supervised students’ clinical work, I sometimes also present about people with whom I have not worked directly. I am reflective and careful not to present myself as knowing things that I don’t know or having worked with people with whom I have not worked.
At various times in my career, my part-time music therapy work has been with children and adults with various needs. The main clientele with whom I have worked and presented on are listed below. Additional information is in the section of this website on my work as a Clinician.
Oncology
- Music Therapy in Oncology; Music Therapy and Neurorehabilitation. Association of Music Therapists of Slovakia. Bratislava, Slovakia. June 2022.
- Music Therapy in Oncology. Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. June 2022.
- Research on Music Therapy in Oncology. Part of Advanced Practices in Palliative Care, sponsored by WABI SABI Health, Voluntary Health Services, Chennai, India. August 2019.
- Music Therapy in Oncology. South African Music Therapy Association. Port Elizabeth, South Africa. August 2018.
- Music Therapy in Chronic Disease and Cancer Treatment and Its Outcomes for Coping Strategies and Quality of Life. Würzburg University Child Hospital, Würzburg, Germany. December 2013.
- A Comparison of Oncology Studies in Music Therapy and Music Medicine. European Music Therapy Conference, Oslo, Norway, August 2013.
- Developing a Music Therapy Program for Patients with Breast Cancer in an Outpatient Setting, Inaugural Meeting, International Association for Music & Medicine. Limerick, Ireland. June 2009
Medical Patients
- Music Therapy and Pain Management. Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music, Katowice, Poland. October 2019.
- Music Therapy Workshops. Hospital Music Therapy – Pediatrics; Rehabilitation; General Medical; Hospice and Palliative Care; Establishing a Program (2 days). Music Therapy Training Program, Zagreb, Croatia. June 2014.
- Issues in Measuring the Effects of Music Therapy with Patients with Cardiac Problems. Contribution to Symposium: An Overview of Measurement Strategies for Music Therapists in General Medical Settings. 6th European Music Therapy Congress, Jyväskylä, Finland. June 2004.
Rehabilitation
- Music Therapy and Neurorehabilitation. Association of Music Therapists of Slovakia. Bratislava, Slovakia. June 2022.
- Music Therapy in Neurorehabilitation. Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. June 2022.
- Music Therapy in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. South African Music Therapy Association. Cape Town, South Africa. August 2018.
- Music Therapy with Acquired Brain Injuries: Preliminary Recommendations from Cochrane Review. 8th European Music Therapy Congress, Cadiz, Spain, May 2010 (Wheeler & Magee); also presented in Rycerka, Poland, at workshop sponsored by Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music
Special Education
- Music Therapy in Special Education. Educational Center, N. Bechtereva, St. Petersburg, Russia. September 2019.
- Music in Special Education: Using Research to Inform Practice. Malaysian Music Therapy Conference: Music as a Catalyst for Nation Building & Community Growth. August 2016.
- Music Therapy: Introduction and Overview. Presentation to Music Teachers, Principals, and School Counselors in Jin Niu District, Chengdu, China. June 2010.
Children with Multiple Severe Disabilities
- Experiencing Pleasure When Working with Children with Severe Disabilities. Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China. October 2013.
- Overview of Music Therapy Research; Experiencing Pleasure When Working with Children with Severe Disabilities. 2nd international symposium on Creative Arts Therapy, College of Medical Science, Jeonju University, Korea. October 2013.
- Research to Address Unanswered Questions: Music Therapy for Children with Multiple, Severe Disabilities. Music Therapy Debate Day, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, May 2004.
- Music Therapy Research and Children with Severe Disabilities. Lecture to Nursing School, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. September 2007
People with Emotional Problems
- Music Therapy to Support Mental Health. Artetherapeutic Days of East 2019, Košice, Slovakia. October 2019.
- Music Therapy for Adults with Emotional Disorders; Music Therapy for Schizophrenia – Workshops; 11th Academic Conference of the Chinese Music Therapy Association, Weifang, China. October 2013.
Older Adults
- Music Therapy in Aging: Contributions of Research. Keynote. Chinese Professional Music Therapist Association Annual Conference. Beijing, China. July 2018.
- Music Therapy and Older Adults; Music Therapy Research. Vilnius, Lithuania. May 2013.
Assessment
- Assessment and Diagnostic Tools; An Overview of Research Methodology in Music Therapy; The Role of Music Therapy in a Multidisciplinary Team. The April Center, Moscow, Russia. September 2019.
- Assessment: Tools for Planning, Moving Forward, and Assessing Our Work. Workshop for Portuguese Music Therapy Association, Lisbon, Portugal. November 2017.
Various Other Topics
- Breath, Music, and Music Therapy: What Does the Research Tell Us? Keynote Presentation. International Conference: Breath, Music, and Music Therapy. May 2024, Katowice, Poland.
- Past, Present, and Future of Trauma Research in Music Therapy. Keynote Presentation. International Conference: Trauma, Music and Music Therapy. April 2023. Katowice, Poland.
- Ethical Issues in Music Therapy Supervision. Part of workshop series sponsored by Polish Music Therapy Association. Katowice, Poland. March 2022.
- Perceived Research Relevance: A Survey of Music Therapists. European Music Therapy Conference, Vienna, Austria. (Waldon, Wheeler). July 2016.
- Development of a Music and Wellness Program. Music and Medicine Conference, Beijing, China. (Wheeler, Yin, Chen, Liu). June 2016.
- Prof. Tony Wigram: World Conferences, AMTA, Research Publications. Presentation at a Commemorative Seminar on the Academic Life of Professor Tony Wigram, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark. November 2011.
- Influences of Music Therapists’ Worldviews on Work in Different Countries. 8th European Music Therapy Congress, Cadiz, Spain, May 2010 (co-author; sole presenter)
- Music Therapy Writing. Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre, Auckland, NZ. July 2009
- Vocal and Instrumental Music Therapy Techniques. Workshop. International Forum of Music Therapy on Crisis Intervention and APMTA Annual Conference, Chengdu, China. October 2009
- Music and Emotion: Connecting Theory, Research, and Practice. Canadian Association for Music Therapy Conference, Ottawa, CA. May 2009
- Musical Relatedness in Infancy as a Resource in Understanding Children with Disabilities. 10th World Congress of Music Therapy. Oxford, England. July 2002. (Wheeler & Stultz) Available at http://www.musictherapyworld.de/modules/wfmt/stuff/oxford2002.pdf
- Adapting Music Therapy Procedures for People with Various Disabilities and Levels of Functioning. Keynote Address, Tohoku Branch Conference of the Japanese Music Therapy Society, Sendai, Japan. March 2002.
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