Memory-Making and Music Therapy Memory-making is a common focus throughout pediatric palliative care and bereavement, where transitional objects are created to aid in parental and sibling comfort, mourning, and the grief process following death (Borgman, Meyer & Fitzgerald, 2014; Gibson, 2004; Wender, 2012). Music therapists can engage families in original songwriting and create recordings to serve as a transitional object, serving as a powerful, profound, and unique legacy of loved ones during the end-of-life and following death (Heath & Lings, 2012). With advances in technology, music therapists can incorporate new components such as the patient's voice, inspirations, and even a heartbeat into songwriting.
Function of the Heartbeat Song The music therapists at UK Healthcare Kentucky Children’s Hospital (KCH) offer the creation of heartbeat songs to parents of a fetus, infant, or child with an acute
Technology
Description
or chronic diagnosis with a terminal outcome. The music therapist works closely with the KCH Pediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT) to identify appropriate patients and families who would benefit from music therapy at the end-of-life. At KCH, the creation of a heartbeat song specifically targets clinical music therapy goals related to assisting with anticipatory grief, bereavement support, and family-centered care.
Creating the Heartbeat Song The creation of a heartbeat song requires specific technology to ensure a successful quality product. Technology allows the music therapist to capture and edit the heartbeat, as well as add live or recorded preferred music (as indicated by the family) to be paired with the child’s heartbeat. Prior to creating a heartbeat song, it is important for the music therapist to prepare and familiarize themselves with each aspect of the technology. A description and function of the technology utilized follows (Schreck, 2014).
Function
Apple iPad
A touch screen tablet PC without a keyboard.
Recording device to capture patient’s heartbeat at bedside into GarageBand Application.
GarageBand Application (for iPad and MacBook)
Application for iPad that Application utilized on Apple iPad to capture recording of features instruments and a full patient’s heartbeat at bedside. recording studio.
Stethoscope and smartLav+ Rode Microphone Duo
Instrument used to listen to the sounds of the body.
MT-BC assembled product that is placed on the patient’s chest to record the heartbeat at bedside into GarageBand Application. (To assemble, remove fabric cover of microphone; cut tube of stethoscope; leaving 2 inches attached and place microphone in remaining tubing.)
Apple MacBook
Laptop PC
Device for operating Adobe Audition CC 2015 and GarageBand Application.
Adobe Audition CC 2015
Digital audio workstation to record, edit and mix sound.
Program to edit patient’s recorded heartbeat.
Headphones
Electronic listening device worn around the ears.
Device used to listen while editing recorded heartbeat, looping, and recording preferred song.
Blue Snowball Microphone
An easy-to-use USB condenser microphone that captures a recording.
Device utilized to record vocal and/or instrumental track(s) with edited heartbeat in GargeBand Application.
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
Device used to store and transfer digital information.
Data storage device utilized to save and provide heartbeat song to child’s family.
Table 1. Heartbeat Song Technology
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