Michelle Waller (née Fisher) BMus (Thrp), RMT, NMT
Michelle achieved her music therapy qualification at The University of Melbourne, and has twelve years experience as a Registered Music Therapist. For the previous ten years Michelle has worked as a qualified Neurologic Music Therapist.
Her experience is primarily in special education, child and youth disability, early childhood community groups, and paediatric neurological rehabilitation. Michelle has experience working and studying in the UK, USA and Australia.
Michelle has a current Working With Children Check.
Publications:
Shoemark, H., Rimmer, J., Bower, J., Tucquet, B., Miller, L., Fisher, M., Ogburn, N., Dun, B. (2018). Conceptualizing the musical self as the mediating pathway in acute pediatric music therapy. Journal of Music Therapy, 55 (1), 1–26.
Fisher, M. (2017). Lessons learnt in paediatric neurological rehabilitation across the globe. Music Therapy Today 13 (1) 54-55.
Fisher, M. & Shoemark, H. (2011). Evidence-based Interactions: Music Therapy with 3-12 month old infants in a hospital. Imagine 2 (1), 36-39.
Presentations:
Fisher, M. & Murphy, M. ‘NDIS: The essentials and the latest’ Australian Music Therapy Association National Professional Development Seminar, Sydney, September, 2018.
Fisher, M. Lessons learnt in paediatric neurological rehabilitation across the globe. The 15th WFMT World Congress of Music Therapy, Tsukuba, Japan, July 2017.
Fisher, M. How does a young, female, white, Australian music therapist introduce services in a British hospital, to Arabic, Muslim families who may believe that music is Haram? Lessons learnt in paediatric neuro-rehab across the globe. Australian Music Therapy Association National Conference, Melbourne, September 2016.
Fisher, M. Let’s move together: Group therapy within in-patient paediatric neuro-rehabilitation (oral and poster presentations). Music Therapy Advances in Neuro-disability II, The Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, London UK, June 2015.
Fisher, M. Collaboration is the key: The role of Music Therapy within in-patient paediatric neuro-rehabilitation (poster presentation). National Brain Injury Symposium, The Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, London UK, March 2015.
Fisher, M. Skype, songs and school: Broadening Music Therapy in Special Education. Australian Music Therapy Association National Conference, Brisbane, September 2011.
Fisher, M. Bridging the age gap: working with 2-12 month old infants in hospital. Australian Music Therapy Association National Conference, Sydney, September 2009.
Media Stories:
The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation Auxiliaries Annual Report 2016-2017 ‘How music therapy makes a difference.’ Pg 12-15.
http://rchfoundation.org.au/?page=Publications-Auxiliaries-Annual-Report
About Music Therapy video- The Royal Children’s Hospital
Chris Yuen MMus, BMus, RMT
Chris completed his Masters of Music Therapy at the University of Melbourne. He has 2 year experience working with children with diverse special needs. He has also had experience working in adult disability, adult mental health, piano teaching, and facilitating a community-based singing group. Chris is also a qualified Neurologic Music Therapist.
Chris has a background in classical piano but is curious about all things music, from genres such as classical to hip-hop, to Disney and jazz...and many more.
Chris has a current Working With Children Check.
Elizabeth McLean PhD, BMus (Thrp), RMT
Elizabeth (Liz) achieved her music therapy clinical and research qualifications at The University of Melbourne and has over ten years of experience as a Registered Music Therapist.
Over the previous ten years Liz has worked as a music therapist in acute paediatrics, working with infants, children and young people and their families in the hospital setting. However, she has undertaken specialised training and research in the role of music therapy to support premature and high-risk infants and their parents and families in the special care nursery and neonatal intensive care settings. Liz also has experience in paediatric palliative care and bereavement support. Liz completed her doctorate in 2018, exploring the role of parental musical engagement to support the early parent- infant relationship and parental identity construction in the hospital setting. Liz is a proud Mum of two young children of her own. Liz has a current Working With Children Check.
Publications:
McLean, E., Truquet, B. & Shoemark, H. (2020). Cultural and contextual influences of Australian music therapy practice in the NICU. In H. Shoemark & M. Ettenberger (Eds)., Music therapy in the NICU: Issues of culture. USA: Barcelona Publishers.
McLean, E., Skewes McFerran, K., & Thompson, G. (2019). Parents’ musical engagement with their baby in the neonatal unit to support emerging parental identity: A grounded theory study. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 25 (2), 78-85. doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2018.09.005
McLean, E. (2018). An emergent exploration into the musical beginnings of parental identity across the neonatal journey (Doctoral thesis). Retrieved from Minerva Access (http://hdl.handle.net/11343/214438).
McLean, E. (2016). Fostering intimacy through musical beginnings: Exploring the Application of communicative musicality through the musical experience of parents in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Voices: A world forum for music therapy, 16(2). doi:10.15845/voices.v16i2.874
McLean, E., & McFerran, K. S. (2016). Dialogues in musicality: Exploring parents’ musicality and parental identity across the neonatal unit (NU) journey. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 25(sup1), 140-140. doi:10.1080/08098131.2016.1180180
McLean, E. (2016). Exploring parents' experiences and perceptions of singing and using their voice with their baby in a neonatal unit: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Qualitative Inquiries in Music Therapy: A Monograph Series, 11, 1-42. Retrieved from http://www.barcelonapublishers.com/resourcesQIMT11/McLean_Parents_Experiences.pdf
Presentations:
McLean, E. (March, 2019). Constructing a grounded theory of parents’ musical engagement with their premature baby and emerging parental identity in a neonatal unit (NU). Paper and electronic poster presented at the Victorian Allied Health Research Conference, Melbourne.
McLean, E. (September, 2018). Fosterers and barriers to parents’ musical engagement with their baby across their neonatal journey: The evolving role of the NICU music therapist. Paper presented at the Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) National Conference, Sydney.
McLean, E. (July, 2017). Progressing Parent Perspectives: Parents’ Musical Engagement and Emerging Parental Identity in Neonatology. Paper presented at The 15th World Congress of Music Therapy, Tsukuba, Japan.
McLean, E. (2015, October). Exploring Parents’ Experiences and Perceptions of Singing and Using their Voice with their Baby: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Paper presented at the Marće Society Australasian Conference, Adelaide.
McLean, E. (2015, October) Including the Father’s Voice: Exploring Parents' Experiences and Perceptions of Singing and Using their Voice with their Baby in a Neonatal Unit. Paper presented at the Australian Association of Infant Mental Health (AAIMH) Conference, Sydney
McLean, E. (2015, October) Reflective Practice: What does it all mean? Paper presented at the Speech Pathology and Music Therapy Department Meeting, Monash Health, Melbourne.
McLean E. (2015, September). Exploring Parents’ Experiences and Perceptions of Singing and Using their Voice with their Baby: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Paper presented at the Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) National Conference, Sydney.
McLean, E. (2015, June), Music Therapy in Neonatology. Paper presented at the Victorian Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Network Seminar, Melbourne.
McLean, E. (2014, August). Connection through Musicking: Music Therapy to Support the Mother- Infant Dyad within a Neonatal Unit (NU). Paper presented at the Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) National Conference, Brisbane.
Miia Leslie MMus, BMus, RMT
Miia completed her Masters of Music Therapy at the University of Melbourne. Her music therapy experience includes child, adolescent and adult mental health, adult disability, palliative care, and rehabilitation. She has also taught piano and voice to people of diverse backgrounds.
Miia loves to sing and make music with other people, whether it be at church, with friends, or in music therapy.
Miia has a current Working With Children Check.
Tara Johnson
Hi I am Tara, for the last few years I have worked as an admin assistant. I come from a family who loves all kinds of music, and playing all different instruments. I am a mother of two young children who love to sing and play the ukulele with me. Having lived with a family member who suffered a life limiting condition, I have seen first hand the affect music therapy can have to help treat and sooth people living with all different kinds of illnesses.
Looking forward to meeting you all and seeing you at the clinic.
Tara has a current Working With Children Check.
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