Poetry, drama, music, dance, and visual art are increasingly used in healthcare research to learn about the experiences of healthcare workers and recipients, to gain access to marginalized voices, and to communicate research findings to a wide range of people. Despite this emerging inclination towards the recognition of the value of the arts for healthcare research, creative arts processes have had limited use in music therapy research to date. In this article, we reflect on the small body of existing music therapy literature about arts-based research and explore possible reasons for the current neglect of these methods. We provide examples from Alison’s doctoral research that demonstrate the value of using artsbased research for developing a deeper understanding of the profession of music therapy. Our reflection on the current literature leads us to propose further uses for arts-based research practices, for developing rich and evocative findings, accessing the voices of people who receive music therapy services, and communicating music therapy research findings to a broader audience eager for this information.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how a change management perspective contributes new understandings about music therapy implementation processes. Design/methodology/approach – Narrative inquiry, ethnography, and arts-based research methods were used to explore the experiences of 12 music therapists who developed new services in healthcare settings. These experiences were interpreted using insights from the field of change management. Findings – A change management perspective helps to explain music therapists’ experiences of resistance and struggle when introducing their services to established health care teams. Organisational change theories and models highlight possible strategies for implementing music therapy services successfully, such as organisational assessment, communication and collaboration with other workers, and the appointment of a service development steering group. Research limitations/implications – This paper offers exciting possibilities for developing understanding of music therapists’ experiences and for supporting the growth of this burgeoning profession. Practical implications – There is an important need for professional supervision for music therapists in the service development phase, to support them in coping with resistance and setbacks. Healthcare managers and workers are encouraged to consider ways in which they can support the development of a new music therapy service, such as observing music therapy work and sharing organisational priorities and cultures with a new music therapist. Originality/value – Previous accounts of music therapy service development have indicated that music therapists encounter complex interprofessional issues when they join an established health care team. A change management perspective offers a new lens through which music therapists’ experiences can be further understood.

Music and music therapy in antenatal care can influence the psychological state of the mother-to-be, and responses from the foetus have been observed. As music therapy is an increasingly recognised approach in the promotion of parent-infant bonding, and in addressing needs of parents and infants when bonding is problematic, the researchers consider whether music therapy may have a beneficial health promotion role at the "dawn of attachmen", the antenatal period.