Newsletter - Manfred and Penny Conrad Institute for Music Therapy ...

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The Laurier Centre for Music Therapy Research is poised to lead the field inmusicological research. It is my hope to begin initiatives linking the disciplines ofmusicology, aesthetics, composition, ethnomusicology, and music therapy, and to lookfor connections that will inform our practice as well as cultivate an understanding fromthe professions contained in music. Future projects may include comparisons of theories ofimprovisation and developments in contrasting theories of world music and the implicationsfor developing musical resources.As Director of the Music Therapy program at Wilfrid Laurier University, I am honoured tobe involved in the development of our innovative research centre. As music therapyresearch moves into the next millennium, we are poised at Laurier to make significantcontributions to the future of clinical practice both nationally and internationally.–Dr. Colin Andrew LeeResearch at LCMTRWilfrid Laurier University“A Sampling of Listening Perspectives”Listening to the musicPerhaps the most obvious, although multifaceted level of listeningis a musical one. In this perspective, music therapistsattune to the music itself, keeping in mind that music is composedof sound and silence. They may also interpret themusic on a descriptive level, including a client’s musical characteristicsor emerging musical shapes and patterns. Whenlistening to improvisations (either in or after sessions), musictherapists may differentiate the client’s musical responsesfrom their own music or focus more on the musical dialogue.This perspective can also be a “listening out there” to themusical totality of an improvisation co-created by both clientand therapist.Listening from musical historyOur musical background, culture, gender, experiences as amusician, music listened to, and musical education influencehow we listen as music therapists. As a pianist, I learned andinternalized classical and contemporary piano repertoire andtechnique. When improvising with clients, these musical influencescan be quite subtle such as a melodic shape, phrasingor elements of a composer’s style, or they may be actualmotives from composers’ pieces.Listening by observingThis perspective draws on visual information in order to formulatetherapeutic interpretations. Music therapists listen byobserving a client’s body movements or stillness, gestures,breathing, gaze, and actions. Based on these observations,possible interpretations are made of a client’s mood, facialexpression, body language or quality of presence.Listening for significanceThis perspective could be described as a kind of listening“vision.” Music therapists listen for changes in a client’s energy,intention, relatedness, expressiveness or the ability to bepresent. They listen for a client’s potential to be engaged ininteraction, to communicate, and to be creative. Listening inthis perspective includes the potential for musical connectionand flow. When improvising or listening back to improvisations,music therapists may listen for both intentional and intuitiveelements of their own music.Listening with an improvisational attitudeThis kind of listening rests on the ability to enter into theimprovisational experience with its qualities of ambiguity andunpredictability. It is allowing ourselves to be in music withanother person, to be spontaneous and to take needed risks.An improvisational attitude assumes a curiosity about theworld, a delight in being surprised, and emotional sturdinessfor coping with unexplainable events. This attitude is a willingnessto go beyond what is know or comfortable, to sharemusic with others, and to learn from others’ music-making.Taken from Arnason, C. (2003). Music Therapists’ ListeningPerspectives in Improvisational Music Therapy: A QualitativeInterview Study. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 12(2), 124-138.Dr. Carolyn Arnason, MTA, Associate ProfessorWilfrid Laurier University.8
“Searching for milestones: The analysis of clinical improvisationfor music therapy students and music therapists”Abstract: The research is intended to provide an opportunityfor music therapists and music therapy students to be able toinspect where they are now, and also where they need to proceed,in order to possess and present an appropriately highlevel of proficiency in clinical improvisation. The research wasdesigned to analyze and compare the contents of clinicalimprovisation sessions collected from four interviewed participantsfor an educational purpose. The study investigated howmusic therapists and music therapy students perceive clinicalimprovisation, and sought to establish possible guidelines or criteriafor successful clinical improvisation. The process of analysisand description was divided into two different levels: musicaldata analysis and verbal data analysis. The main focus of theresearch findings dealt with the critical analysis, not only from amusicological perspective, but also clinical perspective.Through the comparative analysis, the researcher found anddiscussed three significant points: 1) clinical improvisation as aclinical form of communication 2) the use of vocalization in clinicalimprovisation as an effective and empathetic means of communication3) the correlation between clinical judgment andclinical listening and response. One of the unique qualities ofthe research content was to present solid information in theform of aurally transcribed musical analysis in addition to theverbal analysis from the interviews. The method of musicaldata analysis was adapted from that of Aesthetic MusicTherapy (AeMT) model (Lee, 2003)Sung-Yong Shim, MMTAbstract: This qualitative research study stemmed out of theresearcher’s quest to gain a deeper understanding of the therapeuticprocess in her music therapy practice. The analysis ofsessions with three individual clients using modified protocolanalysis and conceptions of grounded theory revealed five categoriesof themes present in the therapeutic interventions andrelationships. Investigating the categories of expectation, invitation,challenge, being present, and validation led to a discoverythat the researcher-therapist’s value system, which was shapedby her life experiences, upbringing and culture, played a significantrole in the therapeutic process. Conducting this study hashelped the researcher to gain more awareness in both personaland professional aspects of her self, thereby contributing to thequality of her music therapy practice.Michelle Song, MMT“Burnout of operatic proportions: The impact of trauma on theexperience of burnout of Canadian Music Therapists”Abstract: The impact of unresolved personal trauma (Figley,1985) and unaddressed issues stemming from one’s family ororigin (Rompf & Royce, 1994) as well as workplace trauma(including trauma and vicarious traumatization) (Figley, 1985)impact on the experience of burnout in Canadian MusicTherapists. In addition, workplace and professional factorssuch as a lack of supervision, debriefing and support, exacerbatethe experience of burnout as found in other helping professions(Cherniss, 1995). The dynamic and at times immediateprocess elicited in musical interventions (Lee, 2003) suggest adifferent therapeutic relationship from other helping professions.Therapist countertransference and/or vicarious traumatizationcan contribute to the experience of burnout, especially if thetherapist is lacking in study participant-identified skills such verbalinterventions and self-awareness (Rogers, 1992).Andrea Lamont, MMTAbstract: Introduction: Rap music and the aesthetics of HipHop culture represent a powerful, counter-cultural art form thatis omni-present in the lives of members of contemporary youthculture. A weekly drop-in music therapy group was held for residentsof a youth shelter in Toronto. The most frequently usedclinical technique was clinical-improvisations in recognizablepopular music genres. Rap was the genre most frequentlyused. Mixed messages are imbedded in the culture of rapmusic as there are many examples of lyrics with anti-socialcontent and many examples of positive, potentially transformativelyrics. The positive and anti-social aspects of popular rapmusic were reflected in the sessions and resulted in clinicalchallenges and a rich body of recorded lyrics.Methods & Analysis: Clinical improvisations were recordedand lyrics transcribed verbatim. A qualitative, grounded theorymethod was used, to identify major themes. Major themeswere analyzed to determine what the potential, meaning of therap-therapy experience might be for the participants, and todetermine the therapeutic potential of this technique.Results: Major themes discovered in the lyrics closely paralleledverbal self-expression in psychotherapy. Participantsused the performance of rap to express emotions, spirituality,and vulnerability. The raps were also used to depicts threatsand violence. Additionally strong connections were foundbetween the lyric analysis and a number of traditions in AfricanAmerican oral culture.Conclusions: The popularity, expressive power, and culturecontext of rap music combine to make it a potentially importantand exciting resource for music therapists.Aaron Lightstone, MMTwww.wlu.ca99
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