Diana Fox MUS 525

Improvisational Methods of Music Therapy

September 17, 2013 Fall 2013

Definitions pp. 5-19

Things I Need To Know: Music therapy is a goal directed process in which the therapist helps the client to improve, maintain, or restore a state of well-being Therapist helps the client through assessment, treatment, and evaluation Main musical experiences are improvising, performing, composing, notating, verbalizing, and listening to music Important to know which models are appropriate for which population Improvisational music therapy can be used with individuals on various levels of development and functioning Each model should be analyzed to determine whether it engages the client in anything that may cause discomfort to him/her Therapist must collect necessary client information before considering any model Three levels of goals: o General o Population Specific o Individual Improve goals usually address (see rest of page 7-8) Salient features of each model usually refer to the originators purpose and rationale for using music, and the way the s/he uses improvisation in particular Goals of Improv: o Educational: Help the client acquire knowledge or skills in music or another related discipline o Recreational: Improving clients leisure time o Therapeutic: Help client gain insight about him/herself, work through feelings, problems, symptoms, make basic changes in personality, develop more effective areas of adaptation ***Goals Overlap*** Improvisational music therapy is provided in individual, dyadic, family, or group settings. Some models use settings exclusively In improvisational musical therapy, the main method of assessment is to engage the client in improvisation Session preparation needs to be spontaneous yet planned o Inquire about the emotional and/or physical state of the client o Prepare physical environment (lights, acoustics, furniture arrangement) Procedure is not a single operation aimed at elicitating an immediate response Methodological objectives deals with engaging the client in a particular aspect of the therapeutic process Technique are aimed at eliciting an immediate response Every model of therapy has its own techniques Ideas That Resonate With Me:

Diana Fox MUS 525

September 17, 2013 Fall 2013

Goals must describe the overall direction of the therapists efforts and the desired outcome of those efforts with respect to the client Goals can be established at the beginning of therapy or as they emerge during the therapy process Theoretical orientation has a profound effect on goals, procedures for assessment and evaluation, the dynamics of intervention, and the process of course treatments Therapist Qualifications When placing a client in a group, it is important to consider his/her readiness for the interpersonal experiences that will take place, and the many different demands that group participation will take Models of improvisational therapy differ in what modalities and media are used most often, and in which musical media are used by the client, therapist, and other participants in the sessions During assessment the improvisational therapist is also interested in discovering what makes the client respond a certain way and what can lead the client to respond in a different way Primary dynamic elements are the client, therapist, musical instruments, and the improvised music itself. Ideas I dont Understand/Questions: Music in therapy/Music as therapy o As therapy: Music is the primary stimulus for change o In therapy: Music is not the primary therapeutic agent o Is there a right or wrong way? How can evaluation and assessment be the same thing? Why do other clients, significant others, and any other stimuli or objects used as part as the therapy process only become dynamic forces when then they impinge or are acted upon by the client? Things I Disagree With: In regard to the type of musical improvisation (p. 10) who distinguishes the type of improvisation? This paragraph almost seems like the therapist interpretation of his/her clients improvisation. Does everything that happens in improvisational sessions need to have a label? In regard to evaluation, I do not think that assessment and evaluation is ever the same thing. Assessment is when a therapist collects and analyzes information about a client and plans initial goals and a treatment program. Evaluation measures and determines a clients progress.