Empowering Children with Music Therapy: Trauma Narrative Songwriting

Author

Deborah Hudson, Lesley UniversityFollow

Date of Award

Summer 9-15-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Kelvin Ramirez

Abstract

This capstone thesis explored trauma narrative songwriting as a music therapy intervention for children with trauma. The literature reviewed sought to understand how music therapy helps children with trauma regulate their emotions, process heightened emotional states, practice social skills, build self-esteem, and support identity development. After reviewing the literature, the researcher noted a lack of research in using trauma narrative songwriting to foster feelings of empowerment in children. This capstone thesis explored if trauma narrative songwriting could expand expression and foster feelings of empowerment for 2 able-bodied, cisgendered African American children with a trauma history in an elementary school setting. This method used improvisation and trauma narrative songwriting. Feelings of empowerment were measured by researcher observation and inductive and thematic analysis. Results from the inductive analysis showed themes of affect regulation, increased expression, and feelings of empowerment in both the melody and lyrical compositions. This method can be applied to music therapy work with children who have experienced trauma. Considerations for future researchers are explored to understand how music therapy can benefit children who have experienced trauma and help them author new stories.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Hudson, Deborah, "Empowering Children with Music Therapy: Trauma Narrative Songwriting" (2024). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 901.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/901