Date of Award
Spring 5-16-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
PHD - Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Expressive Therapies
First Advisor
Dr. Mitchell Kossak
Second Advisor
Dr. Jason D. Bultler
Third Advisor
Dr. Kenneth Aigen
Abstract
The dissertation research explored the lived experiences of music therapists who are performing musicians. A conceptual foundation of music therapists as musicians, a “musician-therapist” who is deeply versed in the unique properties of music can be identified in the literature (Ansdell & Verney, 2008; Nordoff & Robbins, 1973). The objectives of this study were to explore three topics: 1) deeper understandings of music therapists’ musical improvisation both in clinical and nonclinical settings, 2) the connection between music therapists’ personal and professional musical growth, and 3) identity formation. A qualitative method was chosen for this research including reflexive/embodied/interpretative phenomenology, and arts-based research. Data gathering relied on semi-structured in-depth interviewing, observation, narrative description of a reflexive journal, and reflective arts. There were eight main themes (three subthemes) from the data analysis, 1) Continuous perspectives in music and music therapy worlds, 2) The advantages of being a performing improviser, 3) The advantages of being a music therapist, 4) Reciprocal growth of being performing musicians and music therapists, 5) Performance as an outlet for music therapists’ self-expression and well-being, 6) Embodiment: developing improvisational musicality, 7) Challenges to pursuing both careers, 8) Gender perspectives. By building a better understanding of the performing musician-therapists’ perspectives, it is hoped that this research will lay the ground work for the applicability of the field of music therapy in terms of music therapists’ clinical presence and skills in conducting effective clinical improvisation, and for implications for music performance education.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Language
English
Number of Pages
183
Recommended Citation
Suzuki, Kotoe, "Lived Experience of Music Therapists as Musician-Therapists" (2020). Expressive Therapies Dissertations. 101.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_dissertations/101
Included in
Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Music Education Commons, Music Performance Commons, Music Practice Commons, Music Therapy Commons, Other Communication Commons, Other Music Commons
Rights
The author owns the copyright to this work.
