Towards a Music-based Understanding of Improvisation in Music Therapy

Abstract

Attempts to make sense of improvisation in music therapy of ten rely on psychological, medical, psychoanalytic, musical or other discourses. These attempts seem to ignore the musical aspect of clinical improvisation and make an unsatisfactory leap of logic from the musical event to its extramusical meaning. This article makes a case for grounding all interpretations within the music itself: micro-analysis of excerpts from two examples of clinical improvisation show a wealth of interpersonal meaning embedded in the music.


(SA J Musicology: 1999/2000 19/20: 47-56)