Music Therapy: A Perspective from the Humanities

Even Ruud

Print ISBNs: 1-891278-54-1 or 978-1-891278-54-9

E-ISBN: 978-1-891278-80-8



$38 $38 $38


In this book, Even Ruud argues for the value of humanities as a basis for the theory and practice of music therapy. With the humanities he includes a broad range of academic disciplines, such as those from the social sciences as well as from philosophy, education, and not least, systematic musicology. Through ten chapters, the author discusses some basic principles of a humanistic outlook and how these may affect music therapy. He takes departure from the relational turn in psychotherapy and discusses concepts such as communicative musicality, “thirdness” in improvisation and the concept of recognition, as it relates to critical philosophy. Continuing the thread from his earlier book, Ruud goes on to discuss musical identity, but this time from a developmental point of view, i.e. how music serves different functions in the formation of our identities throughout life. Basic to the humanistic outlook on music therapy will be a concern for our conception of music, and how we deal with aesthetic theories. Drawing from the recent philosophies of body and gesture, Ruud suggests a bodily foundation for the experience of meaning in music, with implication for our understanding of therapeutic improvisation, such as in creative music therapy, or listening, as exemplified by the BMGIM-approach. The next chapters deal with clinical perspectives, and theories from empowerment theory, and notions on health and quality of life lead into a chapter on community music therapy. A whole chapter is also devoted to philosophies of science. In his concluding chapter, Ruud announces a new direction for music therapy, how the everyday musicking through smart phones and mp3-technology may initiate a new area in the use of music as self-caring technology. (ISBN 13: 978-1-891278-54-9, 2010, 209 pages, hardback).



Table of Contents
Foreword ix
Chapter 1
The Tradition from the Humanities 1
A Field of Struggle—A Culture of Questioning 4
Roles and Identities 5
Cosmologies of Music and Healing 8
Nonverbal Meanings 9
History as Legitimation 12
Basic Principles of a Humanistic Outlook 15
Caring for the Individual and the Respect for Human Dignity 16
Empathy 17
Critical Aspects 18
Self-determination 18
Symbols, Metaphors and Meanings 19
Chapter 2
The Relational Turn 21
Basic Needs 21
Communicative Musicality 23
The Lullaby as a Communicative Event 26
Affect Attunement, RIGS, and Lived Stories 29
“Thirdness” and Improvisation 32
Recognition as a Philosophical Basis 34
Further Relational Aspects 36
Chapter 3
Musical Identity in a Developmental Perspective 37
Senses of Self-in-Relationship 39
Competency and Empowerment 41
Individuality and Autonomy 42
Values and Authenticities 45
Consolidation and Regulation 47
Recollection and Integration 48
Performing Identity in Music Therapy 50
Music and Identity in Action 51
Ethical Responsibility 51
Self-knowledge 52
Working with Clients 53
Chapter 4
Musical Meaning in Music Therapy 54
The Concept of Musical Affordance 59
Embodied Meaning in Music 61
A Cognitive Perspective 63
Improvisation and Gestural Communication as Being-in-Time-Together 66
The Body in Musical Communication 68
Chapter 5
Dimensions of Aesthetics in Music Therapy 73
Functions of Music in Music Therapy 75
Aesthetics as Performative Acts 78
Music Centered? 79
A Note on Analysis and Music Therapy 82
Chapter 6
Enabling and Empowerment 87
Positive Psychology 88
Strengths and Resources 90
Positive Emotions 92
Principles of Empowerment 96
Goals, Needs, and Resources 97
Looking for Community Support 97
Corroboration and Recognition 98
Empowerment as both Approach and Goal 98
From Empowerment to Citizenship 98
Disempowering Soundscapes 99
Silence—an Enabling Condition 100
Chapter 7
Health and Quality of Life 102
Performance of Health, Identity, and Lifestyle 105
Health, the Eudaimonic Approach and the Good Life 107
Health as Participation—the Missing Link 108
Musicking for Life Quality 110
Health is Relational 112
Vitality and Self-expression 112
Competency and Empowerment Through Mindful Practice 113
Music as Social Capital 115
Meaning and Coherence in Life 117
Chapter 8
Systemic Aspects 120
A Critical Tradition 120
Context 122
Culture 122
The Concept of Illness and the Definition of Music Therapy 123
Ecological and Environmental Music Therapy 124
Performance-based Music Therapy 126
Toward a Community Music Therapy 126
Definitions 128
Four examples 130
Communal Musicking 130
Music Inside and Outside of Prison 132
Music with Hospitalized Children 132
Music Therapy in Rehabilitation 133
Chapter 9
Reflexivity and the Philosophy of Science 139
Reflexivity 140
Empirical Documentation 141
From Positivism to Phenomenology 142
The Need for Interpretation 144
Hermeneutics 145
The Need for Criticism 149
Critical Theory 149
Reflexivity in Language 152
Postmodern Currents 152
Chapter 10
Musicking as Self-care 157
Music as a Cultural Immunogen—Three Narratives 161
The Theologian Who Cured His Asthma with Singing 161
Musicking as a Catalyst for Stress And Anger 165
Overcoming Depression and Social Phobia 167
Musical Strategies 170
Composing/Songwriting, and Performing Music 171
Improvisation, Performance 173
Listening as Self-care 173
Music Affords New Actions 178
Sources
Literature