An Investigation into Time Relationships in Co-Improvisation with Children Having Epileptic Fits

Abstract

This qualitative research project investigates aspects of time and timing in co-improvisation with children suffering from epilepsy. Recently, a growing interest in time and timing has emerged in the field of music therapy. However, the impact of epilepsy on time relationships in music therapy has not been systematically explored to date. Using both video recordings of sessions and interviews with therapists experienced in working with epileptic children as data, the impact of epilepsy on musical time relationships is explored. Time relationships are understood to include not only the relationship between the therapist's and client's timings, expressed in timing of musical activity and body movements, but also the subjective experiences of time a therapist has whilst working with epileptic children, especially when they have a seizure. The findings of this study support and complexify previous theoretical writings on time and timing in the music therapy literature. The impact of an epileptic seizure on the timing between client and therapist is analysed. The complex relationships between timing and psycho-physiological changes are explored, including possible effects of the therapist's emotional responses on timing. The findings of the study suggest that music therapists share certain experiences of time in work with epileptic children. Finally, there is a discussion of music-therapeutic strategies used by therapists when time relationships are affected by an epileptic episode.