Abstract
While recording has traditionally been viewed as a practical, adjunctive role of the music therapist, here the authors examine the skillful use of recording devices and software as fertile ground for the development of therapeutic programs with tangible benefits for adult clients in a concurrent disorders recovery setting. The integration and layering of musical composition with musical performance, digital technologies, and production, invite rich and engaging conversations about therapeutic goals, processes, and outcomes. Using methods of action research inquiry, the authors discuss how their interactions with clients through recording have yielded new insights into therapist roles and identities as well as expressions of music therapy. The case for therapy-oriented recording is outlined and a description of the authors’ research setting and data collection methods identified before a literature review on the use of recording in music therapy is provided. The authors then distinguish four types of therapeutic recording illustrated by case examples from work with clients. Their writing culminates with a discussion of challenges and benefits associated with therapeutic recording. The authors conclude that recording offers critical and rewarding yet often unrecognized opportunities for music therapists to be innovators in their field.
Highlights
Our focus on the therapeutic benefits of recording has evolved through our professional roles and commitments
As the field of music therapy continues to expand, one of the challenges that music therapists need to consider in a restless reflection on practice is how to integrate new and emerging digital music and video technologies into professional practice
We are mindful when we develop and refine music therapy programs that we need to consider what roles technology might play and what digital and electronic advances have occurred since we last used a particular technology
Summary
Our focus on the therapeutic benefits of recording has evolved through our professional roles and commitments. When we speak of recording as a technique of music therapy, we are suggesting, first, that it has application for purposes of therapeutic change in clients and, second, that it has the capacity to improve clients' health by offering a framework to develop healthy senses of agency and self-concept as well as skills needed to manage everyday decisions and recovery. Music therapy is respected as an integral yet distinct form of professional service which, when used in conjunction with other treatment services, plays a crucial role in nurturing and supporting clients with complex substance use issues In this healthcare environment, a key focus for clients with concurrent disorders is optimal health at different levels and stages of recovery. To further strengthen our understandings of our fieldwork, we conducted a literature review on therapeutic recording as described below
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