Defining the Therapeutic Singing Voice: An Analysis of Four Music Therapists’ Clinical Work

Abstract

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the ways music therapists use their singing voices in music therapy sessions and, in doing so, to provide a working definition of the therapeutic singing voice. Four music therapists were observed leading at least 10 music therapy sessions each in order to examine the ways they used their singing voices in clinical practice. Interviews with each of these therapists, at the completion of session observations, enriched these observational data. Data were analyzed in two stages. First, individual singing voice profiles were developed for each music therapist, and second, these profiles were integrated to define essential singing voice characteristics. These characteristics included flexible postures and physicality, diverse breathing methods and strategies of phonation, flexible resonance strategies, improvisational skills, and knowledge of diverse music genres. Implications for vocal education and training in music therapy programs are discussed.