ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE SONGWRITING IN THERAPY BY JOHN A. DOWNES A Final Project submitted to the Campus Alberta Applied Psychology: Counselling Initiative In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF COUNSELLING Alberta August 2006 i ii iii Abstract Songwriting addresses therapy on multiple levels: through the process, product, and experience of songwriting in the context of a therapeutic relationship. A literature review provides the background and rationale for writing a guide to songwriting in therapy. The resource guide illustrates 18 techniques of songwriting in therapy. Each technique includes details regarding salient features, clinical uses, client prerequisites, therapist skills, goals, media and roles, format, preparation required, procedures, data interpretation, and client/group-therapist dynamics. An ethical dilemma illustrates the need for caution when implementing songwriting in therapy. Examples of consent forms are included in the guide. The author concludes by reviewing what he has learned in the process of researching and writing the guide, and evaluates his research. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I – Songwriting in Therapy………………………………………….………..1 Rationale………………………………………………………………………….……...1 Identifying the Need…………………………………………………………….1 Creating a resource……………………………………………………..………2 Data analysis…………………………………………………………….………2 An ethical question…………………………………………………….………..3 Implications………………………………………………………………………3 Chapter II –Songwriting: A Useful Therapeutic Tool….……………………………..5 Chapter III – Writing and Its Impact………………………………………………….11 Narrative Influences…………………………………………………….……..11 Poetry and Journals…………………………………………………………...15 Facilitating Songwriting………………………………………………………..18 Summary………………………………………………………………………..20 Chapter IV – Methodology: Searching for How To… …………………………….22 Design…………………………………………………………………………..23 Data Collection and Analysis…………………………………………………23 The Final Product……………………………………………………………………...24 Chapter V – Songwriting in Therapy: A Guide for Music Therapists and Counsellors………………..…………………………………….……………….….…25 Introduction………………………………………………………..……………26 Contents………………………………………………………………...………27 Chapter VI – Conclusion…………………………………………………………….145 v Learning Upon Completion……………………………………………….…145 Research Evaluation…………………………………………………….…..148 Recommendations…………………………………………………………...157 At Last…………………………………………………………………………………159 References……………………………………………………………………………160 vi CHAPTER I Songwriting in Therapy This final project resulted in the creation of a guide for songwriting in therapy. For the purposes of this project, songwriting in therapy is defined as songwriting that is guided by the goals of therapy as agreed upon by the client and music therapist or counsellor in a music therapy or counselling setting. This chapter explains the rationale behind the project, identifies the problem and includes a literature review. This is followed by an exploration of songwriting in research and theoretical issues. The final section of this chapter explains the methodology for obtaining material for the project. Rationale Identifying the Need Research that includes songwriting as a means of intervention appears to demonstrate the beneficial results of its use. Though numerous methods exist for songwriting in therapy (Wigram, 2005), no single resource has been developed that brings many of the techniques together in one document. When such a document exists, music therapists and counsellors will have a valuable resource that uses a common language for songwriting in therapy and gives explanations of various techniques. A thorough exploration of songwriting in therapy techniques in terms of required skills and materials, client characteristics, ethical issues, and data analysis will help standardize practice and provide more opportunities for researching the benefits of songwriting as a therapeutic tool. 1 Creating a resource. A precedent exists for presenting an overview of diverse music therapy methodology in a single resource (Bruscia, 1987). In his book, Bruscia provides a form of documentation that explains more than a dozen improvisational methods of music therapy as well as their variations in form and technique. In doing so, Bruscia encapsulates the diversity represented by various improvisational techniques into one succinct resource. This provides music therapy practitioners with a resource to guide and inspire their clinical work or research using the tool of musical improvisation in therapy. A resource written for songwriting in therapy may serve a similar purpose. Data analysis. Currently, using clients’ creative writing as data presents a challenge for music therapists and counsellors (Shapiro, 2004). The guide for songwriting in therapy identifies factors that affect interpretation of the data and suggests means for avoiding or reducing the chances of misinterpretation. A constructivist framework (Mertens, 1998) for implementation and analysis will be helpful in this area of research. Constructivism “emphasizes the subjective ways in which each individual creates a perception of reality” (Mertens, 1998, p. 463). Therefore, the primary suggestion for data analysis focuses on the meanings clients bring to their own work, and respect for their individual worldviews. The emancipatory paradigm (Mertens, 1998) is also important when suggesting means for measuring data. Instructions for all the songwriting techniques emphasize the voices of clients and the lessening of power differentials between clients and therapists so that voices of oppressed individuals are heard and represented. Data that is created in songwriting in therapy aims to be a true 2 representation of the clients’ voices. Their voices must also be represented when analysis of that data takes place. This means that clients’ voices are equal to, if not more important than, the voice of therapists, as clients remain the experts on their lives, from the beginning of the songwriting in therapy process until the very end and beyond. An ethical question. Finally, this project explores ethics in songwriting so music therapists and counsellors have an understanding of the implications of co-creating what is traditionally thought of as a work subject to copyright. When co-creating works with artistic merit, the parties involved need to understand the limits and freedoms placed on the creation itself and the co-creators. Agreements regarding how songs are to be treated and used will need to be in place so as to avoid misunderstandings and ethical dilemmas. Documents such as consent and release forms, as well as advice that assure protection for both music therapists/counsellors and clients are presented as part of this final project. Implications The potential exists for songwriting to be accessible, meaningful and purposeful for many clients. This guide for songwriting in therapy presents information and techniques for bringing that potential to fruition with various client populations in many settings. Exploration of songwriting in therapy techniques along with suggestions for use helps standardize practice and provide more opportunities for researching the effectiveness of songwriting as a therapeutic tool. Clients who consult counsellors and music therapists can benefit from this guide, as it increases the accessibility to songwriting in therapy. Ethical 3 considerations included in the project can help guide professionals in their use of songwriting techniques. Discussion of the options for managing the resulting product according to professional standards and copyright law is also presented. The Canadian Association for Music Therapy (CAMT) can benefit from the research on the ethical and copyright implications in songwriting in therapy since the CAMT Code of Ethics (CAMT, 1999) does not address these issues. Therapists and clients remain at risk for litigious actions if attention to ethical and copyright issues is not taken into consideration when cooperatively creating what could be termed expressive works of art within a therapy setting. 4 CHAPTER II Songwriting: A Useful Therapeutic Tool Suggestions to use songwriting as a therapeutic method abound in the music therapy literature. The examples included in this section present work by various practitioners and the limited instructions they have provided for using songwriting as a therapeutic intervention. Priestley (1985) suggests that therapists encourage clients to speak their lyrics or a poem aloud, and then use the inflection of speech as a guide in constructing melody. O’Callaghan (1996) requests that patients make as many choices as possible to guide the songwriting process through choosing topics, keys, rhythms, moods, melodic elements, accompaniment patterns, and titles. Ficken (1976) approaches songwriting in a psychiatric setting through steps of approximations. His approach utilizes popular songs with lyrical substitutions as a means of introducing songwriting. In writing original songs Ficken suggests beginning with the pitch of speech, and then exploring those pitches through improvisation. Melodic fragments, harmonies and words can then be joined together to produce a finished song. Mayers (1995) also uses the modification of existing songs and choice- making procedures to write songs with children who have experienced trauma. She recognizes that some children may be threatened by writing from personal experience, and therefore suggests the use of projective techniques. Rickson and Watkins (2003) rely