Structured Music for Group Music Therapy

Abstract: Free Group Improvisation is difficult to establish when clients are chronologically or developmentally young, because they have not absorbed from their musical experience the basic structures which serve to organise musical expression. Such clients require a variety of structured musical activities to which they can contribute at their varying developmental levels. A balance must be struct between co-operative and competitive activity, parallel play and turn-taking, structured and free musical expression. Skills of attention, anticipation and co-ordination can be developed, and vocal and gestual communication encouraged and refined. The interaction between the child's (often unexpected) responses and familiar musical structures can make a stronger impression on other children attending to those structures than would the same child's free improvisation. This interaction can also provide the therapist important diagnostic information not so easily gleaned from free improvisation. Examples of structured music for group therapy with the developmentally young will be examined, their application discussed, and guidelines offered for the composition of such material. This paper will be published by the BSMT later in l992, price on application.

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Keyword(s): Group, music-therapy, improvisation, activity.

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