Date of Award
5-2021
Degree Name
Master of Music
Department
Music
First Advisor
Dr. Edward Roth
Second Advisor
Dr. Jennifer Fiore
Third Advisor
Dr. Angela Moe
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Nancy Mansberger
Keywords
Music, trauma, trauma narrative, music therapy, grounded theory
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
There is a lack of detailed literature describing how music is used for expressing and processing the trauma narrative. This study used a constructivist grounded theory approach through an anti-oppressive lens to explore the ways in which music therapists use music in exploring clients’ stories. The term “story” is used as opposed to “narrative” or “memory” to incorporate a broader definition of expression including non-verbal, musical, metaphorical, or any other method the client chooses. Eight board-certified music therapists (MT-BC) were interviewed regarding their use of music in the context of clients’ stories. Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Three themes were constructed from the data. 1) Music Cultivates a Space for the Story, 2) Music Meets the Individuality of the Clients and their Story, and 3) Music Structures Healing Within the Story. One sub-theme was found in the second theme, Deep Processing Poses Potential Dangers. These results provide a picture of the roles music plays in processing a client’s story and may be beneficial in developing future research in this area.
Recommended Citation
Mehnert, Taylorlyn N., "The Role of Music in the Trauma Narrative and “Storytelling”: Perspectives of Clinicians" (2021). Masters Theses. 5205.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/5205