Grooves on the Mind: The Call for Music Therapy Practices Applicable to Communities of Color

Khalid Taylor, Oberlin CollegeFollow

Location

King Building 327

Document Type

Presentation

Start Date

4-28-2017 1:30 PM

End Date

4-28-2017 2:50 PM

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to examine the current structure and effects of music therapy, as it pertains to racial and ethnic demographics. Music therapy has been shown to be an effective form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), significantly enhancing neurological, psychological, and social facets of human perception, emotion, and interaction. Its dynamic interventions benefit both individuals and groups, because music offers a medium through which people with different lived experiences can find comfort in connection. While music can resonate with people across labels of identity, there are also less apparent therapeutic aspects of how music can and does serve different communities. The most effective strategies of music therapy currently function by individually assessing the needs of clients and applying clinically proven methods of treatment. Analysis of clinical and sociological literature will allow for a greater understanding of disconnect between these practices and their prevalence within communities of color in the United States. However, preliminary research highlights a scarcity in the acknowledgement of race as a factor discussed in the process aiding clients. Given that the field is biased towards Eurocentric approaches of treatment, the lack of intentional incorporation of multicultural approaches creates both inaccessibility and inefficacy of treatment for people of color (POC’s). Ultimately, this research will serve as a basis for modification and implementation of effective musical interventions to specifically address the manifestations of trauma amongst communities of color, as well as a platform to acknowledge the often-invisible and self-sustaining practices already prevalent within these communities.

Keywords:

race, ethnicity, music therapy

Notes

Session I, Panel 2 - Applied | Music
Moderator: Ben Geyer, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory

Major

Musical Studies

Award

Oberlin College Research Fellowship

Advisor(s)

Chris Jenkins, Office of the Dean of the Conservatory

Project Mentor(s)

Marcelo Vinces, Center for Learning, Education & Research in the Sciences

April 2017

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Apr 28th, 1:30 PM Apr 28th, 2:50 PM

Grooves on the Mind: The Call for Music Therapy Practices Applicable to Communities of Color

King Building 327

The purpose of this research is to examine the current structure and effects of music therapy, as it pertains to racial and ethnic demographics. Music therapy has been shown to be an effective form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), significantly enhancing neurological, psychological, and social facets of human perception, emotion, and interaction. Its dynamic interventions benefit both individuals and groups, because music offers a medium through which people with different lived experiences can find comfort in connection. While music can resonate with people across labels of identity, there are also less apparent therapeutic aspects of how music can and does serve different communities. The most effective strategies of music therapy currently function by individually assessing the needs of clients and applying clinically proven methods of treatment. Analysis of clinical and sociological literature will allow for a greater understanding of disconnect between these practices and their prevalence within communities of color in the United States. However, preliminary research highlights a scarcity in the acknowledgement of race as a factor discussed in the process aiding clients. Given that the field is biased towards Eurocentric approaches of treatment, the lack of intentional incorporation of multicultural approaches creates both inaccessibility and inefficacy of treatment for people of color (POC’s). Ultimately, this research will serve as a basis for modification and implementation of effective musical interventions to specifically address the manifestations of trauma amongst communities of color, as well as a platform to acknowledge the often-invisible and self-sustaining practices already prevalent within these communities.