Abstract

This research project aimed at interpreting the gestures of two music therapists and their clients while they were engaged in playing or listening to music. The study incorporated transcriptions of four music therapy sessions, a systematic analysis of the transcriptions, and a hermeneutic inquiry to examine what is communicated via musical gestures and how the music therapist participants used the gestural repertoire of their clients to inform their interactions. The study showed that each dyad had characteristic gestural interactions which were shaped by clients’ diagnoses, the music therapists’ personal therapeutic style, the pre-existing therapeutic relationship, and other factors in the sessions themselves. The clients communicated their level of engagement, emotional state, attention, and relationship to the music partly through musical gesture. The music therapist participants generally recognized these musical gestures and processed them verbally, or through mirroring, prompting, or redirecting. The research suggests that further study into the role of musical gestures on a large scale, and in collaboration with diverse disciplines, could help music therapists augment their analysis of client behaviour, allowing them to better understand client intentions and motivations.