Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine the author’s beliefs, attitudes, and emotions related to her voice and to gain insight and self-awareness about how this might affect her work as a music therapist in end-of-life care. The data collection and analysis procedures were conceptualized within Moustakas’ six stages of heuristic inquiry and were delimited to include only self-reflection components. Sources of data included a self-reflexive journal and audio recordings of the researcher’s voice. Open coding was used to identify themes related to the research question. These themes were organized using axial coding and layers of meaning were examined and clarified. The research process culminated with a creative synthesis in the form of an original song that was composed, sung, and recorded by the researcher. Personal implications as well as implications for clinical, educational, and research activities are presented.