Abstract

This first-person arts-based research aims to explore the student-researcher’s personal decision-making process during clinical improvisation in music therapy. In music therapy practice, clinical improvisation is a widely used intervention, and can have a significant impact on the client as well as the therapeutic development. Greater insight into this process could therefore be beneficial. Music therapy literature often highlights self-awareness and reflexivity as important factors for career success and longevity for music therapists. Awareness of how they experience their engagement in music therapy interventions is important and has been the focus of several recent studies. Through recorded improvisations in both mock clinical and mock performance settings, the student-researcher sought answers as to what informs her listening and decision-making procedures. Participants were recruited to participate in these mock improvisations, which were recorded; the recordings were then analyzed for similarities and differences pertaining to listening and decision-making. The study revealed that decisions were influenced by aural cues (elements heard in the music) visual cues, intuition, as well as knowledge and learned skills. Further recommendations and research are presented.