A Liberation Music Therapy in Practice

Introduction and Chapter 1: Introduction to Liberation Music Therapy

Jun 01, 2024

Introduction

Welcome to my series on liberation music therapy, where we will dive into the intersections of liberation theory and equity-focused music therapy practices. My name is Dorian Wallace, and I am dedicated to creating a space where these critical ideas can be developed, explored, and documented. This substack platform is an experimental and reflective space rather than an official publication, allowing me to articulate and refine my thoughts freely. Here, I will delve into the intersection of music therapy, mental health, and social justice, incorporating political education and decolonial thought to improve our understanding. This series aims to be a resource for professional music therapists, other mental health professionals, activists interested in the theoretical dimensions of music and mental health, and musicians and artists committed to integrating a trauma-informed, liberation-focused perspective into their creative and community endeavors. Join me as we explore and engage with these essential concepts, striving to foster a more liberation-oriented approach to music therapy.

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What Is Music Therapy?

Music therapy is a clinical practice facilitated by board-certified music therapists that applies the elements of music to address individuals' health needs. These specialists employ therapeutic interventions such as listening to music, singing, playing instruments, songwriting, improvisation, and movement to aid in communication, fine motor skills, emotional expression, and physical relaxation. The primary aim is to enhance quality of life and well-being, targeting conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, neurological disorders, and developmental challenges in children. Sessions incorporate dynamic and holistic approaches, including assessment, goal-setting, and personalized interventions. The practice of music therapy became more formalized during the 19th and 20th centuries in the United States. It grew from the observations of the therapeutic effects of music on veterans following World Wars I and II. Musicians would visit hospitals to play music for soldiers who were dealing with emotional and physical trauma related to the wars. Since then, it has evolved into various modalities tailored to individual needs. The field is varied, encompassing different approaches with unique methodologies and therapeutic goals aimed at unlocking music's use for health and healing.

Guided Imagery and Music (GIM): This approach uses instrumental music and imagery to facilitate personal exploration and psychological growth. It is particularly effective in addressing trauma and stress-related conditions.
Analytical Music Therapy (AMT): Engaging in musical dialogue to explore unconscious thoughts and emotions, promoting self-awareness and insight into unresolved issues.
Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT): This involves using music to rehabilitate cognitive, sensory, and motor functions, aiding in recovery from neurological conditions such as stroke and traumatic brain injury.
Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy: This therapy embraces improvisational music-making to foster self-expression and interpersonal connections, which is particularly beneficial for individuals with developmental and emotional challenges.
Community Music Therapy: Utilizing group music-making to promote social cohesion and well-being within diverse community settings, advocating for societal change through collective musical engagement.
Orff Music Therapy: Integrating music, movement, and drama to enhance communication skills, social interactions, and cognitive development, particularly effective in educational and developmental contexts.
Behavioral Music Therapy: Incorporating principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy into music activities to facilitate behavioral change and emotional regulation, supporting individuals with mood and anxiety disorders.
Environmental Music Therapy (EMT): Utilizes the therapeutic potential of the surrounding environment, integrating music with natural and human-made sounds to promote relaxation and well-being. By optimizing sensory experiences and creating immersive environments, EMT aims to alleviate stress and enhance quality of life across diverse surroundings.

The practice of music therapy has deep historical roots. Music has been used as a healing tool for thousands of years and has played essential roles in rituals, spiritual practices, socialization, entertainment, and expression throughout human history. Many traditions are deeply embedded in the cultural practices and daily lives of indigenous communities, the working class, the underclass, and other marginalized or minority groups. These communities have long used music to navigate and express their experiences in ways that deeply resonate with communal experiences and foster healing and stability.

By embracing a multitude of musical traditions and healing practices, we can learn more effective ways to support the health, healing, and liberation of session participants and their communities. A liberation perspective not only improves the practice of music therapy but also celebrates the diversity of human experience, acknowledging that the wisdom and resilience of marginalized voices are essential in the ongoing journey toward holistic well-being and a more equitable society.

Furthermore, integrating a material understanding of our political landscape into music therapy practices can help us develop long-term strategies that provide tangible resources and support for those in our care and the communities that surround them. By recognizing the systemic factors that influence health and well-being, music therapists can advocate for and implement changes that address broader social injustices, ultimately fostering an environment where true healing and liberation are possible. This holistic and liberation-oriented approach ensures that music therapy not only helps individuals but also contributes to the collective empowerment and transformation of communities.

Liberation Music Therapy: A Very Brief Introduction

Liberation music therapy aligns with the principles of liberation psychology, an approach to psychology deeply concerned with the experiences, knowledge, and actions of marginalized and excluded individuals. This approach, through music, examines the impacts of dominant power structures on the oppressed, exploring how colonialism, poverty, oppression, alienation, and violence shape their lives and experiences. Practitioners use music to hear, amplify, and integrate the voices and knowledge of those most impacted by these shapes of oppression. A liberation music therapy approach should actively seek to support individuals and their communities both psychologically and socially, extending beyond individual treatment to address intergenerational and collective trauma. The objective is to help participants connect personal experiences to broader social perspectives. Liberation music therapy emphasizes the interconnectedness, integration, and wholeness of one's culture, psyche, self, and community.

Liberation psychology is the active process of seeking to understand the psychology of oppressed and impoverished communities by addressing the oppressive sociopolitical structures in which they exist. The principles of liberation psychology were developed in Latin America and were first formally articulated by Ignacio Martín-Baró, a Spanish/Salvadoran scholar, social psychologist, philosopher, and Jesuit priest. Martín-Baró challenged mainstream psychological models, finding them inadequate in addressing the structural violence present in El Salvador during the Salvadoran Civil War. His pioneering work, along with the ideas of figures like Frantz Fanon, Raquel Guzzo, and Lillian Comas-Díaz, has influenced community psychology, social psychology, feminist psychology, and critical health psychology, providing insights on how to analyze the social forces perpetuating various types of oppression, such as classism, misogyny, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, conspiracism, and cultural hegemony. By integrating music therapy and working collaboratively on interventions to address the specific experiences and contexts of participants, a liberation perspective aims to build solidarity, resilience, cultural understanding, and collective action among those affected most by systemic issues and oppression.

Music therapy can provide a holistic and engaging way to integrate diverse political perspectives and educate and empower people to use music as an instrument for liberation and activism. As an interdisciplinary approach, liberation music therapy draws on various traditions of thought, including liberation philosophy, Marxism, feminism, anarchism, decolonial theory, liberation theology, critical theory, sociotherapy, critical and popular pedagogy, and critical subdisciplines within psychology, particularly critical social and community psychology. Participants analyze and create music that addresses class struggles, historical contexts, power structures, radical theories, and systemic change, gaining insights into broader social, economic, and political situations. This approach encourages autonomy, mutual aid, critical thinking, and empowerment through creative expression, nurturing solidarity, and collective action. Liberation practitioners employ diverse practical methods, including participatory action research and arts-based methods, alongside tools from mainstream psychology, which are critically assessed and, when necessary, repurposed or reworked to integrate the critiques of oppressed and excluded perspectives.

There is no single way to "do" liberation music therapy. Mental health workers have integrated various approaches that were not originally part of the framework, including psychodynamic and narrative approaches, community therapy, ideology critique, and popular and Indigenous psychologies. This understanding allows for a variety of methods and practices to be employed, tailored to the specific needs and contexts of the communities served. It is important to remember that if someone cannot function within capitalism, our society often responds by incarcerating them, which is not a humane or just solution. Instead, liberation music therapy advocates for empathetic and inclusive practices that address the root causes of mental health issues, promoting healing and empowerment through creative expression and community solidarity.

Central Concepts of Liberation Psychology:

Critical Consciousness (Conscientization)

The process of developing awareness of social, political, and economic forces shaping life and society. This process involves recognizing and analyzing structures of oppression and inequity, empowering individuals to take action against these conditions.

Critical Realism

Learning comes from identifying the material and social realities of oppression while also recognizing that understanding these realities is biased by ideology and power dynamics. By integrating a realist ontology with a critical examination of social structures, one can recognize that reality exists beyond human perception and can be more thoroughly understood through social, cultural, and historical contexts.

De-ideologized Reality

Recognizing ideological distortions allows practitioners to reframe existing biases, help better understand current social circumstances and conditions, and competently challenge dominant narratives, ideas, and beliefs that legitimize oppression. This reframing allows individuals and communities to act with an open mind for social transformation.

A Social Orientation

Liberation practitioners should apply a social perspective, understanding participants in their broader social and community contexts. A social orientation emphasizes how culture, economy, and politics affect daily life and social issues.

Preferential Option for the Oppressed Majority

Social analysis and action should prioritize the needs and perspectives of marginalized and oppressed groups. Liberation practitioners should actively commit to decolonial thought and effort by recognizing participants' experiences and struggles as central to broader social issues.

Methodological Eclecticism

Liberation practitioners should use diverse research methods and theoretical approaches when researching social phenomena. Adaptability and diversity can bring together techniques from diverse fields to address oppression and liberation holistically.