Abstract:
This cross-sectional exploratory mixed methods study surveyed individuals across the African
continent who identified themselves as music therapists, music therapy students, musicians who
framed their work as “therapeutic,” and any practitioner who framed (part or all of) their practice
as “music therapy” or “therapeutic musicing.” A questionnaire was distributed electronically to
various groups and networks of people working in such capacities on the African continent.
Twenty-two respondents comprised the final sample from 11 countries across all five of Africa’s
geographical regions (North, South, East, West, and Central Africa). Qualitative data were coded
and analyzed via content analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive statistical
analysis. The respondents were categorized into three practitioner types: Music Therapists within
Accredited Guidelines (MTAGs), Self-identified Music Therapists (SIMTs) and Therapeutic
Integrative Music Practitioners (TIMPs). These individuals described their professional
identities, their practices, the contexts of their work, and the intended purposes of their work in
diverse ways. They also described the role and use of music in their work. Results indicated that
in every geographical region of Africa, a therapeutic music practitioner exists and is working
actively with communities to bring health, wellness, and positive change. They describe their
work differently, exist in different contexts, perceive and define music therapy and the
therapeutic use of music in different ways, however, the three types of practitioners, or the
“trifecta,” present overlapping interconnectedness and are rooted in similar objectives,
philosophies, values, and desires regardless of location, clientele, or whether these individuals
were connected or had interacted. A strong interest was expressed among participants for
collaborating and connecting with one another or with other like-minded practitioners if avenues
become available to do so. This is the first survey of diverse music therapy and therapeutic
musicing practices in Africa and offers the first step towards mapping the scope of these
practices on the continent and contributes towards creating a network of practitioners. The small
sample size of this exploratory study invite future researchers to continue investigating this topic
further.
